COVID-19 Updates
-
Coronavirus: love was in the air but all Hongkongers cared about was getting a face mask, new survey of social media shows
In the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic, Hongkongers were at their happiest on February 14 – not because it was Valentine’s Day, but because face masks became widely available,…
-
Asia’s anti-poverty gains are under threat as the coronavirus and deglobalisation deliver a double whammy
As the coronavirus pandemic grinds onwards, China’s goal of eliminating poverty by the end of this year looks far tougher than it did six months ago. At the end of…
-
In Singapore, expatriates hit by coronavirus pay cuts, lay-offs fear for future
Martha Liv used to think that living and working in Singapore would give her family a chance to save the money they needed to buy a home when they moved…
-
China’s global trade bazaar is going online to survive
The world’s largest trade fair is going online, and the salespeople of Ningbo MH Industry Co have been drafted in to a live-streaming boot camp.Carefully selected for English skills and…
-
Hong Kong’s office market is hollowing out as vacancy rate hits 10-year high. Who can save the landlords?
Hong Kong’s office landlords are facing the biggest crunch in a decade as rents slide and vacancy rates in the city’s notoriously pricey market reached the highest level in a…
-
Coronavirus: Singapore must reject ‘not in my backyard’ mindset when rehousing migrant workers, top official says
Singapore has rejected criticism of its decision to move migrant workers into residential accommodation in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, calling for greater tolerance and launching a social media…
-
Black Lives Matter: for Koreans, an uncomfortable reminder that racial discrimination is still legal
As South Korea marked its 65th Memorial Day on Saturday a crowd of 150 people marched along the streets of the nation’s capital of Seoul.Pedestrians turned to stop and stare…
-
Over 30,000 Hong Kong companies enjoy six-month repayment holiday on HK$380 billion in loans under HKMA scheme to help them survive economic slump
Hong Kong’s banks have so far granted about 30,000 companies a six-month repayment holiday for a combined HK$380 billion (US$49.03 billion) in loans to help them cope with the dire…
-
US hits 2 million coronavirus cases as states see jump in infections after reopening
A month into its reopening, Florida reported 8,553 new coronavirus cases this week – the most of any seven-day period.In Texas, hospitalisations on Tuesday jumped 6.3 per cent to 2,056,…
-
Federal Reserve to keep rate at zero amid coronavirus pandemic damage
With the economy still reeling from the damage inflicted by the coronavirus pandemic, the Federal Reserve confirmed on Wednesday it will keep the benchmark interest rate at zero until the…