Asia this week: 20 – 26 May
Summary of key events in Asia over the past week.
MFR Graphics
26 May
🇮🇳 India
WhatsApp files lawsuit against the Indian government to block regulations coming into force on Wednesday that experts say would compel them to break privacy protections.
🇲🇾 Malaysia
COVID-19 infections per million people have now exceeded that of India.
25 May
🇨🇳 China
Renminbi hits a three-year high against the US dollar as Beijing seeks to balance demand for Chinese exports with surging commodity prices.
🇮🇳 India
Police serves notice to Twitter after the platform labelled a tweet by ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Sambit Patra as "manipulated media."
🇸🇬 Singapore
First quarter growth higher than expected with GDP growing 1.3 percent year-on-year, higher than the government's advance estimate of 0.2 percent.
24 May 2021
🇮🇳 India
With 300,000 coronavirus deaths India becomes the third country, after the United States and Brazil, to hit the figure. Vaccinations program hit by shortage.
🇳🇵 Nepal
Parliament dissolved for the second time in five months with new elections called for November as nation battles political upheaval alongside the pandemic.
🇵🇰 Pakistan
Fitch assigns ‘B-’ rating to proposed US dollar senior unsecured notes by Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority.
🇸🇬 Singapore
Authorities provisionally approve "COVID-19 breathalyzer" test by Breathonix, a spin-off company from the National University of Singapore, that aims to test for coronavirus infections in under a minute.
22 May
🇨🇳 China
Zhurong rover takes first drive on Mars making China the second country after the US to operate a rover on the Red Planet. The rover will look for signs of life, including subsurface water or ice.
