Hi, In today’s bulletin: Scientists dispute findings of more deadly coronavirus strains; experts weigh in on a flare-up of the US-China rift; US health secretary Alex Azar’s visit to Taiwan raises concern; Japan’s record economic slump; Facebook caught in a political controversy in India; Singapore-Malaysia begin cross-border travel, and more. Reading this on the web or […]
All viruses mutate. Researchers who analysed and tracked Sars-CoV-2 – the coronavirus that causes Covid-19 – have released findings about mutating strains of the virus even before Malaysian and Philippine health authorities announced they had seen patients with mutations of the virus. HOW MANY VARIANTS OF SARS-COV-2 ARE THERE? The original strain found in China […]
SINGAPORE – For about 20 years, Mr Jumo Tay flew as a pilot with the Republic of Singapore Air Force and in the past decade, with Jetstar Asia as a commercial pilot. But the 51-year-old has been grounded since March 10, after demand for air travel plummeted amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Since April, he been […]
LONDON (Reuters) – The financial health of British households deteriorated in August at a faster pace than last month, in an unpromising sign for the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, a survey showed on Monday. The Household Finance Index from data company IHS Markit fell to 40.8 in August from 41.5 in July, dragged […]
(Reuters) – After becoming dean of the University of Illinois business school in 2015, Jeffrey Brown worried that politics or a virus would choke off a major source of revenue for his school: Chinese graduate students. So, in 2017, along with the engineering school, Brown bought insurance worth up to $61 million to protect the […]
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thailand’s economy suffered its biggest annual contraction since the Asian financial crisis in the second quarter due to the fallout of the coronavirus, prompting the government to slash its GDP forecast for the year and announce more stimulus. Data from the state planning agency showed a 100% fall in foreign tourism dealt […]
MANILA (AFP) – A Philippine government minister has tested positive for coronavirus five months after an initial diagnosis, authorities said on Monday (Aug 17), as experts investigate whether he had been re-infected. Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano, who is helping to spearhead the country’s virus response, said he returned a positive test on Saturday after experiencing […]
HONG KONG (REUTERS) – Hong Kong Commerce Secretary Edward Yau told CNBC on Monday (Aug 17) that rising US-China tensions are “unhelpful” and that he will take up with the US government the matter of Hong Kong goods for export to the US to be labelled made in China. Goods made in Hong Kong for […]
SINGAPORE – Singaporeans will be given $320 million in “tourism credits” to spend domestically as part of a campaign to prop up local businesses, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat announced on Monday (Aug 17). The credits will be called SingapoRediscovers Vouchers, named for the $45 million campaign launched last month to drive local spending […]
SEOUL (AFP) – Thousands of Protestant church members in Seoul have been asked to quarantine, South Korean authorities said on Monday (Aug 17), as the country battles coronavirus clusters linked to religious groups. The country’s “trace, test and treat” approach has been held up as a global model in how to curb the virus. But […]