Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

BEIJING (AP) — Asian stock markets rose for second day Tuesday on hopes for progress toward a possible coronavirus vaccine that might allow the world to revive manufacturing, shopping and normal life.

Benchmarks in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Sydney rose by more than 1% while Shanghai and Seoul also advanced.

On Wall Street, the benchmark S&P 500 index closed 1.2% higher on Monday after Pfizer Inc. said early data on a vaccine under development suggest it might be it might be 90% effective at preventing COVID-19, though that doesn’t mean its release is imminent.

HONG KONG (AP) — Chinese consumers are expected to spend tens of billions on everything from fresh food to luxury goods during this year’s Singles’ Day online shopping festival, as the country recovers from the pandemic.

The shopping festival, which is the world’s largest and falls on Nov. 11 every year, is an annual extravaganza where China’s e-commerce companies, including Alibaba, JD.com and Pinduoduo, offer generous discounts on their platforms. Last year, shoppers spent $38.4 billion on Alibaba’s e-commerce platforms Tmall and Taobao.

BEIJING, Nov 9 (APP): The 3rd China International Import Expo (CIIE) grandly opened in Shanghai. As the world’s first import-themed national-level expo, it connects enterprises across the globe together to tap the great potential of the Chinese market and give fresh impetus to the world economy inflicted by the coronavirus pandemic.

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 9 (NNN-BERNAMA) — Malaysia is hoping that the new United States (US) administration can bring changes to the Israel-Palestine issue, said Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Kamarudin Jaffar.

“We are monitoring the political development and changes in US administration especially on Palestine and other matters.

“We are hoping that there will be changes…and we have also read previous statements, which we believe would bring a new light to the Palestine-Israel situation,” he said during Question Time at the Parliament (Dewan Rakyat) sitting today.

BEIJING (Reuters) - China, which has held off on congratulating U.S. presidential election winner Joe Biden even as leaders of other countries have done so, said on Monday it would follow custom in responding to the result.

Democrat Biden clinched enough states to win the presidency but incumbent President Donald Trump has not conceded and is making legal challenges to the outcome of the Nov. 3 election.

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares and U.S. futures rose Monday on relief the U.S. presidential election results were finally decided, with Joe Biden the president-elect.

Strong Chinese trade data released over the weekend also helped. Many in the region expect trade tensions to de-escalate under a Biden presidency, a plus for Asian markets and economies.

BANGKOK (AP) — Pro-democracy protesters in Thailand were confronted by riot police and sprayed by water cannons Sunday as they tried to approach Bangkok’s Grand Palace to deliver letters about their political grievances addressed to the country’s king.

The pro-democracy movement has been pushing a bold challenge to reform the country’s monarchy with almost daily demonstrations. Sunday marked the second time water cannons were used against the protesters during several months of demonstrations.

BEIJING, Nov 8 (APP): The projects being implemented under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative would not only benefit certain areas but to promote development across Pakistan, China Radio International (CRI) Urdu commented.

“The way the CPEC projects have been implemented over the last five years and the results that have emerged show that the purpose of building CPEC is not to benefit certain areas but to promote development across Pakistan,” CRI Urdu commented on the progress made in the construction of CPEC projects.

JAKARTA, Nov 8 (NNN-ANTARA) – More than 630 residents were evacuated from a village near Mount Merapi, in Indonesia’s Central Java province, between Friday and yesterday, as a volcano alert was raised to the second-highest level, a local official said.

Chief Executive of Magelang District’s disaster management agency, Edy Susanto, said that, in addition to them, there are also people living in three villages in Dukuh sub-district to be evacuated.

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai protesters called on King Maha Vajiralongkorn to reach out for dialogue on Sunday as they gathered for the latest demonstration in months of protests, while counter-protesters chanted royalist slogans nearby.

Protests since July have increasingly called for reforms to the powerful monarchy, breaking a long-standing taboo against criticising the institution, as well for the removal of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha and a new constitution.