Reuters Asia Top Archives - Page 1366 of 1387

From killer heatwaves to floods, climate change worsened weather extremes in 2021

13 Dec 2021 13 Dec 2021

By Lisa Shumaker and Andrea Januta (Reuters) – Extreme weather events in 2021 shattered records around the globe. Hundreds died in storms and heatwaves. Farmers struggled with drought, and in some cases with locust plagues. Wildfires set new records for carbon emissions, while swallowing forests, towns and homes. Many of these events were exacerbated by …

From killer heatwaves to floods, climate change worsened weather extremes in 2021 Read More »

Indonesia cites strong U.S. commitment as Blinken starts Southeast Asia tour

13 Dec 2021 13 Dec 2021

By Humeyra Pamuk and Stanley Widianto JAKARTA (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a strong commitment to Indonesia on Monday, a senior official said, as he kicked off a Southeast Asia trip aimed at strengthening ties with a region that has become a strategic arena for Washington and Beijing. In his first …

Indonesia cites strong U.S. commitment as Blinken starts Southeast Asia tour Read More »

U.N. chief urges action on ‘killer robots’ as Geneva talks open

13 Dec 2021 13 Dec 2021

By Emma Farge GENEVA (Reuters) – United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Monday for new rules covering the use of autonomous weapons as a key meeting on the issue opened in Geneva. Negotiators at the U.N. talks have for eight years been discussing limits on lethal autonomous weapons, or LAWS, which are fully machine-controlled …

U.N. chief urges action on ‘killer robots’ as Geneva talks open Read More »

EU hesitates over possible Olympic boycott in China

13 Dec 2021 13 Dec 2021

By Sabine Siebold and Robin Emmott BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Lithuania’s foreign minister said on Monday he would not attend the 2022 Olympic Games in China as France and the Netherlands sought a common position on a European Union response to highlight Chinese human rights abuses. The bloc is torn over whether to join the United States, …

EU hesitates over possible Olympic boycott in China Read More »

Factbox-Taiwan’s referendums and what’s up for a vote

13 Dec 2021 13 Dec 2021

(Reuters) – Taiwan votes in four referendums on Saturday that could have a major bearing on its energy and trade policy and are a key test of support for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the main opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT). The DPP is urging a “no” vote for all, while the KMT …

Factbox-Taiwan’s referendums and what’s up for a vote Read More »

Vietnam jails ex-Hanoi chairman for 8 more years for power abuse

13 Dec 2021 13 Dec 2021

HANOI (Reuters) – A Vietnamese court jailed a former head of Hanoi’s governing body for a further eight years on Monday for abuse of power, state media reported, his second conviction as part of a crackdown on graft by the ruling Communist Party. Nguyen Duc Chung, 54, was found guilty of charges stemming from the …

Vietnam jails ex-Hanoi chairman for 8 more years for power abuse Read More »

Pakistan confirms first case of Omicron variant

13 Dec 2021 13 Dec 2021

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – Pakistan has confirmed its first case of the Omicron COVID-19 variant, in the country’s most populous city of Karachi, the country’s National Institute of Health (NIH) said on Monday. “The NIH has been able to confirm … that a recently suspected sample from Karachi is indeed the ‘Omicron variant’,” the NIH said …

Pakistan confirms first case of Omicron variant Read More »

Antibody response from China Zhifei’s COVID shot weaker against Omicron

13 Dec 2021 13 Dec 2021

BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s Anhui Zhifei Longcom Biopharmaceutical said on Monday a small laboratory test showed its COVID-19 vaccine could trigger antibodies against the Omicron variant though the response was weaker than against an older variant of the virus. The unit of Chongqing Zhifei Biological Products is the first Chinese vaccine developer to announce early …

Antibody response from China Zhifei’s COVID shot weaker against Omicron Read More »

Hong Kong activists get up to 14 months in prison for banned Tiananmen vigil

13 Dec 2021 13 Dec 2021

By Jessie Pang and Edmond Ng HONG KONG (Reuters) – Eight Hong Kong pro-democracy activists were sentenced to up to 14 months in prison on Monday for organising, taking part in and inciting participation in a banned vigil last year for victims of China’s 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. The former British colony, which returned to …

Hong Kong activists get up to 14 months in prison for banned Tiananmen vigil Read More »

Thailand to expedite COVID-19 boosters in anticipation of Omicron

13 Dec 2021 13 Dec 2021

BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thailand will halve to three months the time between administering a second COVID-19 vaccine shot and a booster, a health official said on Monday, to try to strengthen immunity in anticipation of a local spread of the Omicron variant. Thailand has so far detected eight imported cases of the Omicron variant but …

Thailand to expedite COVID-19 boosters in anticipation of Omicron Read More »