Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese automaker Nissan reported Tuesday losses for the fiscal third quarter, as its sales were hit by the coronavirus pandemic and its brand image continued to take a beating from the financial misconduct scandal centered on its former chairman, Carlos Ghosn.

Nissan Motor Co. reported a 37.8 billion yen ($360 million) loss for October-December, bigger than the 26 billion yen loss racked up the previous year.

Quarterly sales fell to 2.2 trillion yen ($21 billion) from 2.5 trillion yen.

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Myanmar’s new military rulers on Monday signaled their intention to crack down on opponents of their takeover, issuing decrees that effectively banned peaceful public protests in the country’s two biggest cities.

The restrictions were ordered after police fired water cannons at hundreds of protesters in the capital, Naypyitaw, who were demanding the military hand power back to elected officials. It was just one of many demonstrations around the country.

Yangon, Feb 8 (AP-PTI) A protest against Myanmar's one-week-old military government swelled rapidly on Monday morning as opposition to the coup grew increasingly bold.

The protesters at a major downtown Yangon intersection chanted slogans, raised a three-finger salute and carried placards saying Reject the military coup and Justice for Myanmar.

MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines and the United States will meet this month to iron out differences over a Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), Manila’s top diplomat said, amid renewed regional concerns over China’s assertive maritime agenda.

The Philippines in November suspended for a second time President Rodrigo Duterte’s unilateral decision to terminate the VFA, to allow it to work with Washington on a long-term pact.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices rose on Monday to their highest in just over a year, with Brent futures nudging past $60 a barrel, boosted by supply cuts among key producers and hopes for further U.S. economic stimulus measures to boost demand.

Brent crude for April touched an intraday high of $60.06 a barrel, the highest since January last year. The front-month contract was at $59.90 by 0728 GMT, up 56 cents, or 0.9%.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures for March advanced 60 cents, or 1.1%, to $57.45 a barrel, the highest since January last year.

TOKYO, February 7. /TASS/: Japan plans to continue talks on a peace treaty with Russia on the basis of the high-level agreements reached in Singapore back in 2018, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said on Sunday.

"The government led by me firmly relies on the outcome of the meeting between our countries’ leaders reached in 2018 in Singapore and we will continue talks on the basis of the agreements between our countries," Suga told the National Rally to Demand the Return of the Northern Territories (Japan’s term for the Southern Kuril Islands).

MANILA (Reuters) - A strong earthquake with 6.3 magnitude struck the southern province of Davao del Sur in the Philippines on Sunday, with damage and aftershocks expected, the country’s seismology agency said.

The earthquake was initially recorded at magnitude 6 at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles), the GFZ German Research Center for Geosciences earlier said.

The Philippines Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Philvolcs) said it recorded the depth at 15 km, adding that the earthquake was tectonic.

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China has given broader approval for the domestic-made Sinovac coronavirus vaccine, expanding those who can receive it beyond the high-risk and priority groups already allowed under an emergency clearance.

Regulators gave conditional approval for Sinovac Biotech Ltd’s shot, CoronaVac, on Friday, clearing the way for general use, The National Medical Products Administration announced in a statement Saturday

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Thousands of people rallied against the military takeover in Myanmar’s biggest city on Sunday and demanded the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, whose elected government was toppled by the army that also imposed an internet blackout.

Protest crowds have grown bigger and bolder since Monday’s coup.

JAKARTA (Reuters) - A surreal, blood-red river inundated the Indonesian village of Jenggot after floods hit a nearby batik factory on Saturday, causing a frenzy on social media.

Thousands of users on Twitter shared photos and videos of the village south of Pekalongan city in Central Java being flooded by crimson-coloured water, which some social media users said reminded them of blood.