This year marks the 30th anniversary of the enactment of the Basic Law. Forget about organising webinars to celebrate the anniversary, a debate about the core constitutional issues underlying the implementation of the Basic Law – China’s sovereignty over Hong Kong and the extent of Hong Kong’s autonomy – is unfolding right before us. The debate was triggered by statements made by the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO) of the State Council, and the central government’s liaison office on…

When international opera star Warren Mok learned in March that he had contracted Covid-19, he immediately checked if his voice was affected.“I tried my voice right away. It was still there,” Mok said, recalling his relief that his vocal cords remained in good shape.Dubbed one of China’s Three Tenors, the world-renowned singer’s battle with the deadly virus involved spending a total of 38 days in isolation, first in Thailand, then in Hong Kong.Sharing his ordeal with the Post, the 61-year-old…

Confined to their 100 sq ft space in a subdivided flat in Hong Kong amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Wendy Cheung and her husband quarrelled numerous times over hygiene, money and caring for their son.Finally, she decided it was time to get a divorce after eight years of marriage.The distress caused by the fear of coronavirus infection, confinement measures and social isolation has taken a toll on couples. Cooped-up Hongkongers have been flooding hotlines with calls seeking help with conflicts at…

Hong Kong recorded at least one new imported coronavirus case on Sunday, ending a string of three days with no reported infections. The tally of confirmed Covid-19 cases now moves to at least 1,045. The last time the city recorded new infections was on Thursday, when four imported cases were revealed. At least eight new infections have been recorded so far this month, all imported – cases involving people with recent travel history. Health authorities have previously said the deadly…

The looming eviction and relocation of 150 elderly residents at a decades-old care home in Hong Kong amid the coronavirus pandemic has left many fearful of infection risks, as a resident prepares to launch a last-minute legal battle against the government to stop a demolition plan within a month.Situated in the suburbs of the northern border town of Sheung Shui, Dills Corner Garden has housed 16 elderly care homes since 1997 and is much beloved by many residents for its tranquil life, quality…

A new pro-establishment alliance led by former Hong Kong leaders hopes to educate young residents on the rule of law, but cannot fulfil the government’s role of addressing political issues that emerged from last year’s months of social unrest, one of its leaders said on Sunday.Hong Kong Coalition co-convenor Leung Chun-ying, the city’s chief executive from 2012 to 2017, also said the body has been formulating plans to offer young graduates training and employment opportunities.“I hope we can…

The road to hell is always paved with good intentions.The old adage is proving true for the Hong Kong government’s highly publicised scheme to distribute free reusable masks to every resident.The controversy over the CuMask+ scheme must be hugely frustrating for embattled Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, whose administration is now facing concerns and accusations ranging from possible conflict of interest, since the commissioned manufacturers did not go through proper tender…

Hong Kong is sweltering on its hottest Mother’s Day in more than half a century, with the mercury hitting 36 degrees Celsius in some areas and triggering this year’s first “very hot weather warning”.The Observatory in Tsim Sha Tsui issued the warning at 1.15pm on Sunday after the temperature there hit 32.2 degrees.At Tai Mei Tuk in Tai Po, the temperature hit 36.1 degrees. Yuen Long Park in Yuen Long also recorded 35.1 degrees, and Sheung Shui 35 degrees.It is the hottest Mother’s Day since…

The US government began distributing remdesivir, an experimental drug recently approved for emergency use against Covid-19, to areas of the country struggling the most with the disease.The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) arranged for some 600,000 vials of Gilead Sciences’ antiviral medication, shown to reduce recovery times for some patients, to be shipped to health authorities in New Jersey, Illinois, Michigan and three other states, to treat an estimated 78,000 hospitalised…

France and Spain, two of the countries hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, were preparing on Sunday for an easing of lockdown rules as the global number of infections passed 4 million.In the US, the country with the world’s highest death toll, President Donald Trump faced sharp criticism from his predecessor Barack Obama who said on a leaked tape that Trump’s handling of the crisis was an “absolute chaotic disaster”.The virus has claimed more than 78,000 lives in the United States, which…

Former president Barack Obama has launched a scathing attack on Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, calling it an “absolute chaotic disaster”.In a leaked web call Friday night with former members of his administration, Obama also said the Justice Department’s decision to drop charges against Michael Flynn, the former Trump national security adviser who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in the Russia probe, endangers the rule of law in the US.In the audio, first obtained by…

Three children in New York have died from a rare inflammatory syndrome believed to be linked to the novel coronavirus, Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Saturday, a development that may augur a pandemic risk for the very young.Both Cuomo and his counterpart in the neighbouring state of New Jersey also spoke on Saturday about the pandemic’s growing toll on mental health, another factor on the minds of governors as they weigh the impact of mounting job losses against health risks in moving to loosen…

Tesla chief Elon Musk on Saturday threatened to pull his electric car headquarters and plant out of California after local authorities kept him from resuming production due to the coronavirus pandemic.“Frankly, this is the final straw. Tesla will now move its HQ and future programmes to Texas/Nevada immediately,” Musk tweeted in a long diatribe, characteristic of past online rants which are not necessarily carried out.Referring to the California city where the cars are produced, Musk said that …

The cost of a university education in the United States has long been eye-watering, with a year costing tens of thousands of dollars.But as the coronavirus crisis settles in, students – many of whom take out huge loans to finance their degrees – are wondering how to justify spending US$70,000 a year on … Zoom classes.They feel like they’re getting the raw end of the deal, and are demanding that their colleges be held to account.“We’re paying for other services that the campus offers that aren’t…

Three members of the White House coronavirus task force, including Dr Anthony Fauci, placed themselves in quarantine after contact with someone who tested positive for Covid-19, another stark reminder that not even one of the nation’s most secure buildings is immune from the virus.Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a leading member of the task force, has become nationally known for his simple and direct explanations to the public about the…

With her neighbourhood south of Manila locked down due to the coronavirus, Dolly Pelle had been planning to close her sari-sari convenience store – until customers convinced her they couldn’t do without her. Pelle’s store is one of a handful of similar shops all on the same street, but her’s has a crucial difference: it is the only one able to process local remittances. Lock down, start up: the digital firms cashing in on coronavirus in the Philippines In the past four years in the…

Fishermen in northeast Thailand say they have seen catches in the Mekong River plunge, while some farmers in Vietnam and Cambodia are leaving for jobs in cities as harvests of rice and other crops shrink.The common thread driving these events is erratic water levels in Asia’s third longest waterway.Water flows along the 4,300km (2,700 mile) Mekong shift naturally between monsoon and dry seasons, but non-governmental groups say the 11 hydroelectric dams on China’s portion of the river – five of…

The coronavirus in Japan has brought not just an epidemic of infections, but also an onslaught of bullying and discrimination against the sick, their families and health workers.A government campaign to raise awareness seems to be helping, at least for medical workers. But it’s made only limited headway in countering the harassment and shunning that may be discouraging people from seeking testing and care and hindering the battle against the pandemic.When Arisa Kadono tested positive and was…

Every morning, marketing professional Sagari starts her day at 9am by sweeping the floors of her two-bedroom flat in suburban Mumbai. The 35-year-old then makes breakfast for her husband, father and three-year-old son, before preparing lunch and parking herself in front of her laptop to work, in between responding to calls for tea from her husband and demands from her toddler. At 9pm, she cooks dinner then washes up and listens in on international client calls that can last until 2am. How…

There was little sign of cheer in Malaysia last week even as the government began easing the gruelling nationwide lockdown it had put in place to curb the spread of Covid-19, with all eyes now on the bleak economic road ahead.Government data released on Friday showed the unemployment rate in Southeast Asia’s third-largest economy rose to 3.9 per cent in March – the highest rate since 2010, and a 17.1 per cent jump from a year ago. Expectations are that the figure will continue to surge.While…

"As I mention in my song, I am wearing a mask and shield and I'm trying to smile with my eyes so they know everything will be OK."

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