Reuters Asia Top

By Alexandra Alper and Karen Freifeld WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Biden administration added 37 Chinese entities to a trade restriction list on Thursday, including some for allegedly supporting the spy balloon that flew over the United States last year, heightening tensions between Beijing and Washington. The Commerce Department also said it was adding some units of …

Chinese companies hit with US trade restrictions over spy balloon incident Read More »

MOSCOW (Reuters) -President Vladimir Putin has agreed to withdraw Russian forces and border guards from various parts of Armenia at Yerevan’s request, Putin’s spokesman was cited as saying on Thursday by Russia’s Interfax news agency. The announcement follows the departure of nearly 2,000 Russian peacekeepers from in and around the Nagorno-Karabakh region which Azerbaijan returned …

Putin agrees to withdraw Russian forces from various Armenian regions, says Ifax Read More »

TBILISI (Reuters) – A big crowd of protesters gathered in the Armenian capital Yerevan on Thursday to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan over his decision to cede several border villages to neighbour and longtime rival Azerbaijan. Armenia said last month it would return the uninhabited villages in what both sides said was …

Protesters in Armenia demand PM resign over border villages dispute Read More »

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The senior U.S. official for North Korea discussed the country with her Chinese counterpart in Tokyo on Thursday, and expressed concerns about the forcible repatriation of North Koreans from China, the U.S. State Department said. The discussions between Jung Pak and China’s Special Representative on Korean Peninsula Affairs Liu Xiaoming followed a …

US discusses North Korea with China, airs repatriation concerns Read More »

(Reuters) – Myanmar’s military chief discussed plans to hold an election in the country with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen in talks this week, a senior official said, even as the ruling junta faces unprecedented pressure from an expanding armed resistance. The military government has promised repeatedly to return Myanmar to democracy but has given …

Myanmar junta reiterates election plan after ex-Cambodia PM seeks Suu Kyi access Read More »

By Francesco Guarascio HANOI (Reuters) -Vietnam’s foreign affairs ministry has annoyed the European Union by postponing a meeting next week with the EU’s top official on Russian sanctions, ahead of a possible visit to Hanoi by Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. Vietnam has been striving to pursue a neutral foreign policy in its relations with major …

Vietnam irks EU by delaying meeting ahead of possible Putin visit Read More »

By Josh Smith, Hyonhee Shin and Ju-min Park SEOUL (Reuters) -South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol conceded on Thursday that his ruling party’s crushing election defeat last month reflected the government’s failure to improve people’s lives, and apologised for a scandal involving his wife. He continued to reject calls by opposition lawmakers for a special …

South Korea’s Yoon apologises over handbag scandal, pledges focus on economy Read More »