No new cases of Covid-19 have been reported inside the Beijing Olympics “closed loop” for the first time, a win for organisers who have gone to extreme measures to prevent the Games from seeding an outbreak that leaks into the public.

Some overseas analysts warned that the Winter Games would put further pressure on China's “zero-Covid” stance, especially as authorities battled the new and more infectious Omicron.

But though a total of 435 infections were found among the 1.6 million tests conducted since Jan 23, daily case numbers have dwindled since the first week of this month, according to Reuters.

Opinion

Editorial

A difficult story
Updated 12 Jun, 2026

A difficult story

Unless productivity becomes the dominant target of economic policy, Pakistan will continue to oscillate between crises and fragile recovery.
Rough waters
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Rough waters

AMONGST the key potential triggers for fresh conflict in South Asia is water. The Indian state is behaving in an...
Politicised football
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Politicised football

ALMOST three-and-half years since Lionel Messi led Argentina to FIFA World Cup glory, the latest edition of...
GB polls’ aftermath
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GB polls’ aftermath

The new administration must address the region’s issues proactively.
Peace in retreat
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Peace in retreat

THE ceasefire announced in April was supposed to create space for negotiations. Instead, it has been repeatedly...
A few good men
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A few good men

IT was a brave move, no doubt. This Tuesday, in the land of the Afghan Taliban, a few good men decided to take a...