DAEJEON, South Korea -- No Chinese nationals were among the casualties in a deadly fire at an automotive parts factory in Daejeon, South Korea, the Chinese embassy in South Korea told Xinhua on Saturday.
As of now, the fire has left 14 people dead, 59 injured, with all missing persons being found. (South Korea-Fire-Casualty)
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MALE -- The Maldives' plastic bag levy is cutting plastic consumption as intended, with government revenue from the surcharge dropping 40 percent in the first two months of 2026, the Maldives' state media PSM News said Saturday.
Statistics released by the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority showed that the state collected 43,259.47 U.S. dollars from the levy during January and February, down from 72,186.64 dollars in the same period last year. (Maldives-Plastic-Levy)
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HANOI -- Vietnam's National Election Council on Saturday afternoon released the official list of 500 elected members of the 16th National Assembly (NA), the Vietnam News Agency reported.
Polls were opened nationwide last Sunday for elections of deputies to the 16th NA, which drew nearly 76.2 million voters, or 99.7 percent turnout, the state-owned media outlet added. (Vietnam-Election-List)
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TOKYO -- Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Iran is seeking "not a ceasefire, but a complete, comprehensive and lasting end to the war," according to Kyodo News.
In a telephone interview with Kyodo News on Friday, Araghchi described the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran as "an illegal, unprovoked act of aggression," calling on the international community to take a stand against the attacks. (Iran-PM-Interview) ■
