Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

PUTRAJAYA, Feb 27 (NNN-BERNAMA) — Malaysia’s interim Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad today announced a RM20 billion economic stimulus package aimed at reducing the impact of Covid-19 on the country’s economy.

From tax incentives to measures to put more money in the pockets of Malaysians, the three-pronged package has been tailored to assist companies and businesses affected by the spread of the virus, while ensuring continued national economic growth and quality investments.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The South Korean and U.S. militaries announced Thursday that they were postponing their annual joint drills due to concern about a viral outbreak that has infected soldiers in both countries’ armed forces, put many troops in quarantine and closed base facilities.

Twenty South Korean soldiers and one American service member in South Korea have tested positive for the new coronavirus, which has infected about 1,600 people in the Asian country, the largest outbreak outside mainland China.

BEIJING (AP) — As the worst-hit areas of Asia continued to struggle with a new virus, with hundreds more cases reported Thursday in South Korea and China, worries about infection and containment spread across the globe.

For the first time, the coronavirus has caused more new cases outside China, the epicenter of the outbreak, than inside the country. With Brazil on Wednesday confirming Latin America’s first case, the virus has reached every continent but Antarctica.

Hong Kong, Feb 26 (AFP/PTI) Hong Kong's government on Wednesday said it will give a HK 10,000 ($1,280) handout to seven million permanent residents in a bid to jump-start a recession-hit economy now compounded by the coronavirus outbreak.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan unveiled the cash gift in an annual budget, committing 120 billion to help alleviate the worst economic downtown the international financial hub has faced in a decade.

Beijing, Feb 26 (PTI) The death toll in China's novel coronavirus epidemic on Wednesday climbed to 2,715 with 52 new fatalities while the confirmed cases rose to 78,064, amidst strong signs of COVID-19 slowing down even at its epicentre Hubei province.

The country's National Health Commission (NHC) in its daily update said it received reports of 52 deaths, all from Hubei, and 406 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection from all over the country.

SEPANG, Feb 26 (NNN-BERNAMA) — A total of 66 individuals, comprising 46 Malaysian citizens and 20 of their non-citizen family members, who arrived from Wuhan, China this morning, are being housed at the monitoring centre at the Higher Education Leadership Academy (AKEPT) in Nilai for the 14-day quarantine period.

They were among the Malaysians stranded in Wuhan, Hubei province, following the outbreak of COVID-19 since late December last year.

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 26 (NNN-BERNAMA) — Public servants are strictly prohibited from attending or participating in political gatherings and making public statements, the Director-General of Public Services Datuk Mohd Khairul Adib Abd Rahman cautioned today.

He said civil servants were also prohibited from distributing or transmitting fake news on social media or any other medium of communication.

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 26 (NNN-BERNAMA) — Public Bank Bhd’s net profit saw a slight ease to RM5.51 billion for the financial year ended Dec 31, 2019 (FY19) from RM5.59 billion recorded in the previous year.

Revenue, however, rose to RM22.45 billion from RM22.04 billion previously.

In a filing with Bursa Malaysia, founder and chairman emeritus Tan Sri Dr Teh Hong Piow said 2019 was a year with strong headwinds and increased challenges as economic growth across developed and emerging countries had further moderated.

VIENTIANE, Feb 26 (NNN-KPL) – Laos earned more from the sale of rice to China in the past few years due to trade preference arrangements between the two countries.

In 2017, the value of rice sold to China was 5.6 million U.S. dollars. This figure increased to 7.25 million U.S. dollars in 2018, and to 14.54 million U.S. dollars in 2019, according to the Lao Ministry of Industry and Commerce.

HANOI, Feb 26 (NNN-VNA) – More than 100,000 poultry have been culled in 10 provinces and cities of Vietnam, where A/H5N6 and A/H5N1 bird flu broke out, the country’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development reported today (Wednesday).