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A new virus is fast infecting the world, creating one of the biggest global health crises since Ebola and SARS.
Editor: Lin Jinbing. Producer: Yu Zhuyangyang
Cover Story: Shanghai Fights a New Covid Enemy With Old Weapons
China’s playbook of lockdowns, mass testing and quarantines can’t keep up with BA.2 variant as city experiences shortages of food and medical care

Missing Recovery Leaves China’s Metals Bears In Charge
Merchants, bankers, brokers and fund managers assembled reported lackluster results at the London Metal Exchange’s flagship annual Asian event in Hong Kong last week

Covid-19 Global Health Emergency Is Over, WHO Says
World Health Organization rules it’s time to turn to long-term management of the pandemic three years after declaring it an emergency

Major Covid Outbreak ‘Unlikely’ in Near Term, Expert Says
Official data show infections nationwide remains low, with the number recorded in early April at ‘the lowest level’ since December

Update: China’s First-Quarter GDP Grows 4.5% on Pick-Up in Consumption, Industrial Production
The figure beats expectations and surpasses the 2.9% growth rate for the fourth quarter, when the country was still sticking to its stringent ‘zero-Covid’ policy most of the time

LVMH Sales Surge as Chinese Consumers Start to Splurge
Organic sales from the group’s clothing and leather business rose 18% in the first quarter, with the division posting double-digit percentage growth in China

Singapore’s Casino Resort Expansions Mired in Delays
The timeline to complete projects at Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa will likely push into 2028

IMF Warns of Weakest Five-Year Global Growth Outlook Since 1990
World economy may expand only 3% in next half-decade amid higher interest rates, trade disruptions and tensions, managing director says

Meituan’s Revenue Jumped After Covid Boosted Meal Delivery
Sales rose 21% in December quarter, beating estimates, and loss narrowed as world’s largest meal delivery service braces for post-pandemic changes

China Consumer Spending Shows Strong Signs of Rebounding
With export demand weakening, Chinese consumers will need to drive the economy with more restaurant meals, travel and car purchases

In Depth: Core of Guangzhou’s Textile Industry Is Being Shattered
The city is relocating parts of Zhongda market, a decades-old fabric trading and manufacturing hub, 100 kilometers away and not everyone is on board

Japan Opens up to Chinese Tourists, But Can It Handle the Rush?
Eighty percent of hotels short-staffed as country sees 84 times as many overseas visitors

Weekly Must-Read: China’s Hunt for Strategic New Energy Minerals
Pursuit of key minerals intensifies as U.S., Canada and Australia restrict Chinese access to “strategic” materials

Shanghai Composite Index Fell 0.96% on Thursday
Shenzhen Component Index closed down 1.3%

Shanghai Composite Index Fell 0.39% on Wednesday
Shenzhen Component Index closed down 0.25%

Analysis: What Will Drive Pfizer’s Growth After Covid?
Coronavirus vaccines and treatments fueled the drug giant’s global revenue surge to over $100 billion last year while other products stagnated