Month: March 2020
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 5, 2020
Singaporean Daren Tang set to head UN intellectual property agency WIPO
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SINGAPORE: Mr Daren Tang is set to be the new director general of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) after winning a vote in Geneva on Wednesday (Mar 4). “This is the first time a Singaporean has been nominated for the leadership position of a UN Agency,” said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong as he congratulated
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 4, 2020
Bloomberg abandons presidential bid as Biden surge reshapes Democratic race
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LOS ANGELES: Billionaire former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg ended his US presidential campaign on Wednesday (Mar 5) and endorsed new Democratic front-runner Joe Biden, whose campaign for the White House streaked ahead with a string of electoral victories on Super Tuesday. In another move that could reshape the race to find the Democrat who will
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 4, 2020
Japan says COVID-19 may force Olympic torch relay changes
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TOKYO: Japan will adjust the Olympic torch relay set to begin this month “as necessary” to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, organisers said on Wednesday (Mar 4), giving few specifics. The Olympic flame is set to arrive in Japan on Mar 20 and depart less than a week later on a nationwide relay that will
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 4, 2020
Pet dog infected with COVID-19, Hong Kong authorities confirm
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HONG KONG: The pet dog of a coronavirus patient in Hong Kong was confirmed to be infected with the disease, in a likely case of human-to-animal transmission, authorities said on Wednesday (Mar 4). The canine, which belongs to a 60-year-old female patient, had repeatedly tested “weak positive” for the new coronavirus since Friday, when it
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 4, 2020
Autogate, e-gate systems at all Malaysia entry points temporarily suspended to deal with COVID-19
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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia on Wednesday (Mar 4) suspended the use of all autogate and e-gate systems at all entry points as a measure to address the spread of COVID-19. Immigration director-general Khairul Dzaimee Daud confirmed the suspension but added that it would not affect tourist arrivals. Advertisement Advertisement Explore: Real-time interactive map of all the confirmed cases reported
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 4, 2020
South Korea adds 142 more COVID-19 cases
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SEOUL: South Korea reported 142 more COVID-19 cases on Wednesday (Mar 4), a significantly lower increase than the day before, taking its total to 5,328 – the largest in the world outside China. South Korea had reported 851 new cases on Tuesday, its biggest daily case increase to date, with President Moon Jae-in declaring “war” against the
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 4, 2020
COVID-19 fatality rate higher than the flu, says WHO
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GENEVA: About 3.4 per cent of confirmed COVID-19 cases have died, said the World Health Organization on Tuesday (Mar 4), which is far above seasonal flu’s fatality rate of under 1 per cent. However, the novel coronavirus can still be contained, said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in Geneva. Advertisement Advertisement READ: Protective gear to fight COVID-19 ‘rapidly depleting’: WHO “To
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 4, 2020
1 more COVID-19 patient discharged, 2 new cases reported
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SINGAPORE: One more patient has recovered from COVID-19, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Wednesday (Mar 4), bringing the total number of discharged cases to 79. Two new cases were confirmed. To date, there have been 112 cases of the coronavirus in Singapore. Advertisement Advertisement Of the 33 patients who are still in hospital, most are stable or improving.
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 4, 2020
Evangelical service in eastern France is centre of new COVID-19 outbreak
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PARIS: French authorities have asked people who took part in an Evangelical Lent celebration in eastern France last month to limit social contact after 10 new confirmed coronavirus infections were traced to the event. Christophe Lannelongue, head of the eastern France health agency, said on Wednesday (Mar 4) that he expected more confirmed cases of coronavirus
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 4, 2020
Experts and politicians call for Indonesian government to intensify efforts to detect COVID-19
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JAKARTA: The Indonesian government has been urged to step up efforts to detect and handle COVID-19, as the country reported its first two confirmed cases this week. Medical professionals and politicians said on Wednesday (Mar 4) that the government needs to do more and act swiftly, judging by the fact that coronavirus has infected 90,000 people
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 4, 2020
COVID-19 has affected almost all Iran’s provinces, death toll hits 92
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DUBAI: An outbreak of novel coronavirus has affected almost all of Iran’s provinces, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday (Mar 4), according to the official presidency website. “This disease is a widespread disease,” he said during a cabinet meeting. “It has reached almost all our provinces and in one sense it’s a global disease.”
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 4, 2020
First COVID-19 case in EU agency in Brussels
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BRUSSELS: A first EU official working in the bloc’s Brussels administration has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, European officials said Wednesday (Mar 4). “We have confirmation of the case,” EU Commission spokeswoman Dana Spinant told AFP. Advertisement Advertisement A spokeswoman for the European Defence Agency confirmed that a male public servant of the agency had
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 4, 2020
Malaysian police quiz Mahathir’s daughter over protest
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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian police questioned ex-premier Mahathir Mohamad’s daughter and 18 other activists on Wednesday (Mar 4) over several small, peaceful protests triggered by the elderly leader losing power and a corruption-tainted party’s return. The reformist “Pact of Hope” alliance, which took power in a historic victory two years ago, collapsed last week and 94-year-old prime
Commentary: Explosion in COVID-19 cases – was South Korea just unlucky?
SEOUL: The graphic image charting the rise in COVID-19 cases in South Korea looks like a sheer cliff – a near vertical rise that springs up from an uneven but steady ground. The numbers tell the story of the outbreak growing only slightly for weeks, then suddenly spiking from 30 to nearly 2,000 in just