Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — China and South Korea on Tuesday reported more cases of a new viral illness that has been concentrated in North Asia but is causing global worry as clusters grow in the Middle East and Europe.

China reported 508 new cases and another 71 deaths, 68 of them in the central city of Wuhan, where the epidemic was first detected in December. The updates bring mainland China’s totals to 77,658 cases and 2,663 deaths.

BEIJING, Feb 24 (APP): China on Monday reiterated its gratitude and appreciation over the enormous support and assistance offered by Pakistan in the wake of the novel coronavirus epidemic saying this fact once again showed that the two countries were true friends and brothers sharing weal and woe.

Beijing, Feb 24 (AFP/PTI) Non-residents of Wuhan may leave the quarantined city at the epicentre of China's virus epidemic if they show no symptoms and have never had contact with patients, authorities said Monday.

Wuhan, a city of 11 million, has been under lockdown since January 23 after authorities shut down transport links into and out of the city in an effort to contain the new coronavirus outbreak.

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Feb 24 (NNN-BB NEWS) – Over 26,000 participants put on a near-flawless performance for Brunei’s 36th National Day Parade ceremony in the capital on Sunday (yesterday).

PUTRAJAYA, Feb 24 (NNN-BERNAMA) — Dr Mahathir Mohamad Monday resigned as the prime minister and chairman of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu).

The Prime Minister’s Office announced in a statement that Dr Mahathir submitted his letter of resignation as the prime minister to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

“Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad submitted his letter of resignation as the Prime Minister of Malaysia today. The letter was sent to the Malaysian King Yang di-Pertuan Agong at 1 pm,” the statement said.

BEIJING (Reuters) - China’s top legislative body formally decided to postpone the annual meeting of parliament originally scheduled to start on March 5, state television reported on Monday, amid a coronavirus outbreak that has infected more than 70,000 in the country.

State television said the new date for the meetings, which typically last for 10 days, would be set later. The meeting would not be delayed for too long, the report added without elaborating.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices tumbled by 3% on Monday, as the rapid spread of a coronavirus in several countries outside China left investors fretting about a hit to demand.

Global shares also extended losses as concerns about the impact of the new virus grew, with the number of infections jumping in Iran, Italy and South Korea.

Brent crude was down $1.78, or 3%, to $56.72 a barrel by 0755 GMT, after falling to an intraday low of $56.53 earlier. U.S. crude futures fell by $1.53, or 2.9%, to $51.85.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - French junior transport minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari said on Monday that he saw no need to close down transport borders between France and Italy, despite the spread of coronavirus.

“Closing down the borders would make no sense, as the circulation of the virus is not just limited to administrative borders,” Djebbari told BFM Business.

SEOUL (Reuters) - With South Korea’s defense minister due to meet his American counterpart on Monday in Washington, the U.S. military doubled down on calls for Seoul to pay more in defense costs, warning of the implications if a deal was not made soon.

Defence Minister Kyeong-doo Jeong and U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper are expected to discuss a standoff with North Korea, as well as plans to give South Korea control of the troops on the peninsula in the event of a war.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia’s alliance government under 94-year-old Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad is threatening to unravel less than two years after a historic election victory ousting the coalition that had ruled the country since independence.

Startling political maneuvers have sparked expectation that Mahathir will pull his Bersatu party out of the four-member ruling alliance and team with his former foes to form a new government in a major political upheaval that could further polarize the multiracial nation.