Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 1000 GMT, Nov. 17
PHNOM PENH– A plane carrying another batch of 2 million doses of the China- donated Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine arrived in the capital of Cambodia on Wednesday. Speaking at a ceremony held at the airport, Hun Sen said with China’s timely and regular vaccine supply, Cambodia has reached herd immunity earlier than planned and has recently reopened the country in all…
PHNOM PENH — A plane carrying another batch of 2 million doses of the China-donated Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine arrived in the capital of Cambodia on Wednesday.
Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen welcomed the Chinese vaccines at the Phnom Penh International Airport.
Speaking at a ceremony held at the airport, Hun Sen said with China’s timely and regular vaccine supply, Cambodia has reached herd immunity earlier than planned and has recently reopened the country in all areas in the new normal.(Cambodia-China-Vaccine)
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ISLAMABAD — One person was killed and six others including children were injured in a gas cylinder explosion in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi on Wednesday, the police said.
The incident happened inside a multi-storey building in Lyari area of Karachi, the capital of southern Sindh province, police officials in the area told local media.(Pakistan-Gas Cylinder-Blast)
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WELLINGTON — For the more than 3.4 million eligible New Zealanders already fully vaccinated, they could get their My Vaccine Pass from Wednesday.
My Vaccine Pass, issued by the Ministry of Health, is an official record of one’s COVID-19 vaccination status and will provide access to places within New Zealand that require proof of vaccination under the new COVID-19 Protection Framework, Minister for COVID-19 Response Chris Hipkins said in a statement.
“We’re asking fully vaccinated New Zealanders to get ready for summer by requesting their pass,” Hipkins said, adding it is an official proof of vaccination and a ticket to enjoy the extra freedoms that will come with the new COVID-19 Protection Framework, to be effective later this month depending on the pandemic situation.(New Zealand-COVID-19)
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KUALA LUMPUR — A jet belonging to the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) crashed on Tuesday night, leaving one member of the country’s military killed and another injured, Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said.
Hishammuddin said in a brief statement on Twitter that the RMAF has been directed to investigate and submit a detailed report on the incident.
Separately, the RMAF confirmed the incident, involving one of its Hawk fighter jets, occurred at around 10:07 p.m. local time at the runway of the Butterworth Air Base in Penang state, according to state news agency Bernama.(Malaysia-Air Crash)
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TOKYO — Japan’s auto exports kept plunging in October, down 36.7 percent year on year amid a semiconductor and parts shortage triggering output reduction, government data revealed Wednesday.
The rate of decline slowed down from a drop of 40.3 percent in a month earlier, but logging the second consecutive month decline in car shipments on year.
Japan’s overall merchandise exports increased by 9.4 percent, compared to the 13 percent growth in September, according to a preliminary report by the Finance Ministry.
Exports of goods totaled 7.18 trillion yen (62.5 billion U.S. dollars), unable to achieve a double-digit percentage growth for the first time in eight months, which may slow the pace of the world’s third-largest economy to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ministry said.(Japan-Exports) Enditem
