Day: March 26, 2020
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 26, 2020
Russia thanks ‘real friend’ Jack Ma for gift of a million masks
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MOSCOW: Russia has received more than a million masks and 200,000 coronavirus testing kits as a gift from Chinese billionaire businessman Jack Ma, its Defence Ministry said on Thursday (Mar 26). Calling Ma “a real friend”, the ministry said in a statement that the co-founder of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba had spoken by telephone to
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 26, 2020
Putin says Russia can beat virus in 2-3 months as flights halted, shops to shut
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MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday (Mar 26) he hoped Russia would defeat coronavirus in 2-3 months if it imposed tough measures, as authorities suspended international flights, ordered most shops in the capital to shut and halted some church services. Russia reported 182 new coronavirus cases, its biggest one-day rise yet, bringing its official
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 26, 2020
Senate sends House US$2 trillion coronavirus bill; vote expected on Friday
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WASHINGTON: The US Senate’s unanimous passage of an estimated US$2.2 trillion coronavirus relief bill sent the unprecedented economic rescue legislation to the House of Representatives, whose leaders hope to pass it on Friday (Mar 27). The plan will speed direct payments on their way to Americans within three weeks, once the Democratic-controlled House passes it and
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 26, 2020
COVID-19 Budget: Government to announce legal measures involving paid deposits as soon-to-wed couples stuck in limbo
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SINGAPORE: The Government will present a set of measures dealing with obligations such as deposits next week, said Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat as he announced a Resilience Budget to help deal with the COVID-19 outbreak on Thursday (Mar 26). The announcement came as stricter safe distancing measures, such as the 10-person limit on gatherings
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 26, 2020
COVID-19 pandemic highlights ‘need for more cooperation between countries, not less’: PM Lee
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SINGAPORE: The COVID-19 pandemic is proof of the world’s interdependence and not an indictment of globalisation, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Thursday (Mar 26). “It highlights the need for more cooperation between countries, not less,” said Mr Lee in a written statement, which was shared with participants of the Extraordinary Virtual G20 Leaders’ Summit.
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 26, 2020
COVID-19 Budget: More than S$1 billion for aviation, tourism, other sectors
News Business Article
SINGAPORE: As part of the second assistance package in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, more than S$1 billion will be set aside for sectors such as aviation and tourism that have been hardest hit by the pandemic. The bulk of this, amounting to more than S$750 million, will go to two schemes for the aviation
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 26, 2020
Myanmar moves to increase COVID-19 test kit stockpile amid coronavirus battle
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YANGON: Myanmar is set to receive 40,000 more COVID-19 test kits in the country to help it cope with the virus outbreak, days after it detected at least three positive cases. Myanmar’s Ministry of Health and Sports spokesperson Khin Khin Gyi told CNA the country currently has about 2,000 test kits. Advertisement Advertisement “But the more we
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 26, 2020
COVID-19 Budget: Unemployment benefits increase; higher cash payouts for adult Singaporeans
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SINGAPORE: Financial assistance for the unemployed and low-income workers are set to increase as the COVID-19 outbreak unnerves businesses and employees across Singapore. “The best way to safeguard the well-being of our people is by supporting them to stay employed,” said Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat in Parliament on Thursday (Mar
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 26, 2020
COVID-19 Budget: Self-employed people, firms, first-time jobseekers to receive more support
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SINGAPORE: Self-employed people, firms and first-time jobseekers will receive more financial support, announced Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat on Thursday (Mar 26), amid an economic slowdown caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. This is part of a S$48 billion Resilience Budget to deal with what is likely to be the “worst economic contraction since independence”,
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 26, 2020
Man arrested for coughing on police officers in Northern Ireland after claiming to have COVID-19
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DUBLIN: A Northern Ireland man has been charged with attempting to commit grievous bodily harm after claiming to have COVID-19 and deliberately coughing on police officers, the police service said Thursday (Mar 26). The man was held for common assault following a domestic incident in north Belfast on Wednesday, according to the Police Service of
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 26, 2020
Malaysia reports 235 new COVID-19 cases, death toll rises to 23
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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia on Thursday (Mar 26) reported 235 new COVID-19 cases, taking the national total to 2,031 – the highest in Southeast Asia. The health ministry also said the country’s death toll increased to 23, as of 5pm on Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement Sixty of the new cases are related to a cluster linked to a
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 26, 2020
COVID-19: Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, top ministers to take pay cut
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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, ministers and deputy ministers will take a two-month pay cut and the money will be donated to the country’s COVID-19 fund. The Prime Minister’s Office in a statement on Thursday (Mar 26) said the matter was decided in a Cabinet meeting the day before to prove the government’s commitment to helping those badly affected
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 26, 2020
Singapore’s reserves are for rainy days, COVID-19 already a ‘mighty storm’: DPM Heng
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SINGAPORE: The COVID-19 pandemic is the sort of event Singapore has been accumulating its reserves for, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said, as he explained the need to draw up to S$17 billion from the reserves for measures to protect jobs and support the economy. “We have saved up for a rainy day,” Mr Heng told
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 26, 2020
COVID-19 Budget: Income tax payments for companies, self-employed people delayed for 3 months
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SINGAPORE: Companies and self-employed people will get an automatic deferment of income tax payments for three months, announced Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat in Parliament on Thursday (Mar 26), amid an economic slowdown caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. The deferment is part of a slew of measures under a S$48 billion Resilience Budget announced by Mr
