Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

TOKYO (Reuters) - When a huge earthquake and tsunami struck Japan on March 11, 2011, devastating towns and triggering nuclear meltdowns in Fukushima, a stunned world watched the chaotic struggle to contain the world’s worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.

An onslaught of waves sparked by the 9.0-magnitude quake crashed into the northeastern coast, killing nearly 20,000 people and crippling the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant. More than 160,000 residents fled as radiation spewed into the air.

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Police killed a central Philippine city mayor and two of his aides, while two of the police officers were killed in the latest deadly violence involving the police force, officials said Tuesday.

“I can only assume that this was a mistaken encounter,” Brig. Gen. Ronaldo de Jesus, a regional police commander, said based on initial police reports.

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares were mixed Tuesday, cheered by the imminent passage of the U.S. stimulus package, although that optimism was tempered by worries about inflation and the coronavirus pandemic.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 added 0.2% to 28,800.81 in morning trading. South Korea’s Kospi slipped 1.2% to 2,960.17. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 added 0.3% to 6,760.10. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 1.3% to 28,918.99, while the Shanghai Composite slipped 0.6% to 3,402.61.

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Demonstrators in Myanmar’s biggest city came out Monday night for their first mass protests in defiance of an 8 p.m. curfew, seeking to show support for an estimated 200 students trapped by security forces in a small area of one neighborhood.

The students and other civilians earlier took part in one of the many daily protests across the country against the military’s seizure of power last month that ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

BEIJING, March 8 (APP): Pakistan Ambassador to China Moin ul Haque Monday said the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) flagship project would help create linkages with the neighboring countries and bring more prosperity to the region.

“When this project is realized, it will not only help Pakistan improve its infrastructure, address poverty, critical needs of the people and create jobs but also help create linkages with the neighboring countries and bring more prosperity to our region,” he said in an interview with Xinhuanet.

BEIJING, March 8 (APP): China on Monday supported Saudi Arabia’s efforts to safeguard security and stability and said it always opposed attacks targeting civilians and civil facilities.

“We support Saudi Arabia’s efforts to safeguard security and stability,” Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said during his regular briefing in response to a question about Yemen’s Houthis missiles and drones attacks on Saudi oil facilities.

KUALA LUMPUR, March 8 (NNN-Bernama) — Malaysia has been appointed as a member of the United Nations Statistical Commission’s (UNSC) advisory group (AG).

The appointment was made at the 52nd UNSC session held virtually from March 1-5, 2021.

In a statement Monday, the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DoSM) said Malaysia as one of the AG members will modernise the management and organisation of the national statistical system, thus contributing valuably to the advancement of the global statistical community.

MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to armed kill rebels was legal, his spokesman said on Monday, as catholic leaders joined condemnation of the killings of nine activists in separate weekend raids against suspected insurgents.

Human Rights groups are outraged over the deaths of what they said were legitimate activists under the guise of counter-insurgency operations, which came two days after Duterte told security forces they could kill rebels if they were holding a gun and to “ignore human rights”.

Washington, Mar 8 (AP-PTI) The United States and South Korea have reached agreement in principle on a new arrangement for sharing the cost of the American troop presence, which is intended as a bulwark against the threat of North Korean aggression.

The State Department's Bureau of Political-Military Affairs said the deal includes a negotiated increase in Seoul's share of the cost, but it provided no details.

BEIJING, March 8 (Xinhua) -- The number of cases of serious violent crimes in China dropped in 2020 to the lowest level in two decades, according to a work report of the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) unveiled Monday.

The number of criminal cases handled by the SPP last year was also at its lowest level in the past four years, read the report submitted to the ongoing national legislative session for deliberation.