Politics

A freeway sits almost empty in downtown Los Angeles, after California's Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an unprecedented statewide "stay at home order" directing the state's 40 million residents to hunker down in their homes for the foreseeable future during the global outbreak of coronavirus disease, in California, U.S., on March 20, 2020.
Coronavirus: Free to read

Coronavirus: Week of Mar. 15 to Mar. 21, New York orders millions to stay indoors

Mainland China reports zero new local cases for 3rd day; worldwide total surges

21 March 2020
Hong Kong's Amoy Gardens was a SARS hot spot in 2003, with more than 42 deaths. This time, one resident is determined to avoid a single COVID-19 case.
Coronavirus

Hong Kong's SARS survivors take the fight to COVID-19

Residents draw on lessons some say Carrie Lam's government failed to learn

20 March 2020
Protesters in Hong Kong hold an anti-government demonstration on Jan. 1. A Hong Kong spokesman on Tuesday acknowledged that "local social unrest" might have affected the city's ranking in the Heritage study.
Economy

Hong Kong loses Heritage 'economic freedom' crown to Singapore

Months of anti-government protests undermine rating of investment environment

17 March 2020
French President Emmanuel Macron, left, and U.S. President Donald Trump at a 2019 G-7 Summit in France. Macron said the leaders will hold a virtual meeting on Monday to discuss the medical and economic responses to the virus outbreak..
14 March 2020
U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the nation from the White House on March 11.
Markets

Asian markets slide after Trump bans European travelers over virus

Circuit breakers triggered in Thailand, Indonesia and Philippines

12 March 2020
Investors in Tokyo continue to be spooked following New York's overnight plunge, with the Nikkei dumping over 800 points. (Photo by Shihoko Nakaoka)
Markets

Japan's Nikkei index plunges 4% following Wall Street dive

Crashing oil prices and coronavirus fears send benchmark to nearly 3-year low

10 March 2020
The Nikkei stock index fell 5% to close at 19,698.76 yen on March 9. (Photo by Kento Awashima) 
Markets

Asian stocks plunge, as yen and bonds surge after oil plummets

Saudi Arabia poised to pump more crude even as coronavirus spooks global economy

9 March 2020
Shoppers in Hong Kong walk past empty shelves in late January: The coronavirus outbreak has triggered panic buying across Asia, but governments are taking steps to calm anxious citizens. 
Coronavirus

Coronavirus panic buying sends Asian governments scrambling

From Japan to Thailand to India, here's how authorities are fending off hoarders

9 March 2020
A member of the medical team in protective gear sprays disinfectant liquid at a taxi station in Tehran.
Coronavirus: Free to read

Coronavirus: Week of Mar. 1 to Mar. 7, confirmed cases top 100,000 worldwide

South Korea to suspend visa waivers for Japan; Hubei, excluding Wuhan, reports no new cases

7 March 2020
A dog in China's snow-covered Jilin Province on March 4. Health officials have emphasized there is no indication that pets are a source of infection of the coronavirus or that they can become sick with the disease.
Coronavirus

Hong Kong dog infection spurs worries among pet owners

Experts say there is no evidence that household animals can transmit coronavirus

6 March 2020
An RTHK program sparked an uproar over jokes implying that the police were hoarding protective supplies amid the coronavirus outbreak. 
Hong Kong protests

Hong Kong 'war on humor' pits public broadcaster versus police

RTHK loses right to show programs on other channels as political heat rises

6 March 2020
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters on the White House South Lawn on Tuesday.
Coronavirus

Trump weighs adding Japan to coronavirus travel restrictions

India, Thailand and cities in China announce measures to limit travelers

4 March 2020
Denise Ho Wan-see, the Cantonese singer-turned-activist, is among the pioneering female leaders featured by the Nikkei Asian Review. (Illustration by Chuan Ming Ong)
The Big Story

International Women's Day: Meet 11 of Asia's trailblazers

From leading Netflix's India ambitions to funding the next unicorn, these are the names to know

4 March 2020
Jimmy Lai walks out from a police station after being bailed out on Feb. 28: the arrest is a warning signal to the protesters.
Opinion

Hong Kong activist arrests will reinflame pro-democracy protests

Government used cover of coronavirus to take Jimmy Lai and others into custody

3 March 2020
A street sign for Wall Street is seen outside the New York Stock Exchange in Manhattan, New York.
29 February 2020
Media tycoon Jimmy Lai attends a pro-democracy march in Hong Kong on Aug. 31. Tens of thousands of people attended the banned rally, which escalated into violent clashes between police and protesters.
Hong Kong protests

Hong Kong pro-democracy figures arrested over banned rally

Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai and two others took part in illegal march in August

28 February 2020
Demonstrators appear outside Hong Kong's Legislative Council building, where Financial Secretary Paul Chan on Wednesday delivered the annual budget. The deficit for the year ending March 2021 is expected to widen to a historical high.
Economy

Hong Kong crisis will force budget deficits until 2025

Residents to get HK$10,000 after triple whammy of coronavirus, protests and trade war

26 February 2020
People wait at a crosswalk along the Dongseong-ro shopping street in Daegu, South Korea. The country reported 142 new coronavirus cases on Saturday.
Coronavirus: Free to read

Coronavirus: Week of Feb. 16 to Feb. 22, South Korea cases soar again, to 433

US confirms 34 additional infections and expects more from cruise ship

22 February 2020
The cruise ship Diamond Princess on Feb 11: Passengers from Hong Kong remain on board, but at least one feels lucky compared to others stranded in Wuhan, China, epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak.
Coronavirus

Diamond Princess: One Hong Konger's life aboard 'not so bad'

Passenger on virus-plagued ship says compatriots stuck in Wuhan deserve priority

19 February 2020
Shoppers wear masks at a market in Hong Kong. The city is disclosing where coronavirus patients live and what public transport they have taken.
Coronavirus

Asia authorities track patient whereabouts to arrest spread

South Korea, Singapore and Philippines identify thousands of cases of contact

19 February 2020
A staff member wearing a face mask stands in front of a restaurant on Valentine's Day in Beijing.
15 February 2020
Zhang Xiaoming has been removed from his position as director of China's office handling Hong Kong affairs.
Hong Kong protests

Xi tightens grip on Hong Kong with change at the top

Central government sacks highest official responsible for protest-hit city

14 February 2020
At least 61 people are infected with the novel coronavirus on the Diamond Princess, seen anchored at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama, on Feb. 7.
Coronavirus

No port in a storm: Cruise ships left adrift over coronavirus

Luxury liners struggle to drop anchor as countries turn them away

7 February 2020
The Diamond Princess off the coast of Yokohama. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said foreigners on a second cruise ship would not be allowed to enter Japan.
Coronavirus

41 new coronavirus cases confirmed on Yokohama cruise ship

Japan denies entry to foreigners on another cruise ship from Hong Kong

7 February 2020
Medical workers in Hong Kong hold a strike outside the Hospital Authority on Feb. 4 as they demand for the government to completely close off its border with mainland China to reduce the coronavirus from spreading.
Coronavirus

Hong Kong medical workers widen strike to demand border closure

City reports first coronavirus death, as 9,000 hospital staffers join walkout

4 February 2020