Reuters Asia Top

By Valerie Volcovici WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.N. secretary-general on Wednesday called for a global coalition to speed the deployment of battery technology, urging countries to ease intellectual property constraints to hasten the transition from fossil fuels and combat climate change. Antonio Guterres’ plea comes as the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released its annual report, …

U.N. secretary general asks countries to ease barriers to green energy Read More »

TOKYO (Reuters) -The Japan Football Association (JFA) has been informally approached about the possibility of replacing China as hosts of next year’s Asian Cup, Chairman Kozo Tashima told Nikkan Sports. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced last Saturday that China had pulled out of hosting the 24-team continental championship, citing the COVID-19 situation in the …

Soccer-Japan ‘sounded out’ about hosting 2023 Asian Cup Read More »

By Rami Ayyub WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday sued Steve Wynn, the former CEO of Wynn Resorts, to compel him to register as an agent of China and accused him of lobbying then-President Donald Trump at Beijing’s behest in 2017. Wynn’s lawyers denied the allegations, saying he had never acted as …

U.S. accuses casino tycoon Wynn of acting as Chinese agent Read More »

BEIJING (Reuters) – Travellers flying to China from U.S. cities including Los Angeles, New York and San Francesco from May 20 will no longer need a RT-PCR test seven days before flights, notices issued late on Tuesday by the Chinese embassy and consulates showed. Previous requirements on antibody tests before flights will be removed as …

China removes some COVID test rules on travellers from U.S Read More »

By Soo-hyang Choi SEOUL (Reuters) – As North Korea battles its first known COVID outbreak, a lack of storage, chronic power shortages and inadequately trained medical staff pose acute challenges to inoculating its 25 million people – even with outside help, analysts said. North Korea has not responded to offers of aid from South Korea …

From storage to transport, hurdles to getting COVID vaccine to N.Koreans Read More »

By Uditha Jayasinghe and Alasdair Pal COLOMBO (Reuters) – Sri Lanka is expected to be placed into default by rating agencies on Wednesday after the non-payment of coupons on two of its sovereign bonds, while the energy minister said the country had run out of money to pay for fuel. An economic crisis unprecedented in …

Sri Lanka to default on debt, no money for fuel, minister says Read More »

By Thomas Suen and Ryan Woo BEIJING (Reuters) – As restaurants in the Chinese capital drift in the doldrums of a COVID ban on dining in, one eatery manager and his army of chefs have set up stalls on the pavement to keep alive some of the old magic and drum up sales of their …

COVID or no COVID, Beijing diners won’t be denied their Peking duck Read More »

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) granted an initial approval on Wednesday for a Tokyo Electric Power’s (Tepco) plan for releasing water from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear power plant into sea, citing there are no safety issues. The NRA plans to make a decision on final approval after a one-month public comment period, …

Japan nuclear regulator grants initial nod to Fukushima water release plan Read More »

By David Stanway and Martin Quin Pollard SHANGHAI/BEIJING (Reuters) -Health authorities in Shanghai faced “huge” pressure to keep China’s most populous city free of COVID-19 as residents were counting down the days until June 1 and the end of their lockdown after almost two months of isolation. The commercial hub of 25 million achieved a …

‘Huge’ pressure for Shanghai to stay COVID-free as end to lockdown looms Read More »