Covid
Boris Johnson says UK ‘not necessarily’ heading for recession
PM sounds upbeat note on economy amid some disquiet among Tory MPs over £15bn cost of living package
Populism, desire for change mark Colombia’s presidential vote
Colombians will head to the polls on May 29 to elect their next president after an often heated and divisive campaign.
Brazil once wiped away preventable diseases. They’re coming back
Brazil once wiped away preventable diseases. Why are they coming back?
World Bank boss warns over global recession
The head of the World Bank has warned that Russia's invasion of Ukraine could cause a global recession as the price of food, energy and fertiliser jump.
Jack Hurn: Man's AstraZeneca jab death followed out-of-date advice
A graduate died from a rare complication of the AstraZeneca vaccine after being given out-of-date advice, an inquest has heard.
Covid infections continue to decline in UK
Coronavirus infections in the UK continue to fall, with one in 60 people now affected, according to the latest estimates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
MP Paul Holmes quits government role over Sue Gray report
A Tory MP who has quit a government job over Partygate says he was "shocked and appalled by what's been going on".
Fanling lockdown finds three positive cases
Three preliminary positive cases have been found in the overnight lockdown in Fanling imposed by health authorities.
Govt to continue hand out free Covid test kits to elderly till end of June
The government announced on Friday that it will continue to provide free rapid Covid-19 antigen tests (RAT) to people aged 60 or above till the end of June to encourage them to self-test regularly.
Hong Kong looks to revive global banking status with major summit
Hong Kong's central bank plans to hold a major conference in November it hopes will draw global banking bosses, sources said, as the financial hub seeks to welcome back international business following two grueling years of closed borders.
Home prices reverse 3-month drop to climb 0.5 percent in April
Hong Kong private home prices reversed a three-month decline in April, the latest official data showed on Friday, as the financial hub stabilized after Covid-related woes and homebuyer sentiment was boosted by waves of new development launches.
Two new clusters spark fear of community outbreak as HK sees 250 cases
Hong Kong reported 250 new Covid-19 cases on Friday as health authorities are probing two new outbreak clusters, an indicator that the new Omicron subvariant has entered local communities.
Cathay tells U.S. union of plan to close last overseas pilot base
Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. has started a review that could lead to the shuttering of its pilot bases in the US, the Hong Kong carrier’s last overseas outpost, as it continues to cut costs to stem a cash drain from operating so few flights during the Covid crisis.
Hong Kong travellers flock to agents to find out about tours to Japan
No tests, vaccines or quarantine for visitors from ‘blue’ countries.
Coronavirus cluster with Omicron subvariant expands; Hong Kong logs 250 new cases
Authorities confirm four people carrying same variant that infected residents involved in cluster tied to McDonald’s in Tai Koo Shing.
China Opens Exchange Bond Markets to Overseas Investors
China will allow foreign institutional investors to trade bonds on its smaller exchange market in its latest step to attract more capital inflows by opening its financial markets, after a record selloff of Chinese holdings by foreign investors. The move designed to support financial inflows after selloff.
Hong Kong seeks to revive global banking status with major summit
Hong Kong's central bank plans to hold a major conference in November it hopes will draw global banking bosses, sources said.
Fewer Americans applied for jobless benefits last week
Applications for unemployment benefits fell by 8,000 to 210,000 for the week ending May 21, the United States Department of Labor reported Thursday.
US economy shrank by 1.5% in the first three months of 2022
But US consumers and businesses kept spending at a solid pace, according to government data released Thursday.
Blinken lays out US strategy to counter China as rivalry grows
Despite the current focus on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, China poses the “most serious long-term challenge to the international order”, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said.
Despite pain at the pump, Americans are hitting the road
Heading into the US summer driving season, Americans are fueling up but how long before they have to hit the brakes?
Proposed pay rise for civil servants "divorce from reality"
Recommendation for civil servants to get wage increases of up to 7.26 percent did not reflect the current economic climate and may cause a ripple effect across the whole economy, the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce said.
Hong Kong Primary One places allocation satisfaction rate hits 11-year high
The satisfaction rate of this year’s Central Allocation for Primary One Admission has hit an 11-year high at 78 percent, involving a total of 22,898 children.
HK adds 251 Covid cases, continues tracking new Omicron variant
Hong Kong reported 251 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday as health authorities are continuing their epidemiological investigation to see if the Omicron variant BA.2.12.1 has entered local communities.