Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

TOKYO (Reuters) - The huge cost of the coronavirus pandemic is upending Japan’s seven-year experiment to rescue the economy from its debt timebomb, as recession fears prompt calls for “helicopter money” - unlimited spending bankrolled by the central bank.

Days after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe launched a nearly $1 trillion stimulus package to battle the pandemic’s financial fallout, some ruling party lawmakers are calling for even bigger spending.

WUHAN, China (Reuters) - China’s Wuhan city, where the global coronavirus pandemic began, is still testing residents regularly despite relaxing its tough two-month lockdown, with the country wary of a rebound in cases even as it sets its sights on normalising the economy.

Concerns remain over an influx of infected patients from overseas as well as China’s ability to detect asymptomatic patients, and the government in Wuhan has tried to reassure the public that it remains vigilant.

SINGAPORE, April 10 (NNN-AGENCIES) —The increased spotlight on the plight of foreign workers and their vulnerability in the Covid-19 crisis has led to an outpouring of donations from Singaporeans despite economic hard times caused by the coronavirus.

Several fundraising campaigns have smashed their targets within 24 hours, raising a total of S$345,000 in just a few days.

KUALA LUMPUR, April 10 (NNN-BERNAMA) — A chartered flight with 280 Malaysian students in Egypt is expected to depart from Cairo International Airport at 2 pm local time (8pm Malaysian time) today.

Ambassador of Egypt to Malaysia, Gamal A. Metwally, said he received a call from Malaysia Airlines on Wednesday for permission to land at the main airport in Egypt for the mission, and added the flight is chartered by the students’ family members following the COVID-19 pandemic.

BANGKOK (AP) — Asian shares are steady in quiet Good Friday trading after Wall Street closed out its best week in 45 years thanks to the Federal Reserve’s titanic effort to support the economy through the coronavirus crisis.

Many regional markets were closed. Japan’s Nikkei 225 index edged 0.1% lower to 19,326.78 and the Shanghai Composite index lost 0.4% to 2,814.52. In South Korea, the Kospi inched 0.1% higher to 1,838.47. Shares also rose in Taiwan and Malaysia.

Singapore, Apr 9 (AFP/PTI) Oil prices extended gains Thursday after Russia signalled it was ready to cut output before a key producers' meeting aimed at boosting energy markets as the coronavirus pandemic strangles demand.

US benchmark West Texas Intermediate rose 4.6 per cent to USD 26.26 a barrel, while Brent crude, the international benchmark, jumped 2.7 per cent to USD 33.73.

BEIJING/WUHAN, China (Reuters) - China took new measures on Wednesday to try to prevent asymptomatic “silent carriers” of the new coronavirus from causing a second wave of infections, as the country reported another modest rise in confirmed cases.

While new cases have declined from their peak since China imposed strict travel restrictions, authorities have called for continued vigilance amid fears of a fresh resurgence of infections as the economy cranks back to life and more people move around.

BEIJING, Apr 9 (NNN-XINHUA) – China and Switzerland should work together to keep the global industrial and supply chains stable, amid the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, said, in a phone call with his Swiss counterpart, Ignazio Cassis.

Wang said, through arduous efforts made by the Chinese people, China generally brought the domestic epidemic under control, but still faces the risk of the outbreak rebounding, especially the challenges posed by imported cases.

BANGKOK (AP) — Shares were mixed in Asia on Thursday after a 3.4% gain on Wall Street overnight as investors chose a positive focus for data about the coronavirus outbreak’s trajectory.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 index lost 0.4% after the central bank governor said the economy faces “extremely high” uncertainty over the likely impact of the pandemic. Shares rose in Hong Kong, Sydney and Shanghai.

Recent upward swings in markets have dwarfed declines amid signs that deaths and infections may be nearing a peak or plateau in some of the world’s hardest-hit areas.

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan’s foreign ministry on Thursday strongly protested accusations from the head of the World Health Organization that it condoned racist personal attacks on him that he alleged were coming from the self-governing island democracy.