On Thursday, Hong Kong’s leader defended her strategy of temporarily blocking flight routes that bring in Coronavirus cases, despite warnings from a top airline industry official that the city had “gone off the map” as an aviation hub. The city’s airport, which was formerly one of the busiest in the world, has been virtually blocked … Read more
Hong Kong has reacted angrily to what it calls “unfounded and ludicrous charges” made in important reports from the United Kingdom and the United States, which claim that the territory’s democratic rights and freedoms are deteriorating. The UK, which administered Hong Kong as a colony until handing it over to China in 1997, said in … Read more
HONG KONG: Hong Kong’s top scientists urged the government on Tuesday to transition from China’s zero-Covid strategy before the next outbreak unless the financial hub wants to be a “closed port forever”. Hong Kong used strict travel curbs to keep the virus at bay for two years, leaving the city increasingly isolated, and a deadly … Read more
HONG KONG: Hong Kong is set to resume international flights from the United States, Britain and seven other countries, the government said Monday as it announced a loosening of some of the world’s toughest Covid-19 restrictions. The finance hub has struggled to maintain China’s zero-Covid policy during an Omicron-fuelled outbreak. After the highly transmissible variant fuelled … Read more
HONG KONG: Hong Kong’s leader said Thursday she was mulling easing some of the city’s coronavirus restrictions due to waning public tolerance, but could not provide a roadmap out of the current Omicron-fuelled crisis. Carrie Lam’s administration has been pummelled by all sides over its unclear public messaging and handling of Hong Kong’s fifth wave, which … Read more
HONG KONG: Workers in PPE gear in Hong Kong carted the bodies of coronavirus victims into refrigerated shipping containers on Wednesday, as the city’s morgues run out of space from a deadly Omicron surge. In under three months since the highly transmissible variant broke through, Hong Kong has recorded nearly a million infections and more … Read more
HONG KONG: Hong Kong’s leader said Wednesday that mandatory Covid testing was not a priority, after announcing last month that the government intended to screen its more than 7.3 million residents for the virus. Two weeks ago Carrie Lam had said all residents would need to undergo three rounds of compulsory testing — setting off … Read more
HONG KONG – Asian markets mostly fell again Tuesday as investors try to assess the economic impact of the Ukraine war, while oil prices extended gains after rocketing to a near 14-year high. As Russia’s invasion of its neighbour continues, commodity prices have been sent to record or multi-year highs, forcing observers to re-evaluate their outlook … Read more
BEIJING: China on Monday reported its highest number of coronavirus cases in two years as clusters emerged in more than a dozen cities, posing a fresh challenge to Beijing’s zero-Covid policy. The country’s borders remain mostly closed as policymakers continue to pursue the zero-tolerance approach even as many parts of the world turn to living … Read more
HONG KONG: For the last eight years Mathilde and her family have called Hong Kong home, but as the coronavirus tears through the city they are joining an exodus of foreign workers looking for an escape route. “We are leaving and we will come back to empty our house whenever that is possible,” she told … Read more
HONG KONG – Rivals Singapore and Hong Kong have become pandemic polar opposites, the former opting to live with the coronavirus and reopen to the world while the latter doubles down on zero-Covid and its international isolation. For decades the two cities have jostled to be Asia’s premier international business hub, offering low taxes, dependable … Read more
HONG KONG: Overflowing hospitals, empty supermarket shelves and grim quarantine camps — Hong Kong is in chaos battling a ballooning Covid outbreak in a business hub once renowned for its efficiency. Many locals are fuming at the government’s failure to prepare after winning rare breathing room with two years of an economically painful but largely … Read more
HONG KONG: The United States warned citizens against travelling to Hong Kong on Wednesday, citing the risk of children being separated from parents as the Chinese city imposes controversial Covid isolation policies. The State Department upgraded Hong Kong to its highest “Do Not Travel” warning “due to COVID-19 related restrictions, including the risk of parents … Read more
BEIJING: China could move away from its zero-Covid strategy “in the near future” and co-exist with the virus, a top Chinese scientist said in a possible sign that the country’s leadership is rethinking its strict approach. The country where the coronavirus was first detected in 2019 is now one of the last places still hewing … Read more
HONG KONG: Hong Kong’s government invoked emergency powers on Thursday to allow doctors, nurses and other personnel from the Chinese mainland to help combat a spiraling coronavirus outbreak. The densely populated metropolis is in the throes of its worst-ever Covid wave, registering thousands of cases every day, overwhelming hospitals and government efforts to isolate all … Read more
HONG KONG: Hong Kong parents are being separated from children and babies who test positive for the coronavirus, compounding public anger over the financial hub’s lack of readiness for a major outbreak now sweeping the city. The densely populated metropolis is in the throes of its worst-ever Covid wave, registering thousands of cases every day … Read more
MANILA: The Philippines‘ top diplomat in Hong Kong said Tuesday it was illegal and “immoral” for residents to fire and turf out domestic workers who test positive for the coronavirus, as the Chinese city endures its worst outbreak yet. Charities said last week that foreign domestic workers in the wealthy city were being “abandoned” amid … Read more
PARIS: Sam Bankman-Fried donned a suit and tie this week, abandoning his preferred hoodie and dark T-shirt for a hearing before US Senators. The lawmakers had summoned the 29-year-old multi-billionaire on Wednesday to discuss the regulation of digital assets in his capacity as co-founder and CEO of the cryptocurrency exchange platform FTX. Less than three … Read more
HONG KONG: Hong Kong is in the throes of its worst-ever coronavirus outbreak, as residents are suddenly confronted with a severely overstretched healthcare system and a tightening of restrictions even as much of the world opens up. The city’s strict but successful “zero-Covid” policy had largely kept the virus out for months. But when the highly … Read more
HONG KONG : Hong Kong’s leader on Tuesday said she would not impose a mainland China-style hard lockdown as the city faces its worst coronavirus wave to date, even as she vowed no switch to living with Covid-19. For more than two years, Hong Kong has followed China’s zero-Covid strategy, but a wave of the … Read more
HONG KONG: Hong Kong’s health facilities have been overloaded by an “onslaught” of Covid-19 infections, its leader said, as a rise in Omicron cases threatens to bring down the city’s “zero-Covid” policy. Authorities have adhered to mainland China’s policy of stamping out the smallest outbreak with mass quarantine, widespread tracking, and prolonged social distancing measures since the … Read more
HONG KONG: Shoppers thronged Hong Kong’s markets fearing a shortage of food Wednesday, familiar scenes in a city that is back under gruelling Covid restrictions in contrast to much of the world. Hong Kong has followed mainland China in maintaining a strict “zero-Covid” policy that has kept infections low through targeted lockdowns and extensive social … Read more
HONG KONG: When Hong Kong made a Covid check-in app mandatory at restaurants, friends Birdy and Bu — wary of government tracking — decided to avoid eateries entirely and go for picnics instead. The idea caught fire: their private social media picnic group has swelled from 50 in December to more than 6,000 members, as … Read more
BEIJING – The European Parliament adopted a so-called Hong Kong-related resolution, pointing a finger at Hong Kong affairs, discrediting China wantonly, calling for sanctions on officials from the Chinese central government and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, and even arrogantly urging China to abolish the national security law for Hong Kong. It also … Read more
DUBAI – The world’s largest known cut diamond went on public display for the first time ahead of its sale, when it is expected to reach five million dollars. The Enigma, the name of the rare black carbanado diamond, was put on display in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. The diamond is believed to … Read more
BEIJING: China further reduced bank lending costs on Thursday in the latest move to boost its stuttering economy, providing some much-needed support to the country’s beleaguered developers. Property firm shares and bonds surged on the fresh rate cut from the People’s Bank of China, the second in two months, days after Beijing reported slower growth … Read more
HONG KONG: Crude oil hit a more than seven-year high on Tuesday on optimism the global recovery will ramp up demand, but concerns about the end of long-running central bank support and rising Treasury yields saw most equity markets reverse early gains. After an almost uninterrupted rally from the early days of the pandemic, world … Read more
HONG KONG – Passengers from more than 150 nations will be banned from transiting through Hong Kong, its airport said Friday, in the latest tightening of the city’s strict anti-virus travel measures. The move deepens Hong Kong’s global isolation as the city pursues a staunch zero-Covid policy, and creates new headaches for airlines some of … Read more
