Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

BEIJING, June 4 (APP): A Chinese man in East China’s Jiangsu province was sentenced to death in a first-instance judgement for killing Moiz Uddin, a Pakistani student of the Nanjing University, according to the local media here on Thursday.

The man surnamed Cong, 28, stabbed Moiz in his chest with a knife on July 11, 2018, following a quarrel. The attack ruptured the victim’s heart and he bled to death, Jiangsu police said in a statement later that day.

BEIJING, June 4. /TASS/: Russia delivered 1.58 bln cubic meters of natural gas to the People’s Republic of China via the Power of Siberia gas pipeline (‘eastern route’) over the past six months, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Thursday with reference to the customs service of China’s border city of Heihe.

KUALA LUMPUR, June 4 (NNN-BERNAMA) — The prosecution in the trial of Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s case involving SRC International Sdn Bhd funds on Wednesday urged the High Court to convict the former prime minister on all seven charges.

Ad hoc prosecutor Datuk V. Sithambaram said the prosecution had dealt with charges of criminal breach of trust (CBT), abuse of position and money laundering faced by Najib, 67.

PUTRAJAYA, June 4 (NNN-BERNAMA) — Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin returned to work in the office here today after undergoing self-quarantine at home for 14 days.

In a posting on his official Facebook page, Muhyiddin began his day with an audience and pre-Cabinet meeting with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah through a video conference.

He then chaired the Cabinet meeting with all members of his Cabinet, also through a video conference.

JAKARTA, June 4  (NNN-BERNAMA) — Though the large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) move in Jakarta province has been extended to the end of June, several  socio-economic activities will be allowed with the implementation of new norms and protocols starting tomorrow. 

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan said the PSBB first phase of transition until the end of June, would see among others, the reopening of houses of worship, working from office to resume, business centres and public transport service back in operation.

BEIJING, June 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — China said it will ease coronavirus restrictions to allow more foreign carriers to fly to the mainland, shortly after Washington vowed to bar Chinese airlines from flying to the United States due to Beijing’s curbs on American airlines.

4 June 2020; AFP: Tokyo 2020 officials are looking at ways to scale back next year's postponed Olympics, the city's governor said Thursday, amid reports the opening ceremony could be streamlined and spectator numbers cut.

Yuriko Koike told reporters that organisers were weighing up what could be "rationalised and simplified" as costs spiral for holding the first postponed Games in history.

KUALA LUMPUR, June 4 (NNN-BERNAMA) – Malaysia’s state-owned oil firm, Petronas, has entered Myanmar gas market with the first liquefied natural gas (LNG) delivery, the company said today.

Petronas said in a statement that, through its subsidiary, Petronas LNG (PLL) completed its maiden delivery of LNG to Yangon.

Two LNG cargoes were delivered to Yangon in May and June, and the delivery is part of a master sale and purchase agreement, between PLL and CNTIC VPower that was signed in early 2020.

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s legislature approved a contentious bill Thursday that makes it illegal to insult the Chinese national anthem.

The legislation was approved after pro-democracy opposition lawmakers tried to disrupt the vote. The bill was passed with 41 lawmakers voting for it and just one voting against. Most of the pro-democracy lawmakers boycotted the vote out of protest.

The pro-democracy camp sees the anthem bill as an infringement of freedom of expression and the greater rights that residents of the semi-autonomous city have compared to mainland China.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea said Thursday it planned to push new laws to ban activists from flying anti-Pyongyang leaflets over the border after North Korea threatened to end an inter-Korean military agreement reached in 2018 to reduce tensions if Seoul fails to prevent the protests.

The South’s desperate attempt to keep alive a faltering diplomacy will almost certainly trigger debates over freedom of speech in one of Asia’s most vibrant democracies.