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Xinhua Asia Pacific news summary at 0600GMT, July 9

Xinhua, July 9, 2015 Adjust font size:

South Korea on Thursday reported no case of infection with the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)for four days in a row, with no death added, the health ministry said.

The total MERS contagion cases have been unchanged at 186 since Monday, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

The spread of the MERS corona virus recently showed signs of abating. Only one case was added for four days to Sunday. No case was reported for four days through July 1. (South Korea-MERS)

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SEOUL -- South Korea's central bank on Thursday kept its policy rate on hold at an all-time low of 1.5 percent after lowering it by a quarter percentage point the prior month to counter flagging domestic demand caused by the outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).

Bank of Korea (BOK) Governor Lee Ju-yeol and six other policy board members decided to freeze the benchmark seven-day repurchase rate at 1.5 percent to wait and see the effect of fiscal and monetary stimulus packages.

The BOK cut the rate below 2 percent in March for the first time in history after lowering it by 25 basis points in August and October last year respectively. The rate was cut again to 1.5 percent last month. (South Korea-Policy Rate)

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TOKYO -- Core machinery orders in private sector in Japan was up 0.6 percent in May on a seasonally-adjusted base from the previous month for the third consecutive monthly gain, according to the government Thursday.

The value of orders, excluding those for ships and from utilities, hit the highest level since June 2008 to 907.6 billion yen (about 7.52 billion U.S. dollars).

Manufacturing sector's orders jumped 9.9 percent to 441.7 billion yen, while those from nonmanufacturing sector declined 4.0 percent to 475.0 billion yen. (Japan-Core Machinary Orders)

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SYDNEY -- Qantas Airways'low cost subsidiary Jetstar and rival Virgin Australia have cancelled all Thursday flights between Australia and Bali after earlier indicating flights will resume.

Virgin Australia initially announced on Thursday morning flights departing Australia would resume as scheduled, but would continue to monitor the conditions in Indonesian airspace.

Airline expert's analyzed updated satellite imagery in consultation with the Volcanic Ash Advisory Center in Darwin which showed unfavorable winds are pushing a volcanic ash cloud in Indonesian airspace closer to Denpasar airport. (Australia-Qantas Aireays-Flight Cancel)

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YANGON -- Myanmar President U Thein Sein Thursday pledged to try his best to hold a clean, free and fair general election at the tenure of his first civilian government in many years.

In his radio message to the nation, U Thein Sein said his government will also try its utmost to complete the signing of the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) with ethnic armed groups before the 2015 general election, believing that "Good situation is still prevailed with domestic peace process." (Myanmar President-General Election-Pledge) Endi