Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 9, 2020
California downplays fears as coronavirus-hit ship set to dock
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LOS ANGELES: California on Sunday (Mar 8) prepared to disembark passengers from a virus-hit cruise ship as officials played down any risk to local communities. The Grand Princess, which has 21 novel coronavirus infections among the 3,500 people on board, is set to dock in Oakland Monday after four days held off the coast of nearby
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 9, 2020
Coronavirus may force Americans to avoid crowds and cancel cruises, health official warns
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NEW YORK: Americans, especially those who are vulnerable, may need to stop attending big gatherings as the coronavirus spreads through US communities, a top health official said on Sunday (Mar 8), as investors braced for another volatile week in financial markets. Anthony Fauci, the head of the infectious diseases unit at the National Institutes of Health,
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 9, 2020
Saudi Arabia locks down Qatif region, suspends schools over coronavirus
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DUBAI: Saudi Arabia imposed a temporary lockdown on Sunday (Mar 8) on the eastern oil-producing province of Qatif, home to all 11 people in the kingdom who have tested positive for the coronavirus, and suspended all schools and universities nationwide. The interior ministry announced the lockdown in Qatif, which has a large Shi’ite Muslim population,
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 9, 2020
Hong Kong reports third COVID-19 death
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HONG KONG: A 76-year-old Hong Kong woman died after she became infected with the novel coronavirus, becoming the city’s third fatality from the disease, the city’s hospital authority said on Sunday (Mar 8). The woman developed fever, shortness of breath, cough and abdominal pain on Feb 28 and was admitted to hospital the same day. Advertisement
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 9, 2020
Ethiopians mourn Boeing Max crash victims a year on from disaster
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TULU FARA, Ethiopia: Hundreds gathered on Sunday (Mar 8) at the site where Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed last March, killing all 157 on board, for a ceremony symbolising the country’s emergence from a year-long period of mourning. The crash of the Nairobi-bound Boeing 737 MAX six minutes after takeoff on Mar 10, 2019, triggered the
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 8, 2020
Empty chairs for MH17 victims outside Russia’s Hague Embassy
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THE HAGUE: Rows of white chairs were placed in front of Russia’s embassy in The Hague on Sunday (Mar 8) in a quiet protest by families of those who were shot down with Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, on the eve of the trial, in absentia, of four men accused of murder for their involvement. MH17 was downed
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 8, 2020
Global rallies for International Women’s Day despite coronavirus fears
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PARIS: Thousands took to the streets across the globe to mark International Women’s Day on Sunday (Mar 8) despite the coronavirus outbreak forcing the cancellation of a slew of events in Asia, as violence marred some European gatherings. In China – the epicentre of the epidemic that has killed more than 3,500 people and infected over
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 8, 2020
Harris endorses one-time rival Biden’s White House bid
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JACKSON, Mississippi: US Senator Kamala Harris, a former 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, on Sunday (Mar 8) said she would endorse her one-time rival Joe Biden’s bid for the White House. “I have decided that I am, with great enthusiasm, going to endorse Joe Biden for president of the United States,” she said in a recorded message
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 8, 2020
NUS terminates foreign student from exchange programme for breaching leave of absence
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SINGAPORE: The National University of Singapore (NUS) has terminated a foreign student from its exchange programme and sent her home after she breached her leave of absence. The student also made a false travel declaration, said Associate Professor Leong Ching, the university’s dean of students, in a post on the NUS website on Sunday (Mar 8).
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 8, 2020
UK seeks to ‘deliver on promises’ in first post-Brexit budget
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LONDON: Britain unveils its first post-Brexit budget on Wednesday (Mar 11), with Prime Minister Boris Johnson expected to press ahead with major spending on infrastructure while also addressing the fallout from the coronavirus outbreak. Finance minister Rishi Sunak will present the budget in parliament after his predecessor Sajid Javid resigned unexpectedly last month. Advertisement Advertisement In
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 8, 2020
People ignoring COVID-19 self-isolation rules in Moscow could face prison
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MOSCOW: Moscow city authorities threatened prison terms of up to five years on Sunday (Mar 8) for people failing to self-isolate in their homes for two weeks after visiting countries hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak. The city government had announced a “high alert regime” and imposed extra measures on Thursday to prevent the spread
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 8, 2020
Indonesia confirms two more COVID-19 cases, total six
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JAKARTA: Indonesia confirmed on Sunday (Mar 8) that two more people had tested positive for the coronavirus, taking the total of confirmed cases in the country to six. One of the Indonesians is a 36-year-old male, a crew member on the Japan-docked Diamond Princess cruise ship where he contracted the virus, Health Ministry official Achmad
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 8, 2020
Bomb-making materials seized by Hong Kong police
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HONG KONG: A “bomb-making factory” in Hong Kong with 2.6 tonnes of chemicals was raided by police on Sunday (Mar 8) and 17 people arrested over a plot to force the city’s government to close its border with mainland China. Twenty-two properties across the city were raided in an operation linked to the detonation of an explosive
Commentary: COVID-19 – time for businesses and workers to have the guts to embrace the new normal
SINGAPORE: Over a cup of coffee recently, a friend of mine, under pressure because of the beating his business is taking amid the COVID-19 outbreak, unleashed a torrent of worries and frustrations. Given the fluidity of the situation, he and his team were struggling to cope with fresh uncertainties of how the business would operate.