Month: March 2020
Japanese man sentenced to death for killing 19 disabled people
YOKOHAMA: A Japanese man was sentenced to death on Monday (Mar 16) for killing 19 disabled people in a knife-wielding rampage in 2016. Satoshi Uematsu, 30, admitted to stabbing to death or injuring the victims at a care centre for people with mental disabilities. He had once worked in the facility, located in Sagamihara, southwest
INSEAD dean tests positive for COVID-19, close colleagues put on leave of absence
SINGAPORE: The dean of graduate business school INSEAD tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Sunday (Mar 15), it said in a statement. INSEAD said that Ilian Mihov was currently warded in isolation at a hospital in Singapore. Advertisement Advertisement “In full compliance with established contact tracing procedures, all those who have been in close contact with Mr Mihov have been put on
PM Lee’s Canberra trip to be replaced with video conference in view of Australia’s COVID-19 restrictions
SINGAPORE: A scheduled visit by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to Australia will be replaced by video conference in view of Australia’s COVID-19 restrictions, Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said on Monday (Mar 16). Mr Lee was originally scheduled to visit Canberra on Mar 23 but discussions will now take place remotely, in light of Australia’s new travel restrictions
Man jailed for offering bribe to officer after being caught smoking under sheltered walkway
SINGAPORE: A 61-year-old man was sentenced to four weeks in jail on Monday (Mar 16) after attempting to bribe an enforcement officer who caught him smoking under a covered walkway. Wong Sin Wah was spotted smoking under a sheltered walkway on Jun 20 last year by two enforcement officers on a routine patrol in Yishun, the Corrupt Practices
Saudi Arabia restricts movement, other Gulf states limit entry as coronavirus spreads
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia closed public spaces on Sunday (Mar 15) and announced a pause in most government operations while Qatar and Oman imposed entry restrictions as Gulf Arab states broadened efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus and support their economies. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar reported new cases, raising the
SGX unveils S$5 million care package as part of COVID-19 relief measures
SINGAPORE: The Singapore Exchange (SGX) has rolled out a S$5 million care package to “provide support and relief measures amid the COVID-19 outbreak”. The SGX care package will benefit national healthcare-support programmes, Singapore-listed companies as well as SGX employees and contract staff. Advertisement Advertisement The move is aimed at bolstering “efforts by the financial community to
French infant among four new coronavirus cases in Cambodia
PHNOM PENH: Cambodia reported four new cases of coronavirus including in a four-month-old French boy and two people who had travelled to Malaysia for a religious ceremony, the Ministry of Health said late Sunday (Mar 15). The baby is the son of a French man who travelled from Paris via Singapore to Phnom Penh and tested
Japan identifies 15 coronavirus clusters
TOKYO: Japan’s health ministry said it has identified 15 clusters of coronavirus infections around the country. The biggest cluster was in the Osaka area, with more than 50 infections centred around a music venue, according to a document on the ministry’s website. It was initially reported by Kyodo news. Advertisement Advertisement The prefectures of Hokkaido,
New York bars, restaurants to be take-out only: Mayor
NEW YORK: New York on Sunday (Mar 15) ordered all its bars and restaurants to close except for take-outs, in the latest dramatic shutdown as authorities worldwide struggle to tackle the coronavirus outbreak. “I will sign an Executive Order limiting restaurants, bars and cafes to food take-out and delivery,” city mayor Bill de Blasio said in
China Jan-Feb industrial output shrinks 13.5%; investment plunges 24.5%
BEIJING: China’s industrial output contracted at the sharpest pace in 30 years in the first two months of the year as the fast spreading coronavirus and strict containment measures severely disrupted the world’s second-largest economy, data showed on Monday (Mar 16). Urban investment and retail sales also fell sharply and for the first time on record, reinforcing
Biden and Sanders criticise Trump on COVID-19, tout their own crisis leadership
WASHINGTON: Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders blasted President Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak during a Democratic debate on Sunday (Mar 15), and touted their own approaches to dealing with a widening crisis that has upended the daily life of Americans. In their first one-on-one debate, the two Democratic contenders to face Trump in
South Korea reports 74 new coronavirus cases
SEOUL: South Korea reported 74 new coronavirus infections on Monday (Mar 16), slightly lower than a day ago, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The new cases bring the country’s total to 8,236. Advertisement Advertisement The KCDC also reported that 303 more patients had fully recovered and had been released from
Coronavirus spreads to all Canadian provinces
OTTAWA: The new coronavirus has spread across Canada with a total of 313 cases confirmed Sunday (Mar 15) in its 10 provinces, the chief public health officer told a news conference. Atlantic coast provinces were the last to be hit. Major metropolitan centres – Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver – remain the most affected. Advertisement Advertisement “I’m
State of emergency: Australia steps up efforts to curtail coronavirus
SYDNEY: Australia’s capital and the country’s second most populous state declared states of emergency on Monday (Mar 16) while large, non-essential gatherings were banned in a bid to slow the spread of coronavirus after the national death toll rose to five. Australia has recorded nearly 300 cases of coronavirus and authorities fear a rapid rise
