Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

China: Two Pakistani teams win Huawei’s annual ICT competition

BEIJING, Nov.21 (APP): The Huawei ICT (Information and Communications Technology) Competition is an international annual competition that provides students with a platform to compete healthily and exchange ideas.

Two teams from Pakistan participated in the Network Category of the Practice Competition and won prizes.

Tokayev slated to win Kazakhstan’s presidential race, election data reveals

ASTANA, November 21. /TASS/: Kazakhstan’s incumbent President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev won Sunday’s presidential election, gaining 81.31% of the vote, Chairman of the country’s Central Election Commission Nurlan Abdirov said at a briefing on Monday, citing preliminary data.

"Kassym-Jomart Tokayev gained 81.31% of the vote, or 6,456,392 votes," he specified.

Abdirov added that the data had been provided by territorial election commissions in the cities of Shymkent, Almaty and Astana.

ASEAN Parliament Chiefs Gathered To Promote Sustainable, Inclusive, Resilient Region

PHNOM PENH, Nov 21 (NNN-KPL) – Parliament leaders in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), met here today, to discuss ways to help promote a sustainable, inclusive and resilient region.

In a royal message to the opening ceremony of the 43rd General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (43rd AIPA), Cambodian King, Norodom Sihamoni, said, inter-parliamentary diplomacy, partnership and cooperation are crucial to contribute to promoting long-lasting peace and prosperity in the region.

Malaysia's Anwar seeks backing of old foes to form government as turmoil drags on

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim sought backing from the graft-tainted incumbent coalition and his longtime rival to form a government, in a bid to gain an edge over opponent Muhyiddin Yassin, after an election delivered a hung parliament.

The uncertainty over a new government looked set to persist at least for another day as the country's king extended to Tuesday a deadline for political blocs to forge alliances needed to secure a parliamentary majority.

Malaysian king extends deadline as negotiations on forming new government continue

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Malaysian political parties are still in discussion on how to form the next government following the indecisive election results, with the country's king Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah extending the deadline on Monday.

The king initially asked the political parties to present a name to fill the prime minister's post by Monday and after their failure to do so, the deadline has been extended by 24 hours to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, the palace said in a statement.

Asian stocks down after Wall St weekly loss on rate fears

BEIJING (AP) — Asian stock markets sank Monday after Wall Street ended with a loss for the week amid anxiety about Federal Reserve plans for more interest rate hikes to cool inflation.

Hong Kong’s benchmark fell more than than 3%. Shanghai, Tokyo and Sydney also retreated. Oil prices declined.

All the major U.S. stock indexes ended with a weekly loss after a Fed official, James Bullard, rattled investors by suggesting the U.S. central bank’s base lending rate might have to be raised to as much as almost double its already elevated level.

Malaysia’s election uncertainty drags out as party dithers

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia’s longest-ruling coalition said Monday it has not decided which bloc to support after weekend elections left neither with enough seats to form a government on its own, and it would ask the nation’s king to give it more time.

The National Front’s announcement has prolonged election uncertainty. King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah initially set a 2 p.m. deadline for political leaders to submit their choice for prime minister and an alliance that represents a parliamentary majority.

Chinese coast guard seizes rocket debris from Filipino navy

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — China’s coast guard forcibly seized apparent Chinese rocket debris that was being towed by the Philippine navy, in the latest confrontation in the disputed South China Sea, a Philippine military commander said Monday.

The Chinese vessel twice blocked the Philippine naval boat before seizing the debris it was towing Sunday off Philippine-occupied Thitu island, Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos said. He said no one was injured in the incident.

Hong Kong leader Lee isolating with COVID-19 after APEC trip

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong leader John Lee tested positive for the coronavirus after meeting with other regional leaders the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Thailand, the city’s government said Monday.

Lee tested negative throughout his four-day stay in Bangkok but his test upon his arrival at Hong Kong’s airport on Sunday night was positive, it said.

Lee is now in isolation and will work from home, according to the statement from the Chief Executive’s Office. Other officials at his office who went to Thailand with Lee all tested negative.

China’s Guangzhou locks down millions in ‘zero-COVID’ fight

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — The southern Chinese metropolis of Guangzhou locked down its largest district Monday as it tries to tamp down a major COVID-19 outbreak, suspending public transit and requiring residents to present a negative test if they want to leave their homes.

The outbreak is testing China’s attempt to bring a more targeted approach to its zero-COVID policies while facing multiple outbreaks driven by fast-spreading omicron variants. China is the only major country in the world still trying to curb virus transmissions through strict lockdown measures and mass testing.

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