Huawei makes Forbes’ valuable brands list

Telecom giant Huawei became the only Chinese technology brand listed in this year's list of the world's most valuable brands, released by Forbes. Ranked 93rd on the list, Huawei registered $8.5 billion (S$11.6 billion) in brand value and $188.6 billion in brand revenue. Forbes' annual list looks at the top 100 companies from fiscal year 2019, valuing...

Prince Harry took offence at brother’s advice, says book

Britain's Prince Harry took offence at what he thought was Prince William's "snobbishness" when he advised his brother to "take as much time as you need to get to know this girl" when he was dating Meghan Markle, a new book says. Harry and his wife, Meghan, have distanced themselves from the book called Finding Freedom,...

Asia battles second wave of coronavirus with fresh lockdowns

Countries around Asia are confronting a second wave of coronavirus infections and are clamping down again to try to contain the disease, with Australia recording a record daily rise in cases and Vietnam locking down the city of Danang. In China, infections not involving people returning from overseas hit the highest number since early March, with...

Hong Kong to ban all restaurant dining, mandate masks outdoors: Media

Hong Kong on Monday will announce further restrictions to curb the surge in coronavirus cases, including a total ban on restaurant dining and mandated facemasks outdoors, media reported. The new rules will take effect from Wednesday, local television channels Cable TV and Now TV said, as authorities warned it was a critical period to contain the...

North Korea Records First Covid-19 Case? Suspect To Be Punished

North Korea has gone into lockdown after leader Kim Jong-un declared an emergency following the country’s first suspected Covid-19 infection. According to Reuters, the person in question had just returned from South Korea after illegally crossing the border 3 years ago. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) showed Covid-19 symptoms after returning to the town of Kaesong. KCNA’s statement...

Harry and Meghan sue paparazzi to protect son’s right to privacy

Britain’s Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, filed a lawsuit in California on Thursday against unnamed paparazzi photographers for allegedly taking “illegal” photographs of their son, Archie. The lawsuit, filed in Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles, cited “serial intrusions” of privacy of the couple’s 14-month old child, and came as...

China’s sex toy makers enjoy boom as coronavirus lockdowns fuel global appetite

Sex toy manufacturers in China have seen a surge in orders since the start of the coronavirus, marking one of a few bright spots in an economy battered by the pandemic, according to industry insiders. China's economy, including its manufacturing outlook and exports, crashed at the start of the year at the height of the outbreak...

Don’t expect first Covid-19 vaccinations until early 2021: WHO expert

  Researchers are making “good progress” in developing vaccines against Covid-19, with a handful in late-stage trials, but their first use cannot be expected until early 2021, a World Health Organisation (WHO) expert said on Wednesday. WHO is working to ensure fair vaccine distribution, but in the meantime it is key to suppress the virus’s spread, said...

China scheduled to launch independent Mars mission on Thursday

China is scheduled to launch an unmanned probe to Mars on Thursday, aiming to demonstrate its technological prowess as it makes a bid for global leadership in space with its first independent mission to visit another planet. The probe, due to blast off on the Long March 5 Y-4 rocket from the Wenchang Space Launch Centre...

As Britain’s Prince George turns seven, parents share new photos

Britain's Prince George, third in line to the throne after his grandfather Prince Charles and father Prince William, was shown flashing a gap-toothed smile in two photos released to mark his seventh birthday. The photos, taken earlier this month by his mother Kate, officially known as the Duchess of Cambridge, were issued by Kensington Palace late...