Month: March 2020
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 22, 2020
The astrophotographer who snaps images of stars and galaxies from his window
News Business Article
SINGAPORE: One of the first pictures Ivan Bok took through a telescope is the Orion Nebula. It is one of the brightest nebulae located in the Milky Way, visible to the naked eye in the night sky. “For most people, the first thing that (they really remember) is looking at things like the moon and Saturn,” said the
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 22, 2020
Malaysia reports five COVID-19 deaths, bringing death toll to 8
News Business Article
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia reported a total of five deaths related to COVID-19 on Saturday (Mar 21), bringing the national death toll to eight. The latest fatalities reported at about 7pm on Saturday evening were a 69-year-old Malaysian man linked to the cluster involving a mass religious gathering in capital Kuala Lumpur, and a 57-year-old Malaysian
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 22, 2020
Spain to boost coronavirus testing as deaths surpass 1,300
News Business Article
MADRID: Spanish authorities said on Saturday (Mar 21) that they would boost coronavirus testing, potentially with the help of robots, as the toll in the country kept climbing, surpassing 1,300 deaths and reaching close to 25,000 cases. Europe’s second-worst outbreak showed no sign of improvement as the single-day death toll jumped over 300 people from
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 22, 2020
France COVID-19 toll jumps 112 to 562
News Business Article
PARIS: France has recorded 112 coronavirus deaths in a day, taking its total to 562, the health ministry said on Saturday (Mar 21). There have been 14,459 confirmed cases, the ministry said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement It said 1,525 people were in severe condition out of the 6,172 who were currently in hospital. Half
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 21, 2020
Why Italy? The factors behind a coronavirus disaster
News Business Article
ROME: Why Italy? Loads of people have been wondering why the beautiful Mediterranean country has become the new epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic. Advertisement Advertisement Experts list a range of reasons – from Italy’s relatively high age to its strained healthcare system to some old fashioned bad luck – that add up to a disaster
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 21, 2020
Shame on you, Britain tells coronavirus panic-buyers
News Business Article
LONDON: Britain on Saturday (Mar 21) told people who were panic-buying and hoarding food due to the coronavirus outbreak to calm down, pointing to a video on social media showing an exhausted nurse driven to tears by finding shelves bare after her shift. Shoppers have been emptying the shelves in many supermarkets over the past week,
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 21, 2020
Progress Singapore Party expels member behind offensive post on NUS Atheist Society Facebook page
News Business Article
SINGAPORE: The Progress Singapore Party (PSP) said on Saturday (Mar 21) it had expelled a party member who wrote an “insensitive and offensive post” on the NUS Atheist Society Facebook page. Police said on Friday they were investigating after a Facebook page named NUS Atheist Society put up a post suggesting the Bible and the Quran
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 21, 2020
COVID-19: Army joins the production line as ventilator makers scramble to meet demand in Italy
News Business Article
ZURICH: On Mar 6, Gianluca Preziosa, the head of an Italian ventilator maker, received an urgent request. The Italian authorities wanted his help for an all-out effort to meet a desperate need for ventilators. Now, his Bologna-based company, Siare Engineering International Group srl, has 25 army technicians working with its production supervisors to manage the expanded
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 21, 2020
COVID-19: Army joins the production line as ventilator makers scramble to meet demand
News Business Article
ZURICH: On Mar 6, Gianluca Preziosa, the head of an Italian ventilator maker, received an urgent request. The Italian authorities wanted his help for an all-out effort to meet a desperate need for ventilators. Now, his Bologna-based company, Siare Engineering International Group srl, has 25 army technicians working with its production supervisors to manage the expanded
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 21, 2020
89 work passes revoked over breach of entry approval, stay-home notice requirements: MOM
News Business Article
SINGAPORE: A total of 89 work pass holders have had their passes revoked as of Saturday (Mar 21) for breaching entry approval and stay-home notice requirements. In a press release, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said that the workers have been permanently banned from working in Singapore. Advertisement Advertisement MOM said it has also suspended
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 21, 2020
Progress Singapore Party suspends member behind offensive post on NUS Atheist Society Facebook page
News Business Article
SINGAPORE: The Progress Singapore Party (PSP) has suspended the membership of the person who ran the NUS Atheist Society Facebook page, a party spokesperson said on Saturday (Mar 21). The spokesperson said that Mr Jan Chan had earlier admitted to the party that he was behind the Facebook page. “The Progress Singapore Party is not linked to the
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 21, 2020
Public sector adopts telecommuting, split shifts as part of COVID-19 safe distancing measures
News Business Article
SINGAPORE: Singapore’s public service agencies will intensify its safe distancing practices, said the Public Service Division (PSD) on Saturday (Mar 21), following the COVID-19 multi-ministry task force’s implementation of stricter measures to prevent further spread of the coronavirus. This comes as the public sector continues to “strive to ensure that public services remain available and
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 21, 2020
Hong Kong postpones university entrance exams, schools to remain closed
News Business Article
HONG KONG: Hong Kong said on Saturday (Mar 21) it would postpone university entrance exams until Apr 24 as the city tries to contain a surge in COVID-19 cases as people return from overseas infected with the disease. The government said it would make civil servants work from home and urged employers to be flexible with
Commentary: Facing a two-front COVID-19 assault, Saudi Arabia pulls out the sledgehammer
ABU DHABI: While the COVID-19 outbreak has ravaged through most parts of the globe, Saudi Arabia stands out. The country is battling the coronavirus on two fronts as the kingdom is not only fighting to contain the pandemic but also facing an intensified economic fallout with the drastic plunge in oil price these past few