Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

(Reuters) --- Taiwan's state-owned electricity monopoly Taipower on Friday blamed human error during a test for a power cut that affected some 4 million homes the day before, and said it would offer discounts worth almost $18 million to affected customers.

The rolling blackouts went on for around five hours before normal supplies were resumed early evening, briefly affecting the world's biggest contract chipmaker, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (2330.TW),

(Reuters) --- Hong Kong's Security Bureau said on Friday it has frozen assets belonging to jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, in the first use of seizure powers granted to authorities under the national security law.

The assets included all the shares of Next Digital Limited (0282.HK) held by Lai, and the property in the local bank accounts of three companies owned by him, according to a government statement issued on behalf of the Security Bureau.

SEOUL, May 14 (Xinhua) -- South Korea is considering ways to have consultations with Japan over its plan to dump radioactive wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean, local media reported Friday citing the foreign ministry.

TOKYO (AP) — Japan on Friday further expanded a coronavirus state of emergency, currently in Tokyo and five other prefectures, to nine areas, as Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s government is determined to hold the Olympics in just over two months.

Japan has been struggling to slow the infections ahead of the Games. The three additions include Japan’s northern island state of Hokkaido, where the Olympic marathon will be held, as well as Hiroshima and Okayama in western Japan.

BEIJING (AP) — China says its Mars probe and accompanying rover are expected to land on the red planet sometime between Saturday and Wednesday Beijing time.

The China National Space Administration said in a brief notice that the Tianwen-1 probe has collected a large amount of scientific data since entering Mars orbit on Feb. 10 and the window for setting down on an icy area of the planet known as Utopia Planitia was determined by “current flying conditions.”

KUALA LUMPUR, May 12 (NNN-Bernama) — Malaysia Wednesday recorded 39 fatalities due to COVID-19, the highest daily death toll so far, while new cases continued to increase to 4,765 from 3,973 cases yesterday.

Health Director-General Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said of the number, 37 deaths involved citizens and the remaining two were non-citizens, bringing the cumulative death tally due to the virus to 1,761.

(Reuters) --- South Korean fisheries associations filed a lawsuit against the Japanese government at a local court on Thursday, seeking compensation for the planned release of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant, the Yonhap news agency reported.

BEIJING, May 13 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Commerce on Thursday stressed that China and the United States should address each other's reasonable concerns through dialogue and consultation on the basis of mutual respect and equality.

Gao Feng, spokesperson for the ministry, made the remarks at a press conference when asked to comment on U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai's recent expression of expectations to meet Chinese trade officials in the near term.

The essence of economic and trade relations between China and the U.S. is mutual benefit, Gao said.

BEIJING (AP) — Muslim leaders from the Xinjiang region rejected Western allegations that China is suppressing religious freedom, speaking at a reception Thursday for foreign diplomats and media at the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

BEIJING (AP) — Stock markets in London and Tokyo tumbled 2.5% on Thursday and U.S. futures were lower after a jump in American consumer prices fueled worries inflation might drag on an economic recovery.

Shanghai, Frankfurt and Hong Kong also declined for a second day, following Wall Street lower.

Overnight, Wall Street’s benchmark S&P 500 index recorded its biggest one-day drop in three months after U.S. prices, exceeding forecasts, rose in April at their fastest year-on-year pace in 13 years.