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Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 0600 GMT, June 11

Xinhua, June 11, 2015 Adjust font size:

The number of South Koreans diagnosed with the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) rose to 122 since the first case was discovered on May 20, the health ministry said Thursday.

Fourteen new cases were added Thursday, including a 39-year-old pregnant woman, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The pregnant woman has been in stable conditions.(S.Korea-MERS)

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SEOUL -- Bank of Korea (BOK), South Korea's central bank, cut its policy rate Thursday to an all-time low of 1.5 percent on concerns that the unabated spread of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) may erode the already lackluster economy.

BOK Governor Lee Ju-yeol and six other members of the monetary policy board decided to lower the benchmark seven-day repurchase rate by a quarter percentage point to 1.5 percent. The bank cut it below 2 percent in March for the first time in history after lowering it by 25 basis points in August and October last year. (S. Korea-Policy Rate)

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Hong Kong -- Hong Kong's health authorities on Thursday said 31 out of 33 suspected cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome ( MERS) reported in the 24 hours till Wednesday noon have tested negative.

Controller of the Center for Health Protection Leung Ting-hung said at a press briefing this morning that no confirmed case of MERS has been found in Hong Kong so far. (HK-MERS)

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TOKYO -- A 5.7-magnitude quake jolted off northeastern Japan at around 1:51 p.m. local time on Thursday without triggering tsunami warnings, said Japan's Meteorological Agency (JMA).

There were no immediate reports on damages and injuries.(Japan- Quake) Endi