Hong Kong: Latest News

Given the fresh surge in infections some countries, RT-PCR tests have been made mandatory for flyers coming from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand from 1 January NEW DELHI: India reported 170 new coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours, the Union health ministry said in an update on Monday. The country’s active caseload has declined to 2,371, with total reported cases since the pandemic hit in 2020 stands at 4,46,80,094 and death toll at 530,721. Active cases comprise 0.01% of the total infections, and the recovery rate has risen to 98.80%, according to the health ministry.

It was last held in 2019, but next weekend, Manchester Moon Festival will return for three days of celebrations.

Olivia Chow has been elected as Toronto’s new mayor following a crowded byelection on Monday night. But who is Olivia Chow?

Air Canada customer is sharing her travel nightmare with the airline after she says she was charged twice for a round trip.“They don’t even have the heart to listen to me,” said Cristhel Fernandez. “I don’t have the extra money to pay that off.”Back in May, the Surrey resident booked two round-trip flights to the Philippines for her and her husband.

A general view showing the J.P.Morgan Building in Central on May 18, 2023 in Hong Kong, China. (Photo by Vernon Yuen/NurPhoto via Getty Images) JPMorgan Chase has reached a settlement in a class action lawsuit with victims of financier Jeffrey Epstein.Epstein was arrested in 2019 on federal charges accusing him of paying underage girls hundreds of dollars in cash for massages and then molesting them at his homes in Florida and New York. He was found dead in jail on Aug.

sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury on Friday along with his Canadian-registered business and his Hong Kong firms.The 41-year-old’s company Asia Pacific Links Ltd.

FILE - A Chinese woman adjusts a Chinese flag near US flags before the start of a Strategic Dialogue expanded meeting between China and the US during the US-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue held at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on Ju BEIJING - China sentenced a 78-year-old United States citizen to life in prison Monday on spying charges, in a case that could exacerbate the deterioration in ties between Beijing and Washington over recent years.Details of the charges against John Shing-Wan Leung, who also holds permanent residency in Hong Kong, have not been publicly released.Leung was detained April 15, 2021, by the local bureau of China's counterintelligence agency in the southeastern city of Suzhou, according to a statement posted by the city’s intermediate court on its social media site. His detention came after China had closed its borders and imposed tight domestic travel restrictions and social controls to fight the spread of COVID-19.Such investigations and trials are held behind closed doors and little information is generally released other than vague accusations of infiltration, gathering secrets and threatening state security.Relations between Washington and Beijing are at their lowest in decades amid disputes over trade, technology, human rights and China’s increasingly aggressive approach toward its territorial claims involving self-governing Taiwan and the South China Sea.

Canada “will not be intimidated” after China expelled a Canadian diplomat Tuesday in retaliation for Ottawa removing a Beijing delegate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says.

Canada is expelling the Chinese diplomat who allegedly worked with Beijing to target Conservative MP Michael Chong and his relatives in Hong Kong.

Toronto-area MP Han Dong is at the centre of a political firestorm following a Global News report that he allegedly spoke with a Chinese diplomat in 2021, advising Beijing to delay freeing Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, according to two intelligence sources.

Thailand was convinced by his friends to try bungee jumping. That decision led to a near-death experience as the bungee cord snapped during the descent.Thankfully, the man took the plunge over a body of water.The tourist, a 39-year-old from Hong Kong who was identified only as “Mike,” was visiting the Changthai Thappraya Safari and Adventure Park in January when the terrifying accident occurred.

FILE-Security personnel check the health codes of travelers on smartphones at an entrance to Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, China, on Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021.

China will reopen its borders to foreign tourists for the first time in the three years since the Covid-19 pandemic erupted by allowing all categories of visas to be issued from tomorrow.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Top delegations from the Sinopec Group (Ranking 5th in the Fortune Global 500 list of 2022) and the China Merchants Group (152nd) are currently visiting Sri Lanka.The Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka tweeted that the delegates are in the country to enhance cooperation and further investment on petroleum & chemicals, trade, and port & industrial park operation.China Merchants Group: China Merchants Group (CMG) is a state-owned backbone enterprise headquartered in Hong Kong. CMG was founded in the Self-strengthening Movement in the late Qing Dynasty in 1872. As the first joint-stock company in modern China, it established the first merchant fleet, the first bank and the first insurance company in China, pioneering China's modern national shipping industry and driving the development of many other modern industries, and occupying an important position in the history of China's modern economic and social development. China Merchants Group is also the parent company of the Hambantota International Port Group (HIPG).Sinopec Corp:China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec Corp) is a listed company on domestic and international stock exchanges with integrated upstream, midstream and downstream operations, strong oil & petrochemical core businesses and a complete marketing network. Sinopec Corp.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The U.S. government took extraordinary steps Sunday to stop a potential banking crisis after the historic failure of Silicon Valley Bank, assuring all depositors at the failed institution that they could access all their money quickly, even as another major bank was shut down.The announcement came amid fears that the factors that caused the Santa Clara, California-based bank to fail could spread. Regulators had worked all weekend to try to find a buyer for the bank, which was the second-largest bank failure in history.

A Hong Kong runner has completed Sri Lanka’s 22-day Pekoe Trail in just 58 hours.Sri Lanka holds a special place in Hyun Chang Chung’s heart and with an emotional connection in mind the decided to run the newly minted 300-kilometre Pekoe Trail.When he heard an old acquaintance had designed a multi-day trail route to help promote tourism in Sri Lanka, Chung’s ears pricked up.The trail is split into 22 stages, each designed to take one day. But Hong Kong-based Chung, just 49 year-old, finished it in just 58 hours.The Pekoe Trail is a 300km hiking route that connects tea plantations across the country.

contracted the disease. At that time, it was not known whether cats could potentially worsen the spread of COVID-19 and officials in the U.K. contemplated mass euthanization. "In fact, there was an idea at one moment that we may have to ask the public to exterminate all the cats in Britain," Bethell revealed. According to a 2022 PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report, about 24% of adults in the U.K.

HONG KONG - A gruesome murder case that happened in the former British colony of Hong Kong has sent shockwave throughout Asia and the rest of the world.According to officials with the Hong Kong Police Force, four people have been arrested in connection with the murder of Abby Choi, a model and social media influencer who was known amongst the city's rich and famous.Here's what you should know about the murder.(This story contains details that some may find disturbing. Discretion is advised)While statements issued by officials with the Hong Kong Police Force did not identify the victim, Hong Kong English newspaper South China Morning Post (SCMP) has identified the victim as Abby Choi Tin-fung.The Associated Press, along with Hong Kong Chinese news website HK01, have also identified the victim as Abby Choi.According to Hong Kong Police, Choi was last seen during the afternoon hours on this day.In an article published by SCMP, it is stated that Choi was set to pick up a daughter she had with her ex-husband, but the child was never picked up.A missing person's report, according to police, was filed on Feb.

HONG KONG - A gruesome murder case that happened in the former British colony of Hong Kong has sent shockwave throughout Asia and the rest of the world.According to officials with the Hong Kong Police Force, four people have been arrested in connection with the murder of Abby Choi, a model and social media influencer who was known amongst the city's rich and famous.Here's what you should know about the murder.(This story contains details that some may find disturbing. Discretion is advised)While statements issued by officials with the Hong Kong Police Force did not identify the victim, Hong Kong English newspaper South China Morning Post (SCMP) has identified the victim as Abby Choi Tin-fung.The Associated Press, along with Hong Kong Chinese news website HK01, have also identified the victim as Abby Choi.According to Hong Kong Police, Choi was last seen during the afternoon hours on this day.In an article published by SCMP, it is stated that Choi was set to pick up a daughter she had with her ex-husband, but the child was never picked up.A missing person's report, according to police, was filed on Feb.

HONG KONG - A gruesome murder case that happened in the former British colony of Hong Kong has sent shockwave throughout Asia and the rest of the world.According to officials with the Hong Kong Police Force, four people have been arrested in connection with the murder of Abby Choi, a model and social media influencer who was known amongst the city's rich and famous.Here's what you should know about the murder.(This story contains details that some may find disturbing. Discretion is advised)While statements issued by officials with the Hong Kong Police Force did not identify the victim, Hong Kong English newspaper South China Morning Post (SCMP) has identified the victim as Abby Choi Tin-fung.The Associated Press, along with Hong Kong Chinese news website HK01, have also identified the victim as Abby Choi.According to Hong Kong Police, Choi was last seen during the afternoon hours on this day.In an article published by SCMP, it is stated that Choi was set to pick up a daughter she had with her ex-husband, but the child was never picked up.A missing person's report, according to police, was filed on Feb.

An ex-husband of Hong Kong-based model Abby Choi, along with three of his relatives, were charged with murder on Sunday in connection to her grisly death — with the official charges coming only days after several dismembered body parts believed to belong to Choi were discovered by police.Choi’s ex-husband, Alex Kwong, 28, his brother Anthony, 31, and their father, Kwong Kau, 65, have been charged with murder, as per the Hong Kong public broadcaster RTHK. The outlet also reported that Kwong’s mother Jenny Li, 63, was charged with perverting the course of justice.

(Photo by MATTHEW HATCHER/AFP via Getty Images) An 11-year-old girl in Cambodia has died from bird flu in the country's first known human H5N1 infection since 2014, health officials said.Bird flu, also known as avian influenza, normally spreads in poultry and wasn’t deemed a threat to people until a 1997 outbreak among visitors to live poultry markets in Hong Kong. Most human cases worldwide have involved direct contact with infected poultry, but concerns have arisen recently about infections in a variety of mammals and the possibility the virus could evolve to spread more easily between people.The girl from the rural southeastern province of Prey Veng became ill Feb.

Hong Kong leader John Lee has unveiled a promotion campaign that will include 500,000 free flights to lure visitors, businesses and investors back to the financial hub after more than three years of tough Covid-19 curbs.

Read more: N.B. company helps study wastewater for COVID-19, mpox at Toronto Pearson airport Read next: Part of the Sun breaks free and forms a strange vortex, baffling scientists He says there are now more than two dozen subvariants of the virus being located in the wastewater.“In recent months, it’s become increasingly difficult to detect new variants in wastewater, because at any given time, we are finding evidence of 20 or 25 subvariants,” he stated in a release from the school.The researchers don’t actually test for subvariants but are looking for mutations of subvariants such as the “Kraken” XBB.1.5 through genomic sequencing.In addition, a  few weeks ago, the Public Health Agency of Canada announced that the project was expanding to conduct separate testing of the wastewater from flights arriving from China and Hong Kong.What makes it tough is attempting to find the specific new variants of concern as they wade through all of the different subvariants.“If you think about it as a puzzle, it used to be just a 10-piece puzzle.

battles a nationwide outbreak of the coronavirus after abruptly easing restrictions that were in place for much of the pandemic.Australian health authorities said Sunday that from Jan 5. all air travelers from mainland China, Hong Kong or Macao will need to show a negative COVID-19 test taken within two days of their departure.Canadian authorities announced similar measures that will also come into effect Jan.

Under the Covid vaccination drive, more than 220.56 crore vaccine doses have been administered to people across the country so far. In the last 24 hours, around 1,60,769 vaccine doses were administered New Delhi India has reported 128 new Covid cases in the last 24 hours, according to the union health ministry data. The total number of Covid cases reached 4.47 crore, with 530,745 Covid-related deaths since the onset of the Covid pandemic.

Here’s a list of the new measures different regions are imposing: Hong Kong People traveling from the mainland will need to show a 48-hour negative PCR test result. Traveling via land borders is capped at 50,000 people per day while some land control points, including Lo Wu, will stay shut initially, Chief Executive John Lee said at a briefing Thursday. Thailand Thailand is mandating Covid insurance for foreign visitors from countries that require negative PCR test results before returning home.

On Friday, Covid guidelines were revised by the Centre for passengers arriving on international flights. Negative RT-PCR tests will be mandatory from January 1 to enter India from countries that are seeing massive COVID surge currently. These countries include China, Singapore, Hong Kong, the Republic of Korea, Thailand and Japan.

The civil aviation ministry has asked the airlines to modify check-in systems ahead of new Covid norms for travellers from China, 5 other countries The civil aviation ministry on Friday asked airlines to modify their check-in systems for international passengers coming into India as part of the revised Covid guidelines, which makes a negative Covid test report a must for travellers coming from China and five other countries from Sunday. The ministry's direction comes a day after the health ministry decided to make RT-PCR negative test reports compulsory for passengers coming on all international flights from six high-risk countries --China, Singapore, Hong Kong, the Republic of Korea, Thailand and Japan.

Indonesia has decided to scrap the mask mandate, ending the coronavirus pandemic restrictions Indonesia will do away with indoor mask mandates and remove the requirement to show proof of vaccination when entering buildings, becoming one of the last few countries to completely end Covid-19 restrictions.  The changes will take effect from Friday and decision was taken as almost all of Indonesia’s population had immunity against the virus, said President Joko Widodo, who is popularly known as Jokowi.   “We once failed in containing Covid, but now we are among the few countries that did not experience a pandemic wave in past 10 to 11 consecutive months," he told a media briefing in Jakarta.

HONG KONG : Beijing called on foreign governments to abide by scientific principles in setting travel protocols, after the U.S.

Moves by several countries to mandate COVID-19 tests for passengers arriving from China reflect global concern that new variants could emerge in its ongoing explosive outbreak — and that the government may not inform the rest of the world quickly enough. There have been no reports of new variants to date, but China has been accused of not being forthcoming about the virus since it first surfaced in the country in late 2019. The worry is that it may not be sharing data now on any signs of evolving strains that could spark fresh outbreaks elsewhere.

While the Central government has started random sampling and testing of 2% of foreign travellers at Delhi airport, in the last two days, more than 6,000 international travellers have been scanned, out of which 39 passengers have tested covid-19 positive. New Delhi: Government officials warned that the next 40 days would be crucial in determining the possibility of a resurgence of covid-19 cases in India as they urged people to follow safety protocols and complete their vaccination doses.

HONG KONG : China’s central health authority has stopped publishing daily Covid-19 data, ending a three-year effort that has drawn mounting criticism for massively underreporting the surge in infections now sweeping the country. In a one-line announcement Sunday, China’s National Health Commission said it would no longer issue its daily report on Covid infections and deaths.

HONG KONG : China dropped many of its quarantine and testing requirements and curtailed the power of local officials to shut down entire city blocks, as the country’s leaders accelerate plans to dismantle zero-Covid controls in the wake of nationwide protests. Though widely predicted, Beijing’s retreat from its costly and increasingly unpopular pandemic regime has been faster than expected.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The second total lunar eclipse of 2022 will turn the moon a reddish-copper colour for 85 minutes on Nov. 8, 2022.Sri Lanka will be able to witness this spectacle from 5 PM to 7 PM on that day.Often colloquially called a Blood Moon, a total lunar eclipse, happens as the full moon (in this case November's full Beaver Moon) moves into the deep umbral shadow of the Earth and receives only light first filtered by Earth's atmosphere, will be visible from North America and parts of South America, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. A partial lunar eclipse will be visible from Iceland, parts of South America, south and central Asia and Russia.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The second total lunar eclipse of 2022 will turn the moon a reddish-copper colour for 85 minutes on Nov. 8, 2022.Sri Lanka will be able to witness this spectacle from 5 PM to 7 PM on that day.Often colloquially called a Blood Moon, a total lunar eclipse, happens as the full moon (in this case November's full Beaver Moon) moves into the deep umbral shadow of the Earth and receives only light first filtered by Earth's atmosphere, will be visible from North America and parts of South America, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. A partial lunar eclipse will be visible from Iceland, parts of South America, south and central Asia and Russia.

Hong Kong’s attempts to welcome back global investors with a flagship summit were overshadowed by the controversial handling of a top local official’s Covid-19 test result, a typhoon and a lack of debate over how coronavirus restrictions have weakened investors’ confidence in both Hong Kong and mainland China.

HONG KONG : Foxconn Technology Group is scrambling to contain a weekslong Covid-19 outbreak at an iPhone factory in central China, trying to appease frightened and frustrated workers during a crucial period for smartphone orders. In Foxconn’s main Zhengzhou facility, the world’s biggest assembly site for Apple Inc.’s iPhones, hundreds of thousands of workers have been placed under a closed-loop system for almost two weeks. They are largely shut off from the outside world, allowed only to move between their dorms or homes and the production lines.

A rapidly spreading Covid strain has been dubbed the Nightmare Variant after it was found to double infections in a matter of days.

Hong Kong is unlikely to make any major changes to Covid restrictions for inbound travelers before a banking summit next month, but is considering concessions including allowing attendees to leave the city via private jet should they test positive for the virus. The health bureau is in discussions with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority to finalize details for the two-day summit set for early November, including what to do if a participant is infected, according to people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified because they’re not authorized to speak publicly.

Taiwan has welcomed its first batch of international tour groups after the island fully reopened its borders, ending strict quarantine rules in place since the coronavirus pandemic began.

Also Read: Heart dysfunction, COVID-19 booster vaccines in India have no links, say experts The public service honour went to Lauren Gardner, an engineer who studies the spread of diseases. Her lab team developed the COVID-19 tracker when the coronavirus began to spread internationally in January 2020. The dashboard evolved into a useful tool that today tracks cases, deaths, immunizations, and other things on a global scale.

FILE - An elderly man sits on his electric scooter in the city park. (Ronny Hartmann/picture alliance via Getty Images)Loneliness may make our biological clock tick faster.Being lonely and feeling unhappy can accelerate the aging process more than smoking, according to a recent article published in Aging-US."We demonstrate [that] psychological factors, such as feeling unhappy or being lonely, add up to one year and eight months to one’s biological age," said lead author Dr.

Researchers in Taiwan have discovered a new mutation in the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2.3.7 subvariant that they suggest may be responsible for severe neurologic complications observed in young children on the island. Their study was published yesterday in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases.The team analyzed the medical records of five pediatric COVID-19 pa

CanSino’s Ad5-nCoV for emergency use as a booster dose, China has become the first country to approve a needle-free, inhaled version of a Covid-19 vaccine, said an official statement quoted by news agency Bloomberg. The inhaled Covid-19 vaccine, made by Tianjin-based CanSino Biologics Inc, has pushed the company's shares up by 14.5% on Monday morning in Hong Kong, the organization said in a statement to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange yesterday. The vaccine, which had undergone human testing in March 2020, is a new version of CanSino's one-shot Covid drug.

The latest development brings concerns for the city, which has reported over 7,000 COVID-19 cases for four consecutive days, as the new school year for primary and secondary schools is set to begin on September 1, as per local media reports. The health experts in Hong Kong have warned of new clinical features including hoarseness and inspiratory stridor (a sign of airway obstruction) among children suffering from COVID-19 during the fifth wave.

A pair of new studies describes the clinical benefits of two oral antiviral drugs in COVID-19 patients amid the Omicron period, one from Israel suggesting that nirmatrelvir-ritonavir (Paxlovid) reduced rates of hospitalization and death in people 65 years or older, and research from Hong Kong demonstrating that Paxlovid and molnupiravir lowered rates of death, disease progression, and the need for supplemental oxygen in older hospitalized patients.