Latest East Asia News

Beijing mandates COVID vaccines to enter some public spaces
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — The Chinese capital has issued a mandate requiring people to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination before they can enter some public spaces including gyms, museums and libraries, with exceptions only available to those who cannot be vaccinated for health reasons. ...

Hong Kong lifts flight ban citing 'little effect' on COVID
HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong announced Thursday it is shelving a COVID-19 measure that has resulted in dozens of canceled flights in recent months and thwarted travel plans for thousands. Starting Thursday, the city will no longer ban arriving airline flights just because they'd...

Russia's war in Ukraine to overshadow G20 talks in Bali
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Foreign ministers from the Group of 20 leading rich and developing nations are gathering in Indonesia’s resort island of Bali for talks bound to be dominated by the conflict in Ukraine despite an agenda focused on global cooperation and food and energy security. ...

S Korean group floats balloons toward North amid animosities
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A South Korea activist said Thursday he launched more huge balloons carrying COVID-19 relief items toward North Korea, days after the North vowed to sternly deal with such activities and made a highly questionable claim they were a source of the virus. ...

Asian stocks higher after Fed says rate hikes may be needed
BEIJING (AP) — Asian stock markets gained Thursday after the Federal Reserve said higher U.S. interest rates might be needed to cool inflation. Shanghai, Tokyo and Sydney advanced. Hong Kong declined. Oil prices edged higher after falling below $100 per barrel this week. ...

'Hopeless': Japan's weak opposition no match for ruling LDP
TOKYO (AP) — Ahead of Sunday's parliamentary elections, nearly a dozen opposition parties are trying to topple the Liberal Democratic Party, which has ruled, almost without interruption, since the end of World War II. These include a party whose sole platform is a call to boycott...

Asian stocks higher after Fed says rate hikes may be needed
BEIJING (AP) — Asian stock markets gained Thursday after the Federal Reserve said higher U.S. interest rates might be needed to cool inflation. Shanghai, Tokyo and Sydney advanced. Hong Kong declined. Oil prices fell more than $1 per barrel to stay below $100. Wall...

US, UK leaders raise fresh alarms about Chinese espionage
LONDON (AP) — The head of the FBI and the leader of Britain’s domestic intelligence agency raised fresh alarms Wednesday about the Chinese government, warning business leaders that Beijing is determined to steal their technology for competitive gain. FBI Director Christopher...

Treasury sanctions Iranian petrochemical firms tied to Asia
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Treasury Department said Wednesday that it has sanctioned a group of front companies and individuals tied to the sale and shipment of Iranian petroleum and petrochemical products to East Asia. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed the sanctions...
PGA Tour, LPGA Tour cancel tournaments in China in October
The PGA Tour and LPGA Tour have canceled their tournaments in Shanghai that were scheduled for October because of ongoing restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The HSBC Champions, part of the World Golf Championships series, was canceled for the third straight year. It was...
