Reuters Asia Top

By Valerie Volcovici WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Biden administration must thoroughly analyze the climate impacts of oil and gas leasing on nearly 4 million acres (1.6 million hectares) of federal land in five states before drilling can take place, according to legal settlements reached late Wednesday. The requirement comes after Judge Rudolph Contreras of the …

U.S. Interior must weigh climate impacts of oil, gas leasing – settlement Read More »

By Asif Shahzad ISLAMABAD (Reuters) -Chinese banks will roll over $2.3 billion in deposits in cash-strapped Pakistan’s foreign reserves, Pakistani Finance Minister Miftah Ismail said on Thursday, hours after Moody’s revised the South Asian nation’s outlook to negative. “The terms and conditions for refinancing of RMB 15 billion deposit by Chinese banks (about US$ 2.3 …

Chinese banks to roll over $2.3 billion in cash-strapped Pakistan’s deposits Read More »

By Uditha Jayasinghe COLOMBO (Reuters) – Sri Lanka seeks to secure around $5 billion in funding this year to cover repayments for fuel imports and other items bought through credit lines, and another $1 billion to bolster its foreign reserves, the prime minister’s office said on Thursday. The island nation is grappling with its worst …

Sri Lanka seeks to secure $5 billion in funds for import payments Read More »

By Emma Farge GENEVA (Reuters) – North Korea, which is under sanctions for developing nuclear weapons in defiance of United Nations Security Council Resolutions, has taken over as head of a U.N. body aimed at striking disarmament deals amid scorn from critics. This year North Korea has tested a flurry of ballistic missiles – also …

Amid criticism, North Korea takes over as U.N. disarmament president Read More »

BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s National Health Commission said on Thursday it would strengthen supervision over nucleic acid-based COVID testing, after a handful of labs were punished for violations that affected accuracy during Beijing city’s testing drives. During mass testing campaigns amid local outbreaks, laboratories must keep visual records of key processes of the testing, and …

China says to strengthen supervision over COVID testing Read More »

By Brenda Goh and Andrew Galbraith SHANGHAI (Reuters) -While a two-month COVID-19 lockdown is largely over in Shanghai, residents’ relief is quickly giving way to frustration that they now face hours waiting in line for virus tests and the negative results they must show to be allowed to enter public spaces. China’s business and commercial …

In Shanghai, lockdown blues make way for COVID testing gripes Read More »

(Corrects headline to show the one case was announced during 15 hours ending 3 pm Thursday, not in last day) BEIJING (Reuters) – Beijing reported one new domestically transmitted COVID-19 infection in community screening in the 15 hours to 3 p.m. local time (0700 GMT) on Thursday, a disease control official said. The city also …

Beijing city reports one new community COVID case in 15 hours to 3 pm Thursday Read More »

BEIJING/TAIPEI (Reuters) -China “firmly” opposes a new trade initiative between Taiwan and the United States, the Commerce Ministry said on Thursday, a plan the government in Taipei says is a recognition of the key position the island plays in global supply chains. The United States and Taiwan announced the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade …

China ‘firmly’ opposes U.S.-Taiwan trade initiative Read More »