Reuters Asia Top

By David Brunnstrom and Idrees Ali WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Australia and United States are determined to “counter destabilizing military activities by the People’s Republic of China”, their defense ministers said after a meeting at the Pentagon at the start of annual talks between the allies. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with Australia’s Defence Minister …

U.S., Australia vow to counter China’s ‘destabilizing military activities’ Read More »

BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said on Tuesday he was ready to stay in power for two more years if was backed by parliament following a general election that is due to take place before next May. In his first remarks about his future after a five-week suspension in September following a …

Thai PM says wants to remain in power for two more years Read More »

By Sophie Yu and Brenda Goh BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese residents have rushed to snap up COVID-19 antigen kits and medicines for fevers and colds, as the country’s recent easing of prevention measures triggered widespread concern among the public that they could now catch the virus. Online medicine platforms, pharmacies and drugmakers have in recent …

Chinese rush to stock up antigen kits, medicines as COVID prevention curbs ease Read More »

By Asif Shahzad ISLAMABAD (Reuters) -Pakistan’s Supreme Court set up a panel of five judges on Tuesday to supervise an investigation into the death of a prominent journalist who was shot and killed in Kenya, the court said. Journalist Arshad Sharif, 50, was killed on Oct. 23 while travelling in a vehicle on the outskirts …

Pakistani court to oversee probe into death of journalist in Kenya Read More »

By Kate Lamb and Ananda Teresia JAKARTA (Reuters) – Indonesia’s new criminal code ushers in a raft of new laws, including banning sex outside of marriage, insulting the president, and expressing any view that runs counter to state ideology. WHAT IS CONTROVERSIAL? Among the most contentious articles are those that criminalise sex outside marriage with …

Explainer-Why is Indonesia’s new criminal code so controversial? Read More »

(Reuters) – Russia’s defence ministry has said it has deployed mobile coastal defence missile systems on a northern Kuril island, part of a strategically located chain of islands that stretch between Japan and the Russian Kamchatka Peninsula. Japan lays claim to the Russian-held southern Kuril islands, which Tokyo calls the Northern Territories, a territorial row …

Russia deploys defence missile system on Kuril island near Japan Read More »

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House said on Monday that the U.S. administration is continuing to work with Congress on ways to “reinforce deterrence” against any changes to the status of Taiwan. Spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre did not detail specifics or lay out the administration’s view on Taiwan legislation currently under consideration. China claims the self-ruled …

Biden administration working with Congress on ‘deterrence’ over Taiwan – White House Read More »