Reuters Asia Top

By Neil Jerome Morales and Karen Lema MANILA (Reuters) -Philippines boxing icon and presidential candidate Manny Pacquiao said he will welcome an international probe into President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs if elected, and promised to fight narcotics “the right way”, with due process, not street shootings. In remarks this week to foreign journalists, Pacquiao, …

Philippines’ Pacquiao to fight drugs ‘the right way’ if elected president Read More »

By Rocky Swift and Elaine Lies TOKYO (Reuters) -A Japanese government delay in rolling out COVID-19 booster shots left it more vulnerable than other rich countries when the Omicron variant brought a surge of deaths, say experts, local governments and a former vaccine czar. The issue could mean political trouble for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida …

Omicron surge was more deadly in Japan after booster delay, critics say Read More »

By Gerry Doyle (Reuters) – Thailand’s interest in Lockheed Martin’s F-35 stealth fighters is genuine, but clearance to buy the jets is a matter for the U.S. government, a senior executive from the defence giant said on Wednesday. Speaking on the sidelines of the Singapore Airshow, Tim Cahill, Lockheed Martin’s senior vice president for Global …

Thailand purchase of F-35 stealth jets depends on U.S. government, says Lockheed Martin exec Read More »

BEIJING (Reuters) – The Chinese industrial hub Suzhou on Wednesday reported new COVID-19 cases for a second day, and authorities further restricted highway access while ramping up testing, having already detected cases of the highly contagious Omicron variant. The city in the eastern province of Jiangsu reported 18 domestically transmitted cases with confirmed symptoms for …

Eastern Chinese industrial hub reports COVID cases for 2nd day Read More »

By Vincent West BILBAO, Spain (Reuters) – Six months after fleeing Taliban rule in her homeland, Nilofar Bayat, former captain of the Afghanistan women’s wheelchair basketball team, is slowly adjusting to a new life in Spain. “It is not easy to join a society quickly because everything is different,” said Bayat, who came to Spain …

Afghan basketball star finds hope in Spain after fleeing Taliban Read More »

MANILA (Reuters) – Philippine presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he wants his country to have a military presence in the South China Sea, “not to fire upon” vessels but to defend its waters in a long-running dispute with China. Marcos, son of the late autocrat of the same name, is leading in opinion polls …

Philippines’ Marcos wants military presence to defend its waters in South China Sea Read More »

(Rewords first paragraph to “sharper drop”) BEIJING (Reuters) – A Chinese mRNA vaccine candidate showed a sharper drop in neutralizing antibody activity against Omicron than against the non-mutated coronavirus in a small study, but a booster readily induced antibody production in animal tests, a research paper said. The ARCoV vaccine, jointly developed by the Academy …

China’s potential mRNA COVID vaccine weaker against Omicron – study Read More »

PHNOM PENH (Reuters) – Cambodia said on Tuesday that Myanmar had confirmed its absence from this week’s meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a day after its ruling military criticised neighbours for insisting its generals are not invited. “No representative from Myanmar, already confirmed,” Chum Sounry, foreign ministry spokesman of ASEAN chair …

Myanmar to skip ASEAN ministerial meeting, Cambodia says Read More »

HANOI (Reuters) – Vietnam’s tourism ministry on Tuesday proposed a full reopening of the country to foreign visitors and a lifting of nearly all travel restrictions from March 15, three months earlier than planned. The proposal, which will be submitted to the prime minister for approval, follows similar reopening steps taken by other Southeast Asian …

Vietnam eyes full reopening to tourists from next month Read More »

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan is ready to extend at least $100 million in emergency loans to Ukraine, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Tuesday, the Japanese government said in a summary of their phone call. The offer comes as Russia has amassed more than 100,000 troops near the Ukraine border, …

Japan offers Ukraine $100 million in loans in show of support Read More »