HONG KONG (REUTERS) – Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on Friday (Nov 6) she had discussed coronavirus controls and economic relief measures with mainland Chinese officials during her three-day trip to Beijing and that the central government has welcomed her proposals. Speaking to reporters in Beijing, Lam said the Chinese government will support Hong […]
BEIJING – When Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam postponed a major policy speech last month, citing the need to first consult with the central government, it represented a shift in the way policy is being made in the Asian financial hub and the increasing integration of the city with the mainland. It is yet […]
They came out one after another, with flourishes and fanfare. A six-hour documentary series, showing the “heroic deeds of party members” and Wuhan’s “warriors in white coats.” A star-studded, 20-part drama, fictionalizing Wuhan’s doctors, delivery drivers and construction workers. Another pandemic show, set to swelling choral music, that viewers said left them choked with tears. […]
MUMBAI (AFP) – WhatsApp on Friday (Nov 6) entered an increasingly tense battle between multinational giants such as Google and Alibaba for a chunk of India’s fast growing digital payments market. The Facebook-owned firm said it was launching WhatsApp Pay just hours after it was given permission by the country’s payments regulator. India is the […]
SYDNEY – Australians are preparing for what will be a strange collective experience – working from the office again. After eight months of work-from-home arrangements, employees are now being encouraged to return to work now that the country is now largely free of Covid-19. Sunday (Nov 1) was the first day since June without a […]
SINGAPORE – There has been a sharp rise in the number of reports of near misses, unsafe practices and hazards in the Singapore Armed Forces, but that is a good sign as it indicates a greater likelihood of better safety outcomes, said a top official who reviews safety in the military. Between 2018 and last […]
Malaysia’s budget today could be the largest in its history, as the embattled Muhyiddin Yassin government will have to preserve people’s lives and livelihoods, and boost the economy too, amid the Covid-19 pandemic. While a substantial amount of funds would be channelled towards tackling the pandemic and supporting front-line workers, help must also be given […]
HONG KONG (BLOOMBERG) – Hong Kong’s new hotline for residents to report violations of controversial national security legislation received 1,000 tips hours after launching, the South China Morning Post reported, citing a police spokesman. The tip line was announced Thursday (Nov 5) by the Hong Kong Police Force’s National Security Department, a unit set up […]
LONDON (Reuters) – Northern Ireland will not be ready to conduct checks on certain goods moving between Britain and the province from January as required by the Brexit divorce deal and is exploring contingency plans, an official report warned on Friday.FILE PHOTO: A padlock is seen on a door covered with a Union Jack mural […]
SINGAPORE – A study of healthcare workers in Singapore and India has found that a majority of those who have to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) experience symptoms of thermal strain, including excessive sweating, exhaustion, and dizziness. The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in more front-line workers having to wear PPE for a prolonged period of […]