PHNOM PENH -- Cambodia, the host of the 13th ASEM Summit (ASEM13), has decided to further postpone the ASEM13 to the last quarter of 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a foreign ministry statement on Thursday.

The statement was released after the ASEM Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) Retreat via videoconference on March 1-2, which was chaired by Foreign Ministry's Secretary of State Luy David, who is the ASEM SOM Leader for Cambodia, with the participation from SOM Leaders of all ASEM partners. (Cambodia-ASEM-Postponement)

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PYONGYANG -- Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), on Thursday urged local officials across the country to improve the work of the city and county Party committees, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Friday.

At the first course for chief secretaries of the city and county Party committees, Kim stressed that the overall work of the Party and the state can go well and the overall development of socialism can be promoted only when the city and county Party committees across the country fulfill their missions and role, the KCNA said. (DPRK-Top Leader-Local Officials)

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SYDNEY -- A tsunami warning for Australia' Norfolk Island remained in place on Friday afternoon, following a series of earthquakes northeast of New Zealand.

Norfolk Island is around 1,450 km east of the Australian mainland and roughly 1,100 km north west of New Zealand's northern tip. (Australia-Tsunami Warning)

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ROME -- Italy is the first country in the 27-member European Union (EU) to block the export of AstraZeneca anti-COVID-19 vaccines outside EU borders, Italian news agency ANSA reported Thursday.

"Italian authorities have notified the European Commission of their decision to block the export of a shipment of vaccines to Australia," ANSA wrote. (Italy-Vaccine-Block)