Politics
Visa-free privileges of all foreign nationals have also been suspended, as thousands of people try to flee the country amid a lockdown on the main island of Luzon.
Thailand’s flip-flopping on measures to curb the outbreak, along with a minister mask-hoarding scandal, have seen a deterioration of public trust.
Officials say Singapore has ‘months’ of stockpiled fresh and packaged food, but 415,000 people who travel between the land borders daily will be affected.
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The lockdown will take effect for two weeks from March 18, with Malaysians barred from travelling overseas and mass gatherings across the country prohibited.
Social media users in India, including an opposition leader, are spreading fake news and racist rhetoric about China, as cases rise in the South Asian country.
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With Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah both declaring themselves president, Afghanistan’s shaky government foundation has been exposed.
In the capitals of what used to be called ‘the free world’, advocacy of democratic freedom seems to have taken a back seat to competition for strategic primacy.
Seoul’s handling of the outbreak emphasises transparency and relies heavily on public cooperation in place of hardline measures such as lockdowns.
So many exemptions have been made to the ‘total’ ban on land, sea and air travel to the Philippine capital that the move no longer makes sense, expert says.
Some are concerned about the safety of their relatives in the Philippines as well as about the quarantine measures they may face if they return home.
PM Lee Hsien Loong has until next April to call for a general election, but analysts say an election could be held as early as next month.
Malaysia needs a new narrative, of equality, justice and pursuing fair distribution and broad participation, especially on pro-Malay policies. PH now has the time and impetus to thrash this out.
The Aki is first ship in three decades built to hunt for submarines, as Japan sees a rise in unidentified subs, believed to be from China, within its waters.
The former premier said the Pakatan Harapan coalition could no longer offer incentives to MPs, who are now switching allegiances to Muhyiddin.
The reformist icon has questioned whether the newly appointed lawmakers are free of corruption, while many have decried the line-up’s nationalist and predominantly ethnic Malay slant.
In July 2014, flight MH17 was torn apart by a Russian missile over eastern Ukraine, killing 298 people.
Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has announced the cabinet line-up a week after he took office amid political chaos, with CIMB Group Holdings chief executive Zafrul Aziz named finance minister.
Malaysia Airlines MH17 was shot down over Ukraine by pro-Russian separatists in July 2014, killing 298 people. Even after years of investigation, no one knows why.
A week into his appointment, Muhyiddin Yassin must win support from a public that is tired of ‘constant politicking’, observers say.