Reuters Asia Top

By Rozanna Latiff and A. Ananthalakshmi KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) -Malaysia’s veteran two-time leader Mahathir Mohamad said on Thursday that disgraced former premier Najib Razak, who he helped bring down, was likely to win a royal pardon and be freed from a 12-year jail sentence for graft that he began this week. Mahathir, whose historic election …

Malaysia’s Mahathir says ‘highly likely’ jailed Najib will get royal pardon Read More »

KABUL (Reuters) – The Taliban have not found the body of Ayman al-Zawahiri and are continuing investigations, group spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said on Thursday, after the United States said they killed the al Qaeda leader in an airstrike in Kabul last month. The United States killed Zawahiri with a missile fired from a drone while …

Taliban say they’ve not found body of al Qaeda leader Read More »

By Hyonhee Shin SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea’s president Yoon Suk-yeol on Thursday ordered an update of the military’s operational plans to address North Korea’s growing nuclear and missile threats, his office said. Yoon gave the instructions at his first visit to a military bunker in the capital Seoul that would serve as a command …

South Korea’s Yoon orders update of war plans over North Korea’s threats Read More »

By Asif Shahzad ISLAMABAD (Reuters) -A Pakistani court on Thursday extended former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s pre-arrest bail for one week in a terrorism case over a speech, his lawyer said, shortly after the former premier appeared in court in person amidst tight security. Khan’s lawyer and political aide Babar Awan told Reuters bail had …

Pakistan court extends former premier Khan’s pre-arrest bail on terrorism charges Read More »

By Kirsty Needham SYDNEY (Reuters) – The Solomon Islands Prime Minister’s office distributed Chinese government money to 39 out of 50 members of parliament twice last year, a budget committee was told, prompting criticism the payments were politically motivated. Prime Minister Manesseh Sogavare, who switched the Islands’ diplomatic ties from Taiwan to Beijing in 2019, …

Distribution of Chinese funds by Solomon Islands PM raises questions Read More »

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain on Thursday announced a new round of sanctions targeting military-linked businesses in Myanmar in support of the Southeast Asian country’s Rohingya community and in an effort to limit the military’s access to arms and revenue. “We continue to stand in solidarity with the Rohingya people and condemn the Myanmar Armed Forces’ …

Britain slaps new sanctions on Mynamar military-linked firms Read More »

By Syed Raza Hassan KARACHI, Pakistan (Reuters) – Pakistan rejected India’s closure of the incident of the firing of a supersonic missile into Pakistani territory on March 9, and reiterated demand for joint probe, said a statement by Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued Wednesday night. The Indian Air Force on Tuesday said at the end …

Pakistan rejects India’s closure of missile firing incident into its territory Read More »

By Xiaoyu Yin and Thomas Peter POYANG LAKE, China (Reuters) – Normally surrounded by water in August, a pagoda-topped island in China’s Poyang Lake is now fully visible, testifying to the dramatic impact of a long drought and heatwave on a vital part of the country’s irrigation infrastructure. China’s biggest freshwater lake, Poyang is known …

China’s shrinking ‘kidney’ lake lays bare growing climate challenges Read More »

(Reuters) -The Qatar Investment Authority aims to invest $3 billion in Pakistan, the Qatari ruler’s office said on Wednesday, lending support to the South Asian nation’s cash-strapped economy. Pakistan is in economic turmoil and faces a balance of payments crisis, with foreign reserves having dropped as low as $7.8 billion, barely enough for more than …

Qatar Investment Authority aims to invest $3 billion in Pakistan Read More »