Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

TOKYO, May 11 (NNN-NHK) – An earthquake, with a magnitude of 5.5, on Monday (today), struck off Japan’s Ibaraki Prefecture, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).

The temblor occurred at 8:58 a.m. local time, with its epicentre at a latitude of 36.4 degrees north, and a longitude of 141.1 degrees east, and at a depth of 50 km.

The quake logged 3 in some parts of Ibaraki Prefecture, on the Japanese seismic intensity scale, which peaks at 7.

So far no tsunami warning has been issued.

11 May 2020; AFP: South Korea announced its highest number of new coronavirus cases for more than a month Monday, driven by an infection cluster in a Seoul nightlife district just as the country loosens restrictions.

The nation has been held up as a global model in how to curb the virus, but over the weekend its capital -- as well as neighbouring Gyeonggi province and the nearby city of Incheon -- ordered the closure of all clubs and bars after a burst of new cases sparked fears of a second wave.

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China’s monthly auto sales rose for the first time in almost two years in April, industry data showed, as more customers visited showrooms after the economy began to open up and authorities loosened coronavirus-related travel restrictions.

Auto sales in April hit 2.07 million units in the world’s biggest car market, up 4.4% from a year earlier, according to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), the country’s largest auto industry association.

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong authorities arrested more than 200 people during pro-democracy protests, media reported on Monday, after a sing-along demonstration at a shopping mall spilled out on to the streets of the Chinese-ruled city.

Hundreds of riot police were deployed to disperse the protesters on Sunday, with some members of the media caught up in the chaos that evoked memories of the sometimes violent unrest that rocked the global financial hub last year.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan will take additional stimulus measures “swiftly” to combat the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said, signalling readiness to compile a second supplementary budget during the current Diet session running through June.

The new package of steps would aim to cushion the blow to the world’s third-largest economy, which is on the cusp of deep recession amid a plunge in global demand and a local state of emergency that has been extended through to the end of May.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Celebrities and other critics of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe have taken to social media in droves to protest against a plan to raise the retirement age for prosecutors, calling it undemocratic and ill-timed during the coronavirus crisis.

Critics fear such a move would let an administration retain favourites in key posts, endangering prosecutors’ independence, and were angered by its timing during the virus pandemic, Abe’s handling of which has drawn fire for being slow and clumsy.

SHANGHAI (AP) — Visitors wearing face masks streamed into Shanghai Disneyland as China’s most prominent theme park reopened Monday in a new step toward rolling back anti-coronavirus controls that shut down its economy.

The park, which closed Jan. 25, will limit visitor numbers and is keeping some attractions closed in line with social distancing guidelines, company executives said.

BEIJING (AP) — Asian stock markets rose Monday after Wall Street advanced as investors looked past dismal U.S. jobs and other data toward hopes for a global recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

Benchmarks in Shanghai, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia advanced.

U.S. shares gained Friday despite a government report that American employers cut a record-setting 20.5 million jobs in April.

Tokyo, May 10 (AP) The coronavirus in Japan has brought not just an epidemic of infections, but also an onslaught of bullying and discrimination against the sick, their families and health workers.

A government campaign to raise awareness seems to be helping, at least for medical workers. But it's made only limited headway in countering the harassment and shunning that may be discouraging people from seeking testing and care and hindering the battle against the pandemic.

Seoul, May 10 (AP) South Korea's president is urging citizens not to lower their guard down, but said there's no reason to be panicked amid worries about a new surge in the coronavirus outbreak in the country.

President Moon Jae-in made the comments in a speech Sunday as his health authorities detected a slew of new cases linked to nightclubs in Seoul's Itaewon district in recent days. Earlier, South Korea's caseload had been waning for weeks, prompting authorities to relax their social distancing rules.