Overview: Biden limits time at big press annnual dinner; various developments in asia

Factbox: Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus Beijing closed some public spaces and stepped up checks at others on Thursday, as most of the city's 22 million residents embarked on more COVID-19 mass testing aimed at averting a Shanghai-like lockdown. Reuters Reuters

April 28 (Reuters) -  ...

* U.S. President Joe Biden will limit how much time he spends at the White House Correspondents Association annual dinner on Saturday as he works to limit his potential exposure to the coronavirus. read more

* Shanghai is making more resources available to improve vaccination rates among the elderly as daily case numbers decline and it looks for a way out of four weeks of stringent lockdown restrictions. read more

* Malaysia will ease more COVID-19 curbs from the start of next month, including lifting restrictions on those who are not vaccinated against the coronavirus and scrapping the need to wear masks outdoors. read more

* Nepal is putting a 21st-century spin on a tourism sector dominated by activities unchanged for generations as it looks to boost a vital part of an economy decimated by the pandemic and soaring import bills. read more  ...

* The head of South Korean president-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's transition team said his government would compensate 5.5 million owners of small businesses for losses suffered from COVID-19 curbs.

* Industrial firms including GE, chipmakers such SK Hynix and automaker Mercedes Benz warned that China's strict COVID-19 curbs were intensifying supply chain disruptions and raising uncertainty about the business outlook. read more