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KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Southeast Asian leaders are meeting this week for their annual summit where Myanmar’s top general, whose forces seized power in February and shattered one of Asia’s most phenomenal democratic transitions, has been shut out for refusing to take steps to end the deadly violence.

There’s an intriguing subplot to President Joe Biden’s upcoming meeting with Pope Francis. The world’s two most prominent Roman Catholics will be celebrating a shared outlook on church teaching and vital social issues even as Biden faces unwavering opposition from many U.S. Catholic bishops over his stances on abortion and LGBTQ rights.

BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand is accelerating plans to reopen the country to foreign tourists, slashing mandatory quarantines beginning Nov. 1 for fully vaccinated visitors arriving by air from 46 countries and territories, officials announced Friday.

PHUKET — Officials on the southern island of Phuket said the tourism “sandbox” program was so successful that they are now planning to launch more initiatives to attract more travelers under a brand new campaign called “Together Phuket Stepping Forward.”

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — The United States is at a turning point in deciding how to handle the crisis in military-ruled Myanmar, weighing further political and economic steps to pressure the government to change its behavior, a senior U.S. official said Thursday.

BEIJING (AP) — China’s capital Beijing has begun offering booster shots against COVID-19, four months before the city and surrounding regions are to host the Winter Olympics.

MOSCOW (AP) — President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday ordered most Russians to stay off work for a week starting later this month amid rising COVID-19 infections and deaths, and he strongly urged reluctant citizens to get vaccinated.

BANGKOK — The upcoming launch of the “quarantine-free” reopening for tourists on Nov. 1 may still require travelers to quarantine at least for a night after all, according to a guideline published by a public health agency.

LONDON (AP) — Queen Elizabeth II has reluctantly accepted medical advice to rest for a few days and has canceled a trip to Northern Ireland, Buckingham Palace said Wednesday.

BANGKOK — The inoculation campaign against COVID-19 has now covered more than two thirds of the capital’s population, deputy governor Sophon Phisutthiwong said.