Sarah Stewart
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/ 27 September 2005

Asia embraces five-day working week

Asians work harder than just about anyone else on Earth, but their societies and economies are being transformed as many nations shift to a five-day working week and citizens discover the weekend. Offices are being abandoned on Saturdays, allowing workers to flock to shopping centres and vacation destinations — triggering profound changes that will continue unfolding for decades, economists say.

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/ 18 February 2004

Bird flu death toll rises

The death toll from Asia’s bird flu crisis rose to 21 on Wednesday, with confirmation that a four-year-old Thai boy had died of the virus, which has staged new outbreaks in several countries. As more cases broke out in Thailand, China and Japan this week, the United Nations warned Asia’s bird flu crisis was far from over.