Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

KUALA LUMPUR, April 12 (NNN-BERNAMA) — Malaysia’s gross domestic product (GDP) is projected to contract by 0.1 per cent to 4.6 per cent this year amid negative impact brought by COVID-19, according to the World Bank.

Its senior economist, finance, competitiveness, and innovation global practice, Smita Kuriakose, said the impact on Malaysia’ economy was likely to be large looking due to COVID-19’s adverse impact on foreign direct investment (FDI), commodities and tourism as well as domestic shocks due to the Movement Control Order (MCO). 

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau volcano spewed a column of ash 500 meters (1,640 feet) into the sky in the longest eruption since the explosive collapse of the island caused a deadly tsunami in 2018, scientists said Saturday.

Closed-circuit TV from Indonesia’s Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation showed lava flares Friday night.

The agency said that the volcano was continuously erupting until Saturday morning. A level 2 alert status remained in place, the second-highest on a scale of four.

BEIJING, April 11. /TASS/: The Chinese authorities have sent a group of medical experts to Russia to fight against the spread of novel coronavirus, spokesman for Chinese Foreign Ministry Lijian Zhao said on Saturday.

"In order to help Russia overcome the oubreak of coronavirus infection, the Chinese government made a decision to send to Russia a group of medical experts to fight against the pandemic," the spokesman said. He added that medical professionals departed for Russia on April 11.

Beijing/Wuhan, Apr 11 (PTI) China's health authorities on Saturday asked the public to strengthen protective measures and avoid gatherings after a number of cluster infections of the coronavirus were reported in some parts of the country, sparking concerns about the re-emergence of the vicious virus.

All localities should intensify screenings and detection of Covid-19 cases, targeting key places and groups with high risks of infection, in order to minimise the risk of an epidemic rebound, Mi Feng, a spokesperson for the National Health Commission (NHC) said.

SINGAPORE, April 10 (NNN-CNA) – Singapore Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong, promised, the state would do its best to take care of foreign workers’ health, livelihood and welfare here, and to let them go home, safe and sound, to their family members.

He said that, Singapore appreciates the work and contributions of foreign workers here, and feels responsible for their well-being.

The prime minister said, COVID-19 outbreaks were seen in several foreign worker dormitories. “Many dorms have many cases,” he added.

WUHAN, China (Reuters) - China reported on Saturday a rise in new coronavirus infections, mostly in travellers arriving from abroad, as doctors in the central city of Wuhan, where the virus initially emerged, warned its behaviour was still not well-understood.

Tough curbs imposed in China since January have reined in infections sharply since the height of the pandemic in February, although it has spread worldwide to infect 1.6 million people with 100,000 deaths.

ALMATY (Reuters) - Twelve people have tested positive for the novel coronavirus at one of the worker camps located next to the giant Tengiz oilfield in Kazakhstan, its operator Tengizchevroil said on Saturday.

The Chevron-led group, the central Asian nation’s No.1 oil producer, said critical activities in Tengiz had not been impacted and production was continuing as normal.

Tengizchevroil said it had taken measures to ensure the safety of workers on the site and avoid output disruption, including through limiting access to the field.

BEIJING, April 10 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese spokesman on Friday said a U.S. official's "fact-distorting" comments concerning the World Health Organization (WHO) and Taiwan were politically motivated to shift the blame and will only damage the credibility, image and interests of the United States.

He urged the U.S. side to respect facts and international public opinions and focus on its own epidemic prevention and control.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea announced plans Saturday to strap tracking wristbands on people who defy quarantine orders and Christians were urged to stay home on Easter weekend as the global coronavirus death toll passed 100,000.

South Korean officials said stricter controls are required because some of the 57,000 people who are under orders to stay home have slipped out by leaving behind smartphones with tracking apps. Plans for broader use of wristbands were scaled back after objections by human rights and legal activists.

10 April 2020; AFP: South Korea is regularly ranked lowest in the developed world for gender equality, but for the first time a feminist party is seeking parliamentary seats at Wednesday's election, accusing the political establishment of having failed women.

The party was founded last month on International Women's Day on the back of a surge of anger over the country's spycam porn epidemic and other crimes, and against a backdrop of an enduring pay gap and employment and childcare issues.

But it has a mountain to climb.