Asia

Record heat wave grips China as flood toll rises in South Korea

Death toll from floods in South Korea rises to 44 Fires burn for third day in Greece Tropical storm approaches Hawaii U.S. envoy Kerry holds 3rd day of climate talks…

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US soldier flees into North Korea in new crisis over the nuclear-armed state

U.S. military believes soldier is in custody in the North North Korea fires two ballistic missiles on Wednesday Pyongyang state media yet to comment on American soldier U.S. soldiers may…

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US envoy Kerry says climate cooperation could redefine US-China ties

China and the United States could use climate cooperation to redefine their troubled relationship and lead the way in tackling global warming, U.S. climate envoy John Kerry told senior Chinese…

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North Korea’s Kim Yo Jong warns US against ‘foolish act’ that risks security

North Korea's Kim Yo Jong, sister of leader Kim Jong Un, has warned that the United States should avoid any "foolish act" that could put its security at risk and…

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China logs 52.2 Celsius as extreme weather rewrites records

BEIJING, July 17 (Reuters) - A remote township in China's arid northwest endured temperatures of more than 52 Celsius (126 Fahrenheit) on Sunday, state media reported, setting a record for…

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What are solid-fuel missiles, and why is North Korea developing them?

By Hyonhee Shin SEOUL, (Reuters) - North Korea's Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), launched for the second time on Wednesday, uses solid-fuel technology, giving it the capability to launch with…

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UPDATE – Rescuers retrieve eight bodies from flooded South Korea underpass

CHEONGJU, South Korea, July 16 (Reuters) - The bodies of eight people trapped in a tunnel submerged by heavy rain in central South Korea were retrieved on Sunday, authorities and local media…

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China flexes military muscles ahead of Taiwan’s war games

By Yimou Lee and Roger Tung TAIPEI (Reuters) - China's military has been flexing its muscles this week around Taiwan practicing joint force operations far out at sea, ahead of…

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US, South Korea, Japan hold missile defence drill after North’s ICBM launch

SEOUL, July 16 (Reuters) - The U.S., South Korea and Japan held a joint naval missile defence exercise on Sunday to counter North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats, the South's navy…

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UPDATED: South Korea landslides, floods kill more than 20, over 4,000 evacuated

By Joyce Lee SEOUL, July 15 (Reuters) - Twenty-two people have died, 14 were missing and thousands evacuated in South Korea as of Saturday, according to ministry data, as a third day of torrential…

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India restricts imports of plain gold jewellery

MUMBAI (Reuters) - India restricted imports on plain gold jewellery, as the world's second-largest consumer of the precious metal tries to plug loopholes in its trade policy. Import of articles…

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China’s exports fall most in three years as global economy falters

By Joe Cash and Ellen Zhang BEIJING, July 13 (Reuters) - China's exports fell last month at their fastest pace since the onset three years ago of the COVID-19 pandemic,…

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U.S. Navy plans flies through Taiwan Strait after Chinese drills

TAIPEI, July 13 (Reuters) - A U.S. Navy patrol plane flew through the sensitive Taiwan Strait on Thursday, following two days of Chinese military exercises to the south of the…

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Floods force Indian capital to shut schools and offices

NEW DELHI, July 13 (Reuters) - Flooding in parts of New Delhi forced the city government to close all education institutions in India's capital on Thursday and advise people to…

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Thailand’s Pita defeated in parliament in bid for PM

By Panarat Thepgumpanat and Chayut Setboonsarng BANGKOK, July 13 (Reuters) - Thailand's Pita Limjaroenrat failed on Thursday in his initial bid to become Thailand's next prime minister, after he was…

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North Korea says longest test launch was latest Hwasong-18 ICBM

By Soo-Hyang Choi and Josh Smith SEOUL, July 13 (Reuters) - North Korea tested its latest Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Wednesday, its state media reported, saying the weapon…

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Taiwan says Chinese air force, navy stage mass drill to island’s south

TAIPEI, July 12 (Reuters) - China's air force and navy staged another large-scale drill involving fighters, bombers and warships to Taiwan's south and southwest, the island's defence ministry said, as…

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China aims to sap Taiwan morale with ‘escape plan’ misinformation – sources

China has launched a misinformation campaign that includes news reports Taiwan's president has an "escape plan" in the event of a Chinese invasion, aiming to sap morale as Beijing presses…

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Hong Kong leader says 8 overseas activists will be ‘pursued for life’

Hong Kong chief executive John Lee said that eight overseas-based Hong Kong activists who were issued with arrest warrants for alleged national security offences, would be "pursued for life". "The…

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South Korea says retrieves wreckage of North Korean spy satellite with no military utility

By Hyonhee Shin SEOUL, July 5 (Reuters) - South Korea's military said on Wednesday it had retrieved the wreckage of a North Korean spy satellite that plunged into the sea in May…

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US set to restrict China’s access to cloud computing

The Biden administration is preparing to restrict Chinese companies' access to U.S. cloud-computing services, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the situation. The new rule,…

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China’s deadly weather from heat to hailstorms take its toll

BEIJING, July 3 (Reuters) - Torrential rain triggered flash floods in northern China killing one person and sweeping away two, state media reported on Monday, the latest victims of weeks…

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Pakistan expects heavy monsoon rain raising risk of floods

ISLAMABAD, July 3 (Reuters) - Heavy monsoon rain is expected to hit Pakistan on Monday and last for several days, the weather office said, raising the risk of flooding in…

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Taiwan military holds live fire drills on strategic southern coast

By Fabian Hamacher and Ann Wang FANGSHAN, Taiwan, July 3 (Reuters) - Taiwan's military carried out live fire drills on its strategically-located southern coast on Monday, firing missiles from highly…

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EPA’s Eye In The Sky: Rongcheng, China

A photo taken with a drone shows fishermen harvesting kelp in Rongcheng, east China's Shandong Province. Via EPA-EFE/XINHUA / Li Xinjun

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US B-52 bomber joins drills with South Korea amid North Korea tension

By Hyonhee Shin SEOUL (Reuters) - A U.S. B-52 strategic bomber took part in military exercises with South Korea, Seoul officials said, in the latest show of force amid tension…

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Japan says Russian warships spotted near Taiwan, Okinawa islands

TOKYO, July 1 (Reuters) - Japan's defence ministry said late on Friday it had spotted two Russian Navy ships in the waters near Taiwan and Japan's Okinawa islands in the…

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Strong earthquake shakes Indonesia’s main island of Java

Jakarta, (Reuters) - A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck off the Indonesian island of Java on Friday evening, injuring at least 10 people, while one person died of suspected heart attack…

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Pakistan clinches crucial $3 billion IMF bailout

Deal is more than Pakistan's expectations Stand-by arrangement is spread over nine months Pakistan economy was on the brink of default IMF points out power sector's "acute" conditions IMF wants…

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Japan would welcome EU lifting restrictions on food

TOKYO, June 30 (Reuters) - Japan would welcome the European Union's lifting of restrictions on food imports imposed after a 2011 nuclear accident triggered by a major earthquake and tsunami,…

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South Korea shoppers buy up salt before Japan’s Fukushima water dump

By Hyun Young Yi SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean shoppers are snapping up sea salt and other items as worry grows about their safety with Japan due to dump more…

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Taiwan says 11 Chinese aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line

TAIPEI, June 30 (Reuters) - Eleven Chinese aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait on Friday morning, an unofficial barrier between the two sides, Taiwan's defence ministry said,…

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South Koreans become a year or two younger as traditional way of counting age scrapped

SEOUL, June 28 (Reuters) - South Koreans became a year or two younger on Wednesday as new laws that require using only the international method of counting age took effect,…

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Over 1,000 Afghan civilians killed in blasts, violence since August 2021, UN says

By Charlotte Greenfield (Reuters) - Over a thousand Afghan civilians were killed in bombings and other violence since foreign forces left and the Taliban took over in 2021, according to…

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Taiwan says it spots two Russian warships off its east coast

TAIPEI, June 28 (Reuters) - Taiwan spotted two Russian warships off its eastern coast on Tuesday and sent its own aircraft and ships to keep watch, the island's defence ministry…

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China will take steps to boost demand, accelerate green transition – Premier Li

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Tuesday said China will take steps to boost demand, invigorate markets, promote development while accelerating the green transition and opening "high level" parts of its economy to…

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Indian minister scoffs at Obama comment on protecting Muslims

NEW DELHI, June 26 (Reuters) - India's finance minister has derided comments by former U.S. President Barack Obama that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government should protect the rights of minority…

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North Korea warns of nuclear war

SEOUL, June 26 (Reuters) - North Korea held mass rallies in Pyongyang where people shouted slogans vowing a "war of revenge" to destroy the United States, as it marked the…

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Russian diplomat flies to Beijing as Putin faces challenge to his power

BEIJING, June 25 (Reuters) - Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko flew to Beijing for talks with China on "international" issues, amid a major challenge by Russian mercenaries to President…

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US intelligence report says no direct evidence COVID started in Wuhan lab

By Dan Whitcomb (Reuters) - U.S. intelligence agencies found no direct evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic stemmed from an incident at China's Wuhan Institute of Virology, a report declassified said.…

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Pakistan’s economic meltdown spurs more people to risk lives to reach Europe

By Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam KHUIRATTA, Pakistan-administered Kashmir, June 23 (Reuters) - Hameed Iqbal Bhatti had prospered over two decades working in Saudi Arabia, but after returning to Pakistan three years…

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Beijing sizzles with hot weather alert at highest level

By Ryan Woo and Casey Hall BEIJING, June 23 (Reuters) - Beijing upgraded its hot weather warning on Friday to "red", the highest in its colour-coded alert system, as many…

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Photo Story: Japan reports first fatal case of Oz virus in human

An undated handout photo made available by the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID) shows an electron micrograph of the Oz virus (issued 23 June 2023). Japan’s Ministry of Health,…

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USS Ronald Reagan to make rare port call in Vietnam amid South China Sea tensions

HANOI, June 23 (Reuters) - The U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan will stop at Central Vietnam's port city of Danang on Sunday in a rare visit for a U.S.…

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UPDATED: Beijing breaches 40 degrees Celsius for first time in 9 years

BEIJING, June 22 (Reuters) - The temperature in Beijing soared above 40 degrees Celsius on Thursday for the first time since 2014 as the Chinese capital warned of blistering hot…

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U.S. to slap new sanctions on Myanmar state-owned banks

BANGKOK, June 21 (Reuters) - The United States plans to levy new restrictions this week to cut off finances to Myanmar's military junta, according to sources with knowledge of the…

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Taiwan says Chinese aircraft carrier group sailed through strait

TAIPEI, June 21 (Reuters) - A Chinese aircraft carrier group led by the vessel Shandong sailed through the sensitive Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, Taiwan's defence ministry said, amid heightened military…

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EU starts debate on economic security with eye on China

The European Union executive on Tuesday launched its bid to convince the bloc's 27 member states to agree to stronger controls on exports and outflows of technologies that could be…

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Modi heads to US to deepen ties, says no doubting India’s position on Ukraine

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi left for the U.S. on Tuesday on a state visit that has been projected as a milestone in ties between the two countries that would deepen…

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Xi, Blinken agree to stabilize US-China relations in Beijing talks

China and the United States agreed on Monday to stabilize their intense rivalry so it doesn't veer into conflict but failed to produce any major breakthrough during a rare visit…

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Fourteen suspects arrested in Pakistan over Greece boat disaster

MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan, June 19 (Reuters) - Pakistani authorities have arrested 14 people in connection with the alleged trafficking of several migrants who drowned last week after their overloaded boat capsized…

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China takes next step in currency globalization

By Samuel Shen and Georgina Lee SHANGHAI/HONG KONG, (Reuters) - China's gradual internationalisation of its currency will shift to its next leg on Monday when about two dozen Chinese companies…

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China calls European Parliament’s Hong Kong resolutions ‘publicity stunt’

By Farah Master HONG KONG, June 16 (Reuters) - China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong said resolutions passed by the European Parliament on Thursday related to the Chinese…

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Chinese cities break heat records, stressing electricity grid

BEIJING, June 16 (Reuters) - Several cities in northern China broke heat records for June this week, with soaring temperatures straining the country's electricity supplies and leading authorities to hold…

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U.S. nuclear-powered submarine arrives at South Korea’s Busan port

SEOUL, June 16 (Reuters) - A U.S. nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Michigan, has arrived at a port in the South Korean city of Busan, the South Korean military said on…

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Alibaba aims to expand local business in Europe, president says

Alibaba Group will make Europe top priority as it focuses on building local businesses and online platforms outside China, the president of the e-commerce giant said on Thursday. "What we…

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Seven die as cyclone barrels towards western India, Pakistan

Four boys drowned in rough seas off the western Indian financial hub of Mumbai on Tuesday as India and Pakistan began evacuating people from coastal areas, two days before a cyclone is expected…

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