Australia reports first Covid-19 death in more than a month

Australia's second most populous state on Wednesday (June 24) said a man in his 80s died overnight from the coronavirus, the country's first death from the virus in more than a month, as the state logged a double-digit rise in cases for the eighth straight day. Victoria state reported 20 overnight cases, Victoria Chief Health Officer...

Reservation requirement for popular China tourist sites to continue

Regulation helps people avoid mass gatherings, stem the spread of virus After Sunday brunch with friends at Beijing's bustling Wangfujing pedestrian shopping street, Hu Yiting felt it would be a waste of the pleasant spring weather to head back home, crawl into bed and watch TV. That's when the idea popped into Hu's head to climb nearby...

Chinese firm gets approval to begin human testing for potential coronavirus vaccine

China has approved a coronavirus vaccine candidate developed by Chongqing Zhifei Biological Products' unit to begin human testing, the company said in a filing on Tuesday (June 23). The potential vaccine, co-developed by Anhui Zhifei Longcom Biopharmaceutical and the Institute of Microbiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has received a certificate from the National Medical...

China to implement new railway operating plan on July 1

A new railway operating plan will be implemented starting July 1, which will boost China's passenger transport capacity, according to China's railway operator on Thursday. Under the new plan, a few rail lines will be put into operation to further optimize the country's railway network and significantly enhance regional transportation capacity, said China State Railway Group. Among...

Malaysians with foreign family members relieved after border restrictions ease

Malaysians with foreign spouses and children overseas are welcoming the government's decision to ease travel restrictions, which will allow their loved ones to return. A housewife from Cheras, Mesriyah Sikur, who married her Indonesian husband in May 2016, said she had not seen him since he returned to Indonesia on March 20 after his visa expired. He...

Former Malaysia PM Mahathir Mohamad says he will pull out of Pakatan Plus, won’t accept minister mentor post

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad says he will quit Pakatan Plus but continue working with the Democratic Action Party (DAP) and Amanah, after Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) rejected the "Mahathir-Anwar" combination for prime minister. The ousted Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia leader was responding to a question during a video interview with Sin Chew Daily on Tuesday (June 23)...

‘Limited food, no wages’: Domestic workers struggle amid quarantine in Hong Kong

When Gloria – not her real name – returned to Hong Kong from the Philippines late last month, she had to do a mandatory quarantine imposed by the government to combat the coronavirus pandemic. While her employer put her in a hotel, those 14 days were all but easy. “When my boss told me about doing...

Covid-19 may survive at low temperatures, Chinese expert says

The recent outbreak of the novel coronavirus at Beijing's Xinfadi wholesale farm-produce market could indicate the virus can survive at low temperatures, according to Professor Zhong Nanshan, one of the world's leading experts on respiratory diseases. The virus was found on cutting boards for imported salmon at the market in the city's Fengtai district, and since...

Malaysian couple use wedding day ‘savings’ to help others

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many couples have either postponed or opted for a scaled-down wedding ceremony. Among them were pharmacist P. Seevaratnam, 32, and his bride T. Thilageswary, 29, an engineer, whose “big day” was only held at their home in Ayer Itam and attended by some 20 family members. The couple did something noble with...