Chinese students flock home as COVID-19 shuts Western campuses
BEIJING: Packed onto a plane full of fellow Chinese students heading home from the United States, 20-year-old Harvard University undergraduate Roger Zhang wore goggles to ward off the coronavirus for hours until they became just too uncomfortable. Zhang is among tens of thousands of overseas Chinese students making the journey back to China, where the
Taiwan to ban entry for most foreigners to control virus
TAIPEI: Taiwan will ban entry to the island for most foreigners as part of coronavirus prevention measures, excluding foreign resident permit holders and diplomats, the government said on Wednesday (Mar 18), as it battles a rise in imported cases. Taiwan has won plaudits from health experts for its efforts to effectively control the spread of
Hari Raya Bazaar at Wisma Geylang Serai deferred due to COVID-19 concerns: PA
SINGAPORE: The Hari Raya Bazaar at Wisma Geylang Serai will be deferred due to COVID-19 concerns, said the People’s Association (PA) on Wednesday (Mar 18). The annual bazaar, which was also going to be held at Our Tampines Hub and in Woodlands, will not be organised, as they would normally attract large crowds, PA said in a media release.
Woman asked maid to punch herself 50 times, strike her teeth with meat pounder until they ‘dropped’
SINGAPORE: A woman abused her maid over eight months, asking her to punch herself in the face 50 times and use a meat pounder to hit her mouth until a tooth “dropped”. The victim struck her own mouth with the pounder about 50 times, but her teeth did not fall out. Three were loosened and one
Vietnam reports new case of COVID-19 linked to Malaysia mosque event
HANOI: Vietnam has confirmed an additional case of coronavirus linked to a mosque event in Malaysia, its health ministry said on Wednesday (Mar 18), bringing its total number of cases to 67. The latest known patient, a 36-year-old man, returned to Vietnam on Mar 4 on VietJet flight VJ826 from Kuala Lumpur. Advertisement Advertisement The
Elderly dog dies in Hong Kong after release from precautionary COVID-19 quarantine
HONG KONG: A 17-year-old dog in Hong Kong, which had been cleared of the coronavirus after initial suspicions of infection were proven unfounded, has died two days after it was released from quarantine, authorities said on Wednesday (Mar 18). Vets in the Asian financial hub say the dog’s death could have been because of the
Union members affected by COVID-19 outbreak to receive one-off relief of up to S$300: NTUC
SINGAPORE: Union members who have lost income due to the COVID-19 outbreak can receive up to S$300 in a one-off cash relief, NTUC secretary-general Ng Chee Meng announced on Wednesday (Mar 18). This is part of S$25 million committed by the Government, NTUC and its affiliated unions and associations to the NTUC Care Fund (COVID-19). Advertisement
Correction directions issued over claims PA, RCs involved in organising SAFRA Jurong dinner, linked with COVID-19 cluster
SINGAPORE: Facebook posts claiming that the People’s Association (PA) and/or the Residents’ Committees (RCs) were involved in organising a dinner event at SAFRA Jurong that a COVID-19 cluster is linked to are false, the POFMA Office said on Wednesday (Mar 18). As of Tuesday, the COVID-19 cluster linked to the dinner event on Feb 15 at Joy Garden
Biden scores big wins in Florida, Illinois on virus-hit primary night
MIAMI: Joe Biden cemented his status as the likely Democratic presidential nominee Tuesday (Mar 17) after trouncing Bernie Sanders in Florida and Illinois, the top prizes on a busy primary night blighted by the coronavirus pandemic. The substantial margin of projected victory in the two states speaks to the speed with which many Democrats have
Facebook bug causes legitimate COVID-19 posts to be marked as spam: Executive
SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook’s head of safety said on Tuesday (Mar 17) a bug was responsible for posts on topics including coronavirus being erroneously marked as spam, prompting widespread complaints from users of both its flagship app and photo-sharing app Instagram. “This is a bug in an anti-spam system, unrelated to any change in our content
French Open delayed to September due to coronavirus
PARIS: The French Open has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic and will take place from Sep 20 to Oct 4, organisers said Tuesday (Mar 18). The Grand Slam event was to have taken place from May 24 to Jun 7, but organisers said: “The current confinement measures have made it impossible for us to continue
COVID-19 FAQ: How are Singaporeans in Malaysia affected by the restricted movement order?
Singapore Malaysia’s restricted movement order kicked in from Wednesday (Mar 18), with citizens barred from leaving the country and foreigners stopped from entering. But what does it entail for Singaporeans who are in Malaysia? Tourists wearing protective masks take a picture at Independence Square in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Photo: AP/Vincent Thian) 18 Mar 2020 10:28AM Bookmark
South Korea reports 93 new coronavirus cases, total 8,413: KCDC
SEOUL: South Korea reported 93 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday (Mar 18), maintaining a downward trend in daily infections, but concerns about new outbreaks around small clusters persisted. The daily tally marked the fourth day in a row that the country has posted fewer than 100 new infections, although slightly up from 84 recorded the

Commentary: COVID-19 outbreak has become an existential crisis for the cruise industry
LONDON: Carnival is an oddity. The London listing of the Miami-based cruise line operator is a legacy of its 2003 hostile takeover of P&O Princess Cruises, which it won on a pledge to be dual-listed. The stock also stands out as the FTSE 100’s biggest faller in the year to date, down more than 60