Health

WHO: Omicron makes China’s ‘zero-COVID’ policy unsustainable

akhila balakrishnan May 18, 2022

Geneva (Switzerland)- The World Health Organization’s director-general stated that China’s revolutionary approach to coronavirus containment is unsustainable due to the highly infectious nature of the omicron variant, but that it is up to each country to decide what policy to

Health

Shanghai to ease lockdown as the virus spread mostly ends

akhila balakrishnan May 16, 2022

Beijing (China)- Most of Shanghai has stopped the spread of the coronavirus in the community, and fewer than 1 million people remain under strict lockdown, authorities said Monday, as the city moves toward reopening, and economic data showed the negative impact of China’s “zero-COVID” policy. Vice Mayor Zong Ming said 15 out of Shanghai’s 16 […]

World

G7 warn of Ukraine grain crisis, ask China not to aid Russia

Editorial Bureau May 14, 2022

WEISSENHAUS, Germany — The Group of Seven leading economies warned Saturday that the war in Ukraine is stoking a global food and energy crisis that threatens poor countries, and urgent measures are needed to unblock stores of grain that Russia is preventing from leaving Ukraine. In a statement released at the end of a three-day […]

Asia

Shanghai will try to ease 7-week virus lockdown in few days

Editorial Bureau May 13, 2022

BEIJING — Shanghai will try again to reopen in a few days after it has eliminated COVID-19 transmission among the population at large as an outbreak in China’s largest city subsides, an official said Friday. The strict lockdown of the city — now in its seventh week but moved, lifted and reinforced at times to […]

Asia Finance

China fights economic slump, sticks to costly ‘zero COVID’

Editorial Bureau May 13, 2022

BEIJING — China’s leaders are struggling to reverse an economic slump without giving up anti-virus tactics that shut down Shanghai and other cities, adding to challenges for President Xi Jinping as he tries to extend his time in power. The ruling Communist Party has declared its “zero-COVID” goal of preventing all infections takes priority over […]

World

North Korea reports their first covid outbreak: Declares National Emergency

akhila balakrishnan May 12, 2022

Seoul (South Korea)- North Korea enforced a statewide curfew on Thursday to contain its first COVID-19 breakout after clinging for more than two years to a widely questioned claim of a spotless record in keeping the virus from spreading to practically every country on the planet. The outbreak’s scale is unknown at this time. Still, […]

Finance

Asian stocks mixed, China gains ahead of US price data

Editorial Bureau May 12, 2022

Shares were mixed in Asia on Wednesday with Chinese benchmarks pressing higher after a rally in technology companies helped reverse most of an early slide on Wall Street. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 1.7% to 19,967.25 and the Shanghai Composite index climbed 1.5% to 3,082.50. That followed the release of data showing inflation at 2.1% […]

Health

The Lancet Respiratory Medicine: Two years after infection, half of the people hospitalised with COVID-19 have at least one symptom, a follow-up study suggests

akhila balakrishnan May 12, 2022

A study of 1,192 participants hospitalised with COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, between January 7th and May 29th, 2020, followed up at six months, 12 months, and two years after discharge. Physical and mental health improved over time regardless of initial disease severity, with 55% reporting at least one symptom caused by the initial COVID-19 infection […]

Asia

‘Zero-COVID’ lockdowns cancel AP exams for students in China

Editorial Bureau May 7, 2022

Thousands of high school students in China learned Friday that COVID-19 restrictions will prevent them from taking Advanced Placement exams that many prepared for to improve their chances of attending college in the U.S. or Europe. Many students are unable to sit for the in-person, pen-and-paper tests given once a year in May because of […]

World

Australia seeks friendship with Solomons despite China pact

Editorial Bureau May 6, 2022

SYDNEY — Australia’s defense minister said Friday that his nation wants to continue having a strong friendship with the Solomon Islands despite it signing a security pact with China. Speaking on Australia’s Nine Network “Today” show, Peter Dutton said Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has been very clear that he is not going to […]