Hong Kong budget for fiscal 2020/21
The following are highlights of Hong Kong’s budget for the 2020/21 fiscal year starting in April.
Hong Kong unveils record budget deficit to cushion blow from coronavirus, protests
Hong Kong unveiled a record budget deficit on Wednesday, as it boosted cash handouts to residents and tax concessions for companies to cushion the shock of often-violent protests and the outbreak of a coronavirus on the recession-hit economy.
San Francisco declares emergency over coronavirus
San Francisco declared a local emergency over the coronavirus on Tuesday, despite having no cases, as U.S. officials urged Americans to prepare for the spread of infections within their communities.
U.S. warned to prepare for coronavirus pandemic as Europe lockdowns spread
A second European hotel was in lockdown on Wednesday as authorities around the world battled to prevent the spread of coronavirus, although a senior U.S. health official said a pandemic was inevitable and urged Americans to prepare.
Chinese minister blames police force for prison coronavirus cases
A top leader of China’s justice ministry blamed law enforcement on Monday for the hundreds of coronavirus cases discovered in prisons, calling them instances of poor disease control efforts.
Hong Kong unveils $15 billion in relief against coronavirus, protests
Hong Kong unveiled measures worth HK$120 billion ($15 billion) in its annual budget on Wednesday to bolster an economy grappling with a coronavirus outbreak and months of anti-government protests.
South Korea reports 169 new coronavirus cases, including first U.S. soldier
South Korea reported 169 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, including a U.S. soldier, as health authorities readied an ambitious plan to test more than 200,000 members of a church hit hardest by the country’s outbreak.
Mainland China reports 406 new cases of coronavirus on Feb 25, deaths up by 52
Mainland China had 406 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infections on Tuesday, the country’s National Health Commission (NHC) said on Wednesday, down from 508 cases a day earlier.
Don’t give China excuse to attack Taiwan during virus outbreak, ministry advisers say
Taiwan should continue to show goodwill to China during the outbreak of the new coronavirus and not give Beijing an excuse to attack the island as a way of relieving “internal pressure”, advisers to Taiwan’s China-policy making body said.
South Korea reports 169 new coronavirus cases, pushing total to 1,146: KCDC
South Korea reported 169 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, pushing the total tally to 1,146, Korea Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (KCDC) said.
