Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

SEOUL (Reuters) - A day after North Korea suspended communication hotlines with South Korea over defectors who send propaganda and contraband into the North, South Korea said it would take legal action against two organisations that conduct such operations.

North Korea gets enraged when the defectors in the South send material such as anti-North leaflets and rice - usually by balloon over the heavily fortified border or in bottles by sea - and its media has in recent days denounced the “mongrel dogs” who do it.

PUTRAJAYA, June 10 (NNN-BERNAMA) — The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) today launched the domestic tourism recovery programme in efforts to revive the sector which was adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Its Minister Nancy Shukri said the campaign also encompassed the Tourism Recovery Plan and the Culture Recovery Plan.

She said although the Visit Malaysia Year 2020 (VM2020) has been cancelled, efforts to promote the country as a safe tourism destination would continue to be implemented.

BEIJING, June 10 (NNN-XINHUA) – During their 10th round of high-level strategic dialogue yesterday, China and the European Union (EU) agreed to develop closer ties on a range of issues.

The dialogue, which was held via video link, was co-chaired by Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, and Josep Borrell, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

SEOUL, June 10 (NNN-YONHAP) — South Korea will fully implement a military tension-reduction agreement with North Korea despite Pyongyang’s threat to scrap it, the defense ministry said Wednesday, amid heightened tensions over anti-Pyongyang leaflets.

During a meeting of top commanders presided over by Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo, officers said the agreement signed in 2018 has “specifically and practically” contributed to reducing tensions between the two Koreas, according to the ministry

JAKARTA, June 10 (NNN-ANTARA) – A 5.7-magnitude quake jolted Indonesia’s western province of Bengkulu on Wednesday (today), the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency said.

The quake rocked at 11:35 a.m. Jakarta time (0435 GMT), with the epicentre at 28 km southwest of Mukomuko district, and the depth at 24 km under the seabed.

The quake was not potential for a tsunami.

Indonesia is frequently hit by quakes, as it sits on a quake-prone zone in the “Pacific Ring of Fire.”

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, June 10 (NNN-BB NEWS) – Brunei reported no new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, with the national tally of cases standing at 141, marking the 33rd consecutive day without new cases, since May 7.

In relation to the contacts of the cases found to be positive in Malaysia, laboratory tests for COVID-19 on 134 contacts of the cases are found to be negative, while others are still pending test results.

The ministry of health says, 120 individuals are currently undergoing quarantine and a total of 2,703 individuals have completed their quarantine.

BEIJING, June 9 (APP): The ongoing military standoff between China and India could continue for a little longer
due to complexity of the situation, analysts said.

The talks between the two countries’ senior military officers came at a time when China-India border tensions flared up after India recently illegally constructed defense facilities across the border into Chinese territory in the Galwan Valley region, and Chinese border defense troops countered with increased border control measures.

9 June 2020; AFP: A South Korean court on Tuesday declined to issue an arrest warrant for the heir to the country's Samsung empire over a controversial merger of two business units seen as a key step to his succession.

Lee Jae-yong, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics, is already being re-tried on charges of bribery, embezzlement and other offences in connection with a corruption scandal that brought down former South Korean president Park Geun-hye.

9 June 2020; AFP: Several thousand demonstrators marched in Hong Kong on Tuesday evening -- defying authorities a year after huge pro-democracy protests erupted -- as the movement struggles in the face of arrests, coronavirus bans on crowds and a looming national security law.

Seven months of massive and often violent rallies kicked off on June 9 last year when as many as a million people took to the streets to oppose a bill allowing extraditions to mainland China.

Hong Kong, Jun 9 (AP) A year on from the start of Hong Kong's anti-government protests, the leader of the semi-autonomous Chinese city said Tuesday that all sides should learn from the difficulties and challenging times over the past year.

Everyone has to learn their lesson, including the Hong Kong government, Carrie Lam told reporters before a weekly meeting with advisors.