Soar records

KUCHING: Sarawak reported 252 new Covid-19 cases on Monday (March 8), with more than half in Sibu district, as well as one death. The state disaster management committee said the latest fatality was a 66-year-old man who died at Kapit Hospital on March 6 while being treated for fatigue, fever and cough for the past few days. "An antigen rapid test and a PCR test done at the hospital on March 1 returned positive. The case, who had aplastic anemia, passed away after his condition deteriorated," the committee said in a statement, adding that the state's death toll was now 88. Of the new cases, the committee said 234 were asymptomatic while 18 showed symptoms. Sibu recorded the highest number of new cases with 149, of which 133 were individuals screened during active case detection of contacts, including 109 from the Sibujaya area under the enhanced movement control order. Other districts which reported new cases were Bintulu (23), Miri (17), Subis (13), Kuching and Mukah (seven ... » Learn More about Sarawak records 252 new Covid-19 cases, one death

The Bank of Thailand has left its key interest rate unchanged at a record low on Wednesday, preserving its limited policy ammunition, but warned of risks as the country deals with a fresh wave of coronavirus infections. Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy continues to recover but risks remain high and it could grow less than the previously forecast 3.2% this year, Monetary Policy Committee Secretary Titanun Mallikamas told a news conference. The Bank of Thailand’s committee members voted unanimously to keep the one-day repurchase rate unchanged at 0.50% for a sixth straight meeting, after three cuts in the first half of 2020 to mitigate the impact of the pandemic. The tourism-reliant economy still needs support from low interest rates and monetary policy will remain accommodative, he told Reuters . The BOT said in a statement the impact of the recent outbreak on the Thai economy would be less severe than last year due to less strict containment measures, but it expects ... » Learn More about Bank of Thailand Leaves Key Interest Rate Unchanged at Record Low

PHUKET: A number of national records were brushed away as the We Free Dive Suunto Series drew to a close on December 21. All eyes were on American Katie Wierenga, who is ranked third among the USA female Dynamic No Fins (DNF) athletes after an outstanding performance in October. Having surpassed the USA DNF record in practice, Wierenga pushed hard to make the record official. “Katie just missed a US record in DNF. She made the distance, but wasn’t conscious enough to get a white card,” Association Internationale pour le Developpement de l’Apne (AIDA) judge Richard Wonka told the Phuket Gazette . “Katie essentially got her red card for nerves. She was going for a new national record – a distance she had swum before in training.” Wierenga surpassed the American record of 120m with a big push to 130m. However, the judges were forced to hand her a red card. “In competition, the mind plays a big role, and attempting a national record can easily induce some jitters, so she came ... » Learn More about Records tumble at We Freedive Suunto Series final in Phuket

People gather during a demonstration in honor of George Floyd on March 7, 2021 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Jury selection in the trial of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin, who is accused of killing Floyd, starts on Monday, March 8. Stephen Maturen/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Stephen Maturen / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP) MINNEAPOLIS — The trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the death of George Floyd was due to begin on Monday with the screening of jurors to weigh murder and manslaughter charges in a case seen as a referendum on police violence against Black Americans. The judge has set aside three weeks for jury selection alone, mindful of the difficulties finding impartial Minneapolitans in a case that has convulsed a nation and in which an image of the victim — a selfie of Floyd faintly smiling — has fast become an international icon of racial justice. The court mailed prospective jurors an unusually detailed 16-page ... » Learn More about Minneapolis trial in George Floyd death starts with weeks of painstaking jury selection

DILI — The tiny Southeast Asian nation of East Timor will put its capital city on a coronavirus lockdown for the first time, its government said on Monday, amid fears it could be facing its first local outbreak. A “sanitary fence and mandatory confinement” will be imposed in Dili for seven days from midnight Monday with residents asked to stay home unless necessary to leave, the country’s council of ministers said in statement. It said the measure was because of a “high probability of community transmission”, but did not elaborate. “It is forbidden to travel, by land, sea or air, out of this municipality, except in duly justified cases for reasons of safety, public health, humanitarian or other that are necessary for the accomplishment of the public interest,” it said. A former Portuguese colony with a population of 1.2 million, East Timor has detected just 122 cases of the coronavirus, most of which were imported. But its porous border with Indonesia, which has recorded ... » Learn More about East Timor imposes first coronavirus lockdown over outbreak fears

Recording a 40-percent increase in daily Covid-19 active cases, the local government of Muntinlupa intensifies its contact tracing efforts through the implementation of the StaySafe.PH app. Muntinlupa City StaySafe.PH Task Force, through the Business Permits and Licensing Office, has conducted inspections in various malls and other establishments to ensure full compliance with the contact tracing initiatives. Muntinlupa passed City Ordinance No. 2020-181 mandating the installation and use of Staysafe.PH system as an automated contact tracing through the use of QR Codes in all commercial establishments, workplaces, churches, and government offices in the city. As of Feb. 26, BPLO Muntinlupa has issued warning notices to at least 69 non-compliant establishments. City Health Officer Dr. Teresa Tuliao said the intensified cooperation of city residents and business establishments in using StaySafe.PH as the local contact tracing system will help the government’s Covid-19 response ... » Learn More about Muntinlupa intensifies StaySafe app contact tracing as Covid-19 cases rise

THE Manila government is willing to offer its newly inaugurated storage facility for Covid-19 vaccines. Mayor Francisco Domagoso led the formal opening of the facility at the Sta. Ana Hospital on Thursday. “We will welcome anybody, any agency, including our fellow local government units (LGUs), meaning anywhere in Metro Manila can use this facility,” the local chief executive said. “This is a pandemic, we wanted to approach this inclusively.” Manila is now only waiting for the arrival of the approved and authorized vaccines for its residents. The city government procured 12 refrigeration units for the storage of five different brands: five HYC-390 refrigerators for AstraZeneca and Sinovac, two -25 degrees Celsius (C) biomedical freezers, two -30 C biomedical freezers for Johnson and Johnson and Moderna, and three -86 C ULT freezers for Pfizer. The facility will also be equipped with 11 closed circuit television cameras working 24/7 and six data loggers to ensure the security ... » Learn More about Manila offers vaccine facility to LGUs

Since she joined property developer Sena Development Plc 17 years ago, 2020 turned out to be one of the most memorable years for Kessara Thanyalakpark. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, her company still managed to achieve record revenue, record pre-sales and a high net profit. She was also promoted to managing director. Last year was the best year for the company despite the virus crisis. The company's strong performance was derived from the foundations she had spent five years previously laying down, initiatives she had worked hard to push before the pandemic struck. "Frankly speaking, if I had not spent 100% of my full time working with the company five years ago, joint ventures such as the one with Japanese partner Hankyu Hanshin Properties and the new initiatives like the solar homes and Made From Her campaign would not have happened," she said. In 2004, while working as a full-time lecturer in banking and finance at Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Commerce and ... » Learn More about The woman behind solar residential properties

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai looks at samurai armour at a museum in the Japanese settlement in Ayutthaya. Deer skin was among export goods used as a cushion in samurai armour. Westerners were prominent in Ayutthaya, the former capital of the kingdom of Siam, in centuries past. They left historical records, architecture, language and cultural links of their contact with Iudea, as it was known at the time. Today they help us understand the area's history and Thailand's policies on international relations. "Ayutthaya is a multicultural society but there were clear conditions in the use of land. Churches could be set up but permission was needed, trading was allowed but had to be done via a system under the Treasury Department," said Assoc Prof Predee Phisphumvidhi, deputy dean of Mahidol University's Faculty of Liberal Arts. Foreign community settlement and access by foreign ships was limited to the south of the Ayutthaya city island with Pom Phet ... » Learn More about Westerners leave mark on Ayutthaya

It is true that Manchester United might had an under-par season to date. Yet, despite an expectancy for them to be busy in the January transfer window it took them until now to land their first signing in the shape of Sporting Lisbon midfielder Bruno Fernandes, who signed for an initial £47m . How the deal unfolded Manchester United have been long term admirers of Fernandes with strong rumours linking them with a move for him back in the summer window, but nothing materialized at that time. Fast forward a few months into the season though and it became clear that United were in desperate need of three things – leadership, experience and quality – and Fernandes fits the profile perfectly hence the murmurings of a substantial bid gaining traction again. It was widely believed that a deal would be concluded early in the month, but Sporting rebuffed the initial bids from United as they were considered to be stacked in the English club’s favour with respect of add ons that were ... » Learn More about Manchester United Finally Sign Bruno Fernandes