Reuters Asia Top

By Irene Wang and Satoshi Sugiyama TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan endured another day of a searing heatwave on Monday, with temperatures soaring to the highest this year in Tokyo and leaving those having to work outside vulnerable to the risk of heatstroke.  Heatstroke alerts were issued in 30 of Japan’s 47 prefectures, the highest this year, after …

Japanese firms take steps to protect outdoor workers as heatwave sizzles on Read More »

SINGAPORE (Reuters) -In a multipolar world, small countries like Singapore have to develop even deeper relationships with other nations, Singapore’s Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said on Wednesday. “There are more powers playing the game as it were, as opposed to the time when the Americans held the peace across the world. So that’s changing, …

REUTERS NEXT – Singapore must develop deeper relationships with China, US, Europe: home affairs minister Read More »

By Mikhail Flores and Raju Gopalakrishnan MANILA (Reuters) -China’s aggressiveness in the Indo-Pacific is rooted in long-standing strategic ambitions independent of any U.S. policy, and the region’s challenges stem from Beijing’s own expansionist agenda, the Philippines’ top defence official said on Wednesday. The Philippines and China have had a series of run-ins and heated exchanges …

Philippine defence chief rules out US as factor in China’s ‘expansionist’ agenda Read More »

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) -Malaysia’s foreign minister Mohamad Hasan on Wednesday urged all parties in conflict-stricken Myanmar to create a conducive environment for an election. Mohamad was addressing a meeting of Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ foreign ministers in the Malaysian capital. It was unclear whether his remarks indicate ASEAN chair Malaysia is endorsing the planned …

Malaysia urges all Myanmar groups to create conducive environment for election Read More »

SEOUL (Reuters) -South Korea returned on Wednesday six North Koreans who had become stranded at sea earlier this year after their vessels had drifted south, Seoul’s Unification Ministry said on Wednesday. The North Koreans had expressed a desire on multiple occasions to go back home, according to the ministry. The repatriation comes as President Lee …

South Korea returns six North Koreans stranded at sea this year Read More »

By Andrea Shalal and David Brunnstrom WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday South Korea should be paying for its own military protection and suggested the U.S. ally needed to pay more for the U.S. troop presence there, a day after saying he planned to impose a 25 percent tariff on its imports. …

Trump says South Korea should be paying for its own defense Read More »

By Stephanie van den Berg THE HAGUE (Reuters) -The International Criminal Court on Tuesday issued arrest warrants for two Taliban leaders in Afghanistan including supreme spiritual leader Haibatullah Akhundzada, accusing them of the persecution of women and girls. The ICC said there were reasonable grounds to believe that Akhundzada and Abdul Hakim Haqqani, chief justice …

ICC issues arrest warrants for Taliban leaders over persecution of women Read More »

By Lucy Papachristou (Reuters) -Authorities in Armenia indicted two senior politicians from a pro-Russian opposition coalition for corruption-related crimes on Tuesday, as prosecutors prepared to file charges against another MP. Opposition groups have decried the criminal investigation against the politicians – Seyran Ohanyan, Artsvik Minasyan and Artur Sargsyan – as politically motivated. The three are …

Armenia charges two top opposition politicians, readies indictment against another Read More »

By Gopal Sharma KATHMANDU (Reuters) -At least eight people were killed and over two dozen were missing after the Bhote Koshi River flooded, washing away the “Friendship Bridge” that links China and Nepal, officials said on Tuesday.  There had been no heavy rainfall in the immediate area of the river in the preceding 24 hours, …

At least eight killed and dozens missing after floods on Nepal-China border Read More »

BERLIN (Reuters) -A German court ruled on Tuesday that the government is obliged to issue visas to Afghan nationals and their family members who were accepted into a humanitarian admissions programme that the new centre-right coalition intends to shut down. A foreign ministry official said the government was reviewing the decision, which is not yet …

Germany must honour visa obligations to Afghan refugees, rules court Read More »