PHNOM PENH, May 4 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia, Indonesia and Thailand are due to host three important leaders' meetings in the Southeast Asia region this year, according to a joint statement released by the foreign ministries of the three countries on Wednesday.

Cambodia will host the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Related Summits on Nov. 11-13; Indonesia will host the Group of 20 (G20) Summit on Nov. 15-16, and Thailand will host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting on Nov. 18-19, the statement said. (Cambodia-Indonesia-Thailand-Leaders' meetings)

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SYDNEY, May 4 (Xinhua) -- Three new sub variants of the highly transmissible Omicron strain of COVID-19 have been detected in Australia, adding new uncertainty to the nation's fight to live with the virus.

The new variants have been given the name BA.2.12.1, BA.4 and BA.5. Scientists are racing to find out both the "fitness" and "transmissibility" of the strains believed to have evolved from Omicron BA.2. (Australia-COVID-19)

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SEOUL, May 4 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) fired one ballistic missile into its eastern waters, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Wednesday.

The JCS said in a statement that it detected the ballistic missile, which was launched toward the eastern waters from the Sunan area in Pyongyang at about 12:03 p.m. local time (0303 GMT). (South Korea-DPRK Projectile Launch)

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MAIMANA, Afghanistan, May 4 (Xinhua) -- At least two persons were confirmed dead and scores left homeless as some 500 houses have been badly damaged or washed away in Afghanistan's northern Faryab province, a villager Azizullah said Wednesday.

Heavy rain and flooding late Tuesday claimed the lives of two children and badly damaged or washed away some 500 houses in and around the provincial capital Maimana city, the eyewitness asserted. (Afghanistan-Flood-Injuries)