Having assumed the throne in 2019, the Emperor has never before used his birthday as an opportunity to address the public.

Thursday was Emperor Naruhito's first public birthday address since he ascended to the throne almost four years ago, after delays caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. In it, he called for aid for those suffering from inflation and the pandemic.

Naruhito, addressing thousands of citizens...

Japan may have to keep its residents wearing masks despite lifting restrictions on travel due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Fears that the first wave of visa-free foreign visitors in more than two years could spread illnesses at home have been raised in response to Japan's decision to relax its border controls on COVID-19.

While Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's administration has promised to loosen cor...

The European Union has set aside €25 million in humanitarian help for Palestinians

The EU said today that it will provide €25 million in humanitarian aid to disadvantaged Palestinians in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza.

In the Occupied Territories and Gaza Strip, almost 2 million Palestinian women, children, and men require humanitarian aid. Last year, 25...

The COVID Outbreak in Thailand

Thailand has now crossed the two million mark of Covid-19 cases and has seen more than 21,000 deaths. The lack of an efficient healthcare system in the country has led to a dependency on the local volunteers once again.

Some might argue that the increase in Covid-19 cases is due to the ...

Three workers at kids clothing company found to be Covid-19 positive

The Chinese government is taking extreme precautions for Covid-19. Now they are suspecting that the virus could be transmitted through parcels that are sent in mail.

Highlights

• Three workers at a children's clothing company tested positive for...

Pedro Castillo sworn in as the fifth President in past three years

Pedro Castillo has been sworn in as the fifth President of Peru on Wednesday, on the occasion of the 200th Independence Day of the country.

The 51-year-old school teacher promises the people of Peru, a corruption free country and a new constitution. The new president will have to handle...

HYUNDAI MOTOR’S NET PROFIT FOR Q1 ROSE TO $1.36 BILLION

Highlights –

• Hyundai Motor’s net profit for Q1 rose to $1.36 billion.
• The result is said to have exceeded the median forecast of 1.32 trillion won.
• Hyundai plans to focus on promoting the IONIQ 5 all-electric model.
• I...

JAPAN’S CURRENT ACCOUNT SURPLUS FELL IN FEBRUARY OVER IMPORTS

Highlights –

• Japan’s current account surplus fell in February over imports.
• The current account balance logged a surplus of $27 billion.
• Japan’s goods trade surplus has been more than halved to 524.2 billion yen.

S. KOREAN FIRST VICE FINANCE MINISTER WARNS OF GROWING INFLATION RISKS

Highlights –

• S. Korean First Vice Finance Minister warns of growing inflation risks.
• The risk has been directed towards rising oil prices.
• Prices of the farm, livestock, and fisheries products advanced 16.2 percent on-year in 2020.

SOUTH KOREA GOVT. PLANS TO PROVIDE EMERGENCY HANDOUTS TO SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS

Highlights –

• South Korea govt. plans to provide emergency handouts to small business owners.
• The government plans to do so by early February, around the Lunar New Year holiday.
• The government will provide US$8.6 billion in relief fund...

S. KOREA GOVT. TO GIVE SECOND CHANCE TO SUDENTS TO TAKE MEDICAL LICENSING EXAM

Highlights –

• S. Korea Govt. to give second chance to students to take medical licensing exam.
• Around 2,700 fourth-year medical students had boycotted the exams last year in September.
• The govt. was asked to withdraw its plan to increa...

ELECTRIC VEHICLES DOWN WITH A THUD AMIDST FIRES AND UNSAFE BATTERIES

• New technology and startups always have hitches with electric vehicles also not being spared.
• Random fires in China this year related to electric cars has raised fresh public outcry about the safety of such vehicles.

On August 11, a vehicle from Chinese electr...

VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT IS SEEKING ANSWERS FOR THE SOURCE OF THE SECOND WAVE

HIGHLIGHTS

• As Victoria has seen deadly community transmissions, the inquiry committee is set up to find out its source at the hotel quarantine program
• The hunt is to find patient zero who is responsible for the community wave that has cost $80m to the...

NEW COVID-19 CASES BOUNCE BACK IN SOUTH KOREA

Highlights:

• South Korea has reported 45 new coronavirus cases over 24 hours.
• The new cases have surged the total to 13,816 with 296 deaths in South Korea.
• 20 of the newly recorded cases were locally infected patients while 25 were linked to...

AUGUST 17 DESIGNATED AS TEMPORARY HOLIDAY FOR VIRUS-WEARY PEOPLE BY SOUTH KOREA

Highlights:

• The government of South Korea has designated August 17 as a temporary national holiday for the virus-weary people.
• The holiday will enable the workers in the nation to have three consecutive days holiday during the summer season.

SMALLEST RISE IN CORONAVIRUS CASES IN SOUTH KOREA IN 2 MONTHS

Highlights:

• South Korea has reported the smallest rise in the local COVID-19 transmissions in two months.
• The health authorities of South Korea have shown optimism that the coronavirus outbreak is being under control.
• Officials are consider...

MARKETS SHOULD BE MADE HYGIENIC: CHINA

Highlights:

• Low standards of hygiene in Chinese wholesale markets has to be urgently addressed after the latest Beijing outbreak. 
• The latest outbreak in the capital city, which is linked to the Xinfadi wholesale food market, has infected more th...

CHINA’S HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES AMID COVID-19

Highlights:

• The outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic has surged the demand for treatment and prevention drugs, with increment in the demand for medical resources.
• The recovery of medicine and medical equipment industries, sales revenue will also be li...

COVID-19 IS MAKING EUROPE’S FRONTLINE WORKERS’ MENTAL HEALTH MISERABLE

Highlights:

• Amid corona outbreak, Things are even worse for frontline workers who are actually facing the virus while on duty.
• Europe’s medics are going through horrible mental crisis. 
• Experts now suggest important steps to be t...

SOUTH KOREA COVID-19 UPDATE – 26.5.2020

• South Korea's virus fight appears to have irregular outbreaks tied to an infection cluster in Seoul's nightlife district of Itaewon continued ahead of another phase of school reopening.
• According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) the country...