Month: March 2020
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 9, 2020
Singapore stocks near 4-year low as oil rout, COVID-19 fears send investors ‘dumping everything’
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SINGAPORE: Singapore shares plunged to a near four-year low amid a major sell-off on Monday (Mar 9), mirroring the sea of red across Asian equity markets as investors rushed for the exits after a steep fall in oil prices and escalating concerns about the global spread of COVID-19. Clocking losses for the third straight session,
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 9, 2020
Vietnam vows to punish hiders of COVID-19 after new cases
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HANOI: Vietnamese authorities vowed Monday (Mar 9) to punish anyone concealing sickness after 13 people caught the deadly new coronavirus on a flight to Hanoi, sparking lockdowns and panic-buying in the capital. The Southeast Asian country had previously reported only 16 cases of the virus despite bordering China – the epicentre of the global outbreak
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 9, 2020
Grab employee at its Marina One corporate office infected with COVID-19
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SINGAPORE: A Grab employee working at the company’s corporate office at Marina One West Tower has been infected with COVID-19, a company spokesperson said in a media statement on Monday (Mar 9) The ride-hailing firm said it is working with the authorities to conduct detailed contact tracing with its staff and others who may have come
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 9, 2020
COVID-19 to cause first annual decline in oil use in decade: IEA
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PARIS: The world is set for its first annual decline in oil consumption in more than a decade due to the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Monday (Mar 9). In its latest report – which did not take into account an oil price war after Saudi Arabia and Russia failed
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 9, 2020
Germany says coronavirus cases top 1,000
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BERLIN: The number of coronavirus cases in Germany has passed 1,000, official data from the Robert Koch Institute disease control centre showed on Monday (Mar 9). There are now a total of 1,112 confirmed cases in Europe’s biggest economy, with the region of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) reporting 484 infections – the highest number among Germany’s 16
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 9, 2020
Former trainee doctor admits taking multiple videos of men at urinals
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SINGAPORE: A former trainee doctor admitted on Monday (Mar 9) to taking multiple videos of men urinating in toilets. Jerry Christian Nagaputra, an Indonesian national and Singapore permanent resident, was training to be a doctor and was attached to the department of anatomical pathology at Singapore General Hospital at the time. Advertisement Advertisement The 31-year-old man,
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 9, 2020
Italy has highest COVID-19 fatalities after China as death toll triples
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ROME: Italy’s death toll from the novel coronavirus soared on Sunday (Mar 8), overtaking South Korea as the country with the highest number of fatalities after China. The death count in Italy nearly tripled from 133 to 366, and infections rose by a single-day record of 1,492 to hit 7,375. Advertisement Advertisement The outbreak has now killed
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 9, 2020
Japan politician apologises for auctioning face masks
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TOKYO: A Japanese politician apologised on Monday (Mar 9) after he made US$86,000 auctioning face masks online as the country deals with a shortage during the new coronavirus outbreak. Hiroyuki Morota, a member of the Shizuoka prefecture assembly and owner of an import firm, defended his decision in a televised press conference but conceded that
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 9, 2020
UK retailer Tesco sells Thailand, Malaysia ops for US$10.4 billion
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LONDON: Britain’s biggest retailer Tesco said Monday (Mar 9) that it has agreed to sell its businesses in Thailand and Malaysia to Thai conglomerate CP Group for £8.0 billion (US$10.4 billion). “Following inbound interest and a detailed strategic review of all options, we are announcing today the proposed sale of Tesco Thailand and Tesco Malaysia,”
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 9, 2020
NSF admits taking photos of men showering in NTU, performing sex acts in Jurong Point toilets
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SINGAPORE: A full-time national serviceman trespassed into Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and took photos of men showering on campus. He also took photos and videos of other men performing sex acts in toilets at NTU and Jurong Point. Advertisement Advertisement Lau Jun Wei, 20, pleaded guilty on Monday (Mar 9) to two counts of criminal
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 9, 2020
France bans gatherings of 1,000 over COVID-19, two more MPs infected
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PARIS: France has banned gatherings of more than 1,000 people to try and slow the spread of COVID-19, the health minister said, while the number of French lawmakers infected with the virus rose to four. Oliver Veran confirmed the beefed-up measures on Sunday (Mar 8) but said officials would issue a list of events considered “useful
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 9, 2020
Olympic spotlight for Fukushima in Tokyo’s ‘Recovery Games’
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TOKYO: Nine years after the 2011 tsunami and nuclear disaster, Japan’s government is hoping for a “Recovery Olympics” that will showcase reconstruction in some of the country’s hardest-hit regions. From the early days of its bid for the 2020 Summer Games, Japan cast the Olympics as “a dream that can give us strength” after the
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 9, 2020
Azam Baki appointed Malaysia’s new anti-corruption chief
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KUALA LUMPUR: Azam Baki has been appointed the new chief commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement on Monday (Mar 9) that Malaysian king Sultan Abdullah Shah has consented to Azam’s appointment. Advertisement Advertisement Azam previously served as MACC Deputy Chief Commissioner (Operations) before he took on the top role. READ: Malaysia’s
Commentary: COVID-19 – research shows proper hand drying is also vital
Commentary Commentary Our findings also highlight that hot air hand dryers and cloth roller towels can be a problematic way of drying your hands, say two health sciences experts at Swansea University. File photo of a person washing their hands. (Photo: AFP/Anthony Wallace) 09 Mar 2020 03:36PM Bookmark SWANSEA, United Kingdom: With the number of