Reuters Asia Top

By Ryan Woo and Liangping Gao BEIJING (Reuters) -China sent a spacecraft carrying three astronauts to its space station for the first in-orbit crew rotation in Chinese space history, launching operation of the second inhabited outpost in low-Earth orbit after the NASA-led International Space Station. The spacecraft Shenzhou-15, or “Divine Vessel”, and its three passengers …

Chinese astronauts ascend ‘Celestial Palace’ in historic space mission Read More »

By Emma Farge GENEVA (Reuters) – A U.N.-appointed independent expert on Iran voiced concern on Tuesday that the repression of protesters was intensifying, with authorities launching a “campaign” of sentencing them to death. The U.N. says more than 300 people have been killed so far and 14,000 arrested in protests which began after the Sept. …

UN Iran expert concerned about death sentences for protesters Read More »

By Yew Lun Tian, Yimou Lee and Brenda Goh SHANGHAI/TAIPEI (Reuters) – When officials from his Chinese village approached Hou last month, urging him to work at the world’s largest iPhone factory for at least twice the usual pay, he knew it was risky. Tens of thousands of workers had fled the plant in central …

Behind Foxconn’s China woes: mistrust, miscommunication, COVID curbs Read More »

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan (Reuters) – General Asim Munir on Tuesday took charge as Pakistan’s new army chief, a key change of command in an institution that plays a huge influential role in the governance of the nuclear-armed nation. Munir, who was named as the new chief last week, takes control at a time when the army …

General Asim Munir takes charge as chief of Pakistan’s powerful army Read More »

KABUL (Reuters) – Pakistan’s minister of state for foreign affairs met Afghanistan’s acting foreign minister in Kabul on Tuesday, the latest international minister to visit the country whose Taliban rulers are not formally recognised by foreign governments. The visit comes at a time of heightened security concerns in areas bordering Afghanistan after the Pakistani Taliban …

Pakistan foreign minister meets Afghan Taliban amid border concerns Read More »

By Eduardo Baptista BEIJING (Reuters) – Opponents of China’s anti-COVID measures are resorting to dating apps and social media platforms blocked on the mainland to evade censors, spread the word about their defiance and strategy, in a high-tech game of cat and mouse with police. Videos, images and accounts of the opposition to China’s tough …

Dating apps and Telegram: How China protesters are defying authorities Read More »

BEIJING (Reuters) – Public complaints about China’s COVID-19 curbs stem from overzealous implementation, particularly when applied with a one-size-fits-all approach, rather than from the measures themselves, a senior health official said on Tuesday. Cheng Youquan, a supervisory official of the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration, was speaking at a regular weekly briefing, following a …

Chinese official blames excessive implementation for complaints on COVID curbs Read More »

BEIJING (Reuters) -China will speed up COVID-19 vaccinations for elderly people, health officials said on Tuesday, aiming to overcome a key stumbling block in efforts to ease unpopular “zero-COVID” curbs. The move is seen as a crucial element in a strategy to unwind nearly three years of strict curbs that have eroded economic growth, disrupted …

China to ramp up COVID vaccinations for its elderly Read More »