Month: March 2020
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 18, 2020
Trump calls for national unity against coronavirus
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WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (Mar 17) called for a unified national response to the coronavirus threat, after coming under fire for downplaying the pandemic and allowing states to go their own way. Trump’s call came as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the White House was presenting a massive economic stimulus plan to Congress
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 18, 2020
China expels US journalists in biggest crackdown in years
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BEIJING: China on Wednesday (Mar 18) expelled American journalists at The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal in the Communist government’s most severe move against foreign media in recent memory. The drastic move came as the two powers are feuding over the deadly coronavirus pandemic, with President Donald Trump provocatively branding
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 18, 2020
Commentary: World Cup 2034 may seem like a long shot but Singapore can surely get behind this dream
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SINGAPORE: They have stopped walking over to my desk with their usual offering of snacks, and for that my colleagues have my gratitude. There’s a little wager I’ve taken up, to sculpt a six-pack from spare tyre, and the support and goodwill coming my way has been nothing short of sensational. This is – at
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 18, 2020
Last commuters from JB enter Singapore ahead of COVID-19 travel restrictions | In pictures
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Singapore One of the world’s busiest border crossings, the Causeway saw hours-long queues as people tried to enter Singapore from Johor Bahru in the final hours before Malaysia’s travel restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19 came into force on Wednesday (Mar 18). A couple with a baby outside Singapore’s Woodlands Checkpoint shortly after midnight Wednesday
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 18, 2020
US man gets four-year prison sentence for spying for China
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SAN FRANCISCO: A San Francisco tour operator who handled dead drops of sensitive information on behalf of Beijing’s Ministry of State Security was sentenced on Tuesday (Mar 17) to four years in prison for spying for China. Edward Peng Xuehua, a naturalise US citizen, was arrested in Hayward, California, in September for arranging transfers of money
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 18, 2020
Australia, New Zealand cancel ANZAC Day events due to coronavirus
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WELLINGTON: New Zealand and Australia has cancelled joint ANZAC Day services at Gallipoli this year due to the coronavirus outbreak, authorities said on Wednesday. The cancellation covers the ANZAC Dawn Service, the Australian Lone Pine Service and the New Zealand Service at Chunuk Bair, New Zealand said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement READ: New Zealand unveils
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 18, 2020
Manchester bomber’s brother convicted over concert attack
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LONDON: The brother of a suicide bomber who killed 22 people in the British city of Manchester was found guilty on Tuesday (Mar 17) of 22 counts of murder over the 2017 attack. Hashem Abedi was also convicted of one count of attempted murder and conspiring with his brother Salman to cause explosions at an
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 18, 2020
Need for ‘global effort’ to tackle growing economic crisis brought on by COVID-19 outbreak: Lawrence Wong
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SINGAPORE: A “global effort” is needed to tackle the growing economic crisis brought on by the COVID-19 outbreak, in addition to coordinating public health measures, said Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong on Tuesday (Mar 17). Noting that countries around the world have been “realising the seriousness of the situation” and more are actively pursuing containment
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 18, 2020
Singapore reports 23 more COVID-19 cases in new high, 17 imported
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SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Health (MOH) reported 23 more cases of COVID-19 infection on Tuesday (Mar 17), bringing Singapore’s total to 266. This is the highest number of confirmed daily cases reported so far and the first time the number has breached 20. Of the new cases, 17 are imported. Advertisement Advertisement MOH added that five
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 18, 2020
Singaporeans urged not to travel as ‘it puts everyone at risk’ of COVID-19
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SINGAPORE: National Development Minister Lawrence Wong on Tuesday (Mar 17) urged Singaporeans to comply with the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) advisory to defer non-essential travel, after the emergence of more imported COVID-19 cases involving Singapore residents who had returned from overseas. “We call on everyone to comply with this advisory and defer your travel plans,”
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 17, 2020
Armed with lessons from Ebola, Africa braces for coronavirus surge
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YAOUNDE: When a passenger arriving from Brussels at Cameroon’s Yaounde Nsimalen airport on Saturday was found to have a temperature, health officials say he was whisked to a hospital and diagnosed inside four hours as the country’s fourth case of coronavirus. The central African country was doing more generalised screening for disease long before China
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 17, 2020
Jetstar Asia suspends services for three weeks amid COVID-19 travel curbs
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SINGAPORE: Budget airline Jetstar Asia said on Tuesday (Mar 17) it would suspend all services for three weeks from March 23 to April 15. The airline said on its website that the hiatus was “a result of the introduction of new government restrictions across multiple jurisdictions in recent days”. Advertisement Advertisement All Jetstar Asia passengers with existing
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 17, 2020
How mass pilgrimage at Malaysian mosque became COVID-19 hotspot
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KUALA LUMPUR: Worshippers slept in packed tents outside the golden-domed mosque, waking before dawn to kneel on rows of prayer mats laid out in its cavernous central hall. All the while, the coronavirus was passing unnoticed among the guests. Advertisement Advertisement READ: Malaysia reports 2 COVID-19 deaths, including one from mosque gathering: Health minister The Muslim gathering
Commentary: North Korea’s nuclear testing during COVID-19 outbreak multiplies South Korea’s headaches
BOSTON: South Korea has become one of the worst-hit countries outside of China by the coronavirus, with more than 8,000 cases and 70 deaths. South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in has faced severe criticism in recent weeks for his handling of the virus – an online petition on the Presidential Blue House website calling for his