Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The South Korean government said Tuesday no unusual activity has been detected in North Korea after unconfirmed reports described leader Kim Jong Un as in fragile condition after heart surgery.

The presidential Blue House says it had no information about the rumors on Kim’s health. Speculation often surfaces about North Korea’s leadership based on attendance at important state events. Kim, who is in his mid-30s, missed the celebration of his late grandfather and state founder Kim Il Sung on April 15, the country’s most important holiday.

HAIKOU, April 20. /TASS/: The total revenue of Hainan's duty free stores over nine years exceeded 55 billion yuan (about $ 7.78 billion), according to the local customs office. 

Over nine years since the launch of the pilot program for the development of duty free stores on the island, more than 16 million customers have shopped at the stores; the volume of sold goods  reached 72 million.

20 April 2020; AFP: A Japanese expert who has criticised the country's response to the coronavirus warned Monday that he is "pessimistic" that the postponed Olympics can be held even in 2021.

"To be honest with you I don't think the Olympics is likely to be held next year," said Kentaro Iwata, a professor of infectious diseases at Kobe University.

Japan and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) agreed last month to delay the Tokyo 2020 Games until July 2021 after pressure from athletes and sports federations.

Hong Kong, Apr 20 (AFP/PTI) Oil prices collapsed to more than two-decade lows Monday as traders grow concerned that storage facilities are reaching their limits, while equities were mixed, with some support coming from signs that the coronavirus may have peaked in Europe and the United States.

US crude benchmark West Texas Intermediate briefly plunged almost 20 percent to below 15 -- its lowest since 1999 -- as stockpiles continue to build owing to a crash in demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Crude oil futures fell on Monday, with U.S. futures dropping more than 10% to levels unseen since 1999 amid concerns that U.S. storage facilities will soon be brimful with demand evaporating due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The volume of oil held in U.S. storage, especially at Cushing, Oklahoma, the delivery point for the U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) contract, is rising as refiners throttle back activity due to slumping demand.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan’s government is boosting its new economic stimulus package by 8% to $1.1 trillion to fund cash payouts to lessen the pain from the coronavirus outbreak, a draft obtained by Reuters showed, straining its already dire public finances.

The upsized package will total 117.1 trillion yen ($1.086 trillion), with fiscal measures accounting for 48.4 trillion yen, of which around 25.6 trillion yen will be funded by an extra budget for the fiscal year that began on April 1, the draft showed.

DUSHANBE (Reuters) - The eldest son of Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon was elected as speaker in the senate on Friday, cementing the family’s grip on power in the Central Asian nation ahead of a presidential election.

Rustam Emomali, 32, who also serves as mayor of the capital Dushanbe, was elected speaker of the upper house of parliament unanimously, the senate press office said.

Under Tajikistan’s constitution, the speaker assumes presidential powers in the event of the president’s death or any inability to perform his duties.

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Koreans are returning to work and crowding shopping malls, parks, golf courses and some restaurants as South Korea relaxes social distancing rules amid a continued downward trend in coronavirus cases.

A growing list of companies, including SK Innovation and Naver, has ended or eased their work from home policy in recent weeks, though many continue to apply flexible working hours and limit travel and face-to-face meetings.

BANGKOK (AP) — Shares were mixed in Asia on Monday after China cut a key interest rate to help cushion the impact of the pandemic on its economy.

Benchmarks rose Monday in Hong Kong and Shanghai but fell in Tokyo. Oil prices were lower.

A fresh crop of grim economic data is expected this week after a worldwide rally on Friday that pushed the S&P 500 up 2.7%.

Japan reported Monday that its exports fell nearly 12% in March from a year earlier as shipments to its two biggest markets, the U.S. and China, slipped.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea on Sunday dismissed as “ungrounded” President Donald Trump’s comment that he recently received “a nice note” from the North’s leader, Kim Jong Un.

Trump said during a press briefing on the coronavirus pandemic Saturday that “I received a nice note from him recently. It was a nice note. I think we’re doing fine.” Trump also defended now-stalled nuclear diplomacy with Kim, saying the U.S. would have been at war with North Korea if he had not been elected.