Reuters Asia Top

By Devjyot Ghoshal and Uditha Jayasinghe COLOMBO (Reuters) – Sri Lanka’s worst economic crisis has triggered an unprecedented wave of spontaneous protests as the island nation of 22 million people struggles with prolonged power cuts and a shortage of essentials, including fuel and medicines. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s government has come under growing pressure for its …

Explainer-Sri Lanka’s reluctance to tap IMF helped push it into an economic abyss Read More »

(Corrects number of tests in paragraph 3 to 200 million, not 20 million) SHANGHAI (Reuters) – The Chinese financial hub of Shanghai said three people infected with COVID-19 died on Sunday, the first time during the current outbreak that it reported deaths among coronavirus patients. The city reported 19,831 new daily asymptomatic COVID-19 cases on …

Shanghai reports three deaths among COVID patients on April 17 Read More »

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – Pakistan said on Sunday said incidents of its security forces being targeted in cross-border attacks from Afghanistan had risen significantly, and called on Taliban authorities to act against militants, a day after purported air strikes by Pakistan. The incident has increased already simmering tensions between the neighbours. Taliban authorities on Saturday summoned …

Pakistan says cross-border attacks from Afghanistan have increased Read More »

MANILA (Reuters) – Four Philippine presidential candidates, including retired boxing star Manny Pacquiao, quelled speculation they were withdrawing from the race and said they remained alternative choices to frontrunner Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Manila city mayor Francisco Domagoso, Senator Panfilo Lacson and former Defence Secretary Norberto Gonzales, in a joint press conference on Sunday, vowed to …

Four Philippine presidential candidates, including Pacquiao, won’t quit race Read More »

(Reuters) – Relatives of hundreds of prisoners gathered outside Myanmar’s Insein Prison on Sunday after the military government announced the release of 1,600 prisoners in an amnesty to mark the Southeast Asian nation’s new year. The number of prisoners released in the annual amnesty was a fraction of last year’s 23,000. It was unclear whether …

Myanmar junta says 1,600 prisoners to be freed in holiday amnesty Read More »

By Soo-hyang Choi and Josh Smith SEOUL (Reuters) -North Korean leader Kim Jong Un observed the test firing of a new type of tactical guided weapon aimed at boosting the country’s nuclear capabilities, the North’s KCNA state news agency reported on Sunday. The report comes amid signs North Korea could soon resume nuclear testing according …

N.Korea’s Kim observes missile test to boost nuclear capabilities Read More »

By Panu Wongcha-um BANGKOK (Reuters) – Ramadan bombings in Thailand’s Muslim-majority deep south will not derail peace talks with separatist rebels, the government said on Sunday after a sidelined insurgent group claimed responsibility for the attacks. Two explosions on Friday, which killed a civilian and injured three policemen, were carried out by “G5”, a militant …

Thai govt says Ramadan bombings won’t derail peace talks with rebels Read More »