Senin, 20 April 2020

Kim Jong Un getting treatment after cardiovascular procedure: Report - CNA

SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is receiving treatment after undergoing a cardiovascular procedure early this month, a South Korean media report said, amid speculation over Kim's health following his absence from a key anniversary event.

North Korea marked the anniversary of the birthday of its founding father and Kim's grandfather, Kim Il Sung, as a national holiday on Apr 15, but Kim was not seen in attendance.

READ: North Korean leader absence from anniversary event fuels speculation over health

Daily NK, a speciality website run mostly by North Korean defectors, cited unidentified sources inside the isolated state saying Kim is recovering at a villa in the Mount Kumgang resort county of Hyangsan on the east coast after getting the procedure on Apr 12 at a hospital there.

Reporting from inside North Korea is notoriously difficult, especially on matters concerning the country's leadership, given tight controls on information.

South Korea's Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, declined to comment on the report.

Kim's health has deteriorated in recent months due to heavy smoking, obesity and overwork, the Daily NK report said.

"My understanding is that he had been struggling (with cardiovascular problems) since last August but it worsened after repeated visits to Mount Paektu," a source was quoted as saying, referring to the country's sacred mountain.

Kim left for the hospital after presiding over a meeting of the ruling Workers' Party's politburo on Apr 11, where Kim was publicly last seen, the report said.

Pyongyang fired multiple short-range missiles last week which Seoul officials said were also part of the Kim Il Sung birthday celebration. Such military events would usually be observed by Kim, but there was no KCNA report on the test at all. 

Let's block ads! (Why?)


https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiYWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vbmV3cy9hc2lhL2tpbS1qb25nLXVuLXRyZWF0bWVudC1jYXJkaW92YXNjdWxhci1wcm9jZWR1cmUtMTI2NjEwNjbSAQA?oc=5

2020-04-21 02:16:56Z
52780738429711
By di Tidak ada komentar:

Many more coronavirus cases detected in dorms as MOH steps up testing - The Straits Times

Workers living in dormitories made up 96 per cent of the 1,426 cases announced yesterday, as extensive testing in dormitories continued to turn up cases among workers who are well.

Of the new daily high of 1,426 cases, 1,369 were work permit holders living in dormitories.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) said that it was picking up many more cases because of the testing in dorms.

"These are not new infections as the workers are staying in their rooms and many have not reported sick. But when the teams go in to test them, many turn out to be positive," it said.

"Most of these cases have a mild illness and are being monitored in the community isolation facilities or general ward of our hospitals. None of them is in the intensive care unit."

There were three new coronavirus clusters identified yesterday. Two of them were linked to accommodation for foreign workers, and all were identified after previously confirmed cases were linked to them: Jurong Apartments at 529 Upper Jurong Road was linked to three confirmed cases, and Woodlands Lodge II was linked to 11 confirmed cases.

According to the Building and Construction Authority website, 8 Sungei Kadut Loop is the address of construction company King Wan Construction. It was linked to nine cases yesterday.

There were also cases added to most of the other dormitory clusters, with the S11 Dormitory @ Punggol continuing to be the biggest cluster. Some 469 additional cases were linked to the cluster, and it now had 1,977 cases. The cluster alone accounted for nearly 25 per cent of the 8,014 cases in Singapore.

Outside of dormitories, MOH said there were 25 new cases in the community among Singaporeans, permanent residents and work pass holders, and 32 new cases among work permit holders who did not live in dorms. There were no imported cases yesterday. Of the new cases, 63 per cent were linked to known clusters.

The numbers reinforced the differences in the outbreak among the workers in dorms and the rest of the population.

MOH noted that the number of new cases in the community had decreased to an average of 29 per day in the past week, from an average of 39 cases per day in the week before. Meanwhile, the number of unlinked cases in the community had remained relatively constant, with an average of 20 cases per day in the past two weeks.

The number of new cases among work permit holders outside dorms, however, had shot up to an average of 24 per day in the past week, from an average of 13 cases per day in the week before. The numbers for workers in dorms were much higher.

As of yesterday, the prevalence of positive cases in the community was 0.02 per cent, but it was 0.05 per cent among the 664,000 workers not living in dorms and 1.9 per cent among the 323,000 workers living in dorms.

MOH also said 33 more cases had been discharged from hospitals and isolation facilities. Since January, 801 patients had fully recovered and been discharged. Eleven had died.

Of the 3,420 confirmed cases who were still in hospital, most were stable or improving while 23 were in critical condition in the intensive care unit.

Related Stories: 

Let's block ads! (Why?)


https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiZmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnN0cmFpdHN0aW1lcy5jb20vc2luZ2Fwb3JlL21hbnktbW9yZS12aXJ1cy1jYXNlcy1kZXRlY3RlZC1pbi1kb3Jtcy1hcy1tb2gtc3RlcHMtdXAtdGVzdGluZ9IBAA?oc=5

2020-04-20 21:00:00Z
52780730581245
By di Tidak ada komentar:

Virgin Australia, partly owned by SIA, collapses as coronavirus wipes out global air travel - The Straits Times

SYDNEY (BLOOMBERG) - Virgin Australia Holdings, 20 per cent-owned by Singapore Airlines (SIA), became Asia's first airline to fall to the coronavirus after the outbreak deprived the debt-burdened company of almost all income.

Administrators at Deloitte will take control of the Brisbane-based carrier, it said in a statement on Tuesday (April 21). They'll seek to bring in new investors, reorganize borrowings or find a buyer to save the business.

Virgin Australia joins FlyBe - the UK's biggest domestic airline before it collapsed last month - among the industry's corporate casualties of the virus. Airlines have been pummeled by domestic and international travel bans that forced them to seek government aid.

Virgin Australia, which had already furloughed 80 per cent of its 10,000-strong workforce, will continue to operate some flights for essential workers, freight and the repatriation of Australians. The airline's Velocity Frequent Flyer program is a separate company and is not in administration.

"We have commenced a process of seeking interest from parties for participation in the recapitalization of the business and its future, and there have been several expressions of interest so far," said Vaughan Strawbridge, who is one of the four administrators at Deloitte.

The fate of Virgin Australia, which had more than A$5 billion ($3.2 billion) in debt as of the end of 2019, hung in the balance after it stopped virtually all services because of the virus and its request for state help failed. The company had asked the government for a A$1.4 billion loan, convertible into equity, to see it through the crisis.

Instead, the Australian government called on the airline's shareholders to step in and rescue the company.

Almost entirely owned by foreign airlines, Virgin Australia is a unique experiment in aviation. SIA, Etihad Airways, China's HNA Group and Nanshan Group each own about 20 per cent of the company. Richard Branson's Virgin Group owns about 10 per cent.

In a letter to Virgin staff on Monday, the British billionaire said his airlines in the UK and Australia wouldn't survive the crisis without state support. Branson said he's doing everything possible to keep UK-based Virgin Atlantic Airways afloat, but it needs a UK-backed loan to ride out the storm.

Virgin Australia's fight for survival triggered an ugly feud with its larger domestic rival. Qantas Airways argued Virgin shouldn't be rewarded with a bailout, while Virgin accused Qantas of spreading false rumors about its ebbing cash position - allegations denied by Qantas.

A voluntary administrator is usually appointed by directors after they decide the company is insolvent or nearing insolvency. Virgin Australia had about A$1.1 billion in cash at the end of 2019. The airline is dominated by Qantas in essentially a two-player market in Australia and hasn't made an annual profit for seven years.

At least two buyout groups were preparing to take over Virgin Australia, the Australian Financial Review reported last week.

Globally, airlines may lose out on US$314 billion in ticket sales this year because of the virus, according to the International Air Transport Association.

While governments in the US and across Europe have stepped in with support, or said they intend to, the Australian government baulked at potentially owning a stake in a money-losing domestic airline. Ministers repeatedly said their goal is to have two competing airlines in Australia, though stopped short of singling out Virgin Australia for any special help.

Virgin Australia's stock was suspended earlier this month while restructuring talks continued. The shares last traded at less than 9 Australian cents apiece on April 4, valuing the company at A$726 million.

Related Stories: 

Let's block ads! (Why?)


https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMifWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnN0cmFpdHN0aW1lcy5jb20vYnVzaW5lc3MvY29tcGFuaWVzLW1hcmtldHMvdmlyZ2luLWF1c3RyYWxpYS1jb2xsYXBzZXMtYXMtY29yb25hdmlydXMtd2lwZXMtb3V0LWdsb2JhbC1haXItdHJhdmVs0gEA?oc=5

2020-04-21 01:09:22Z
52780737914519
By di Tidak ada komentar:

Merkel urges 'transparency' from China on outbreak - CNA

BERLIN: German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday (Apr 20) urged China to be as transparent as possible about the coronavirus outbreak, as Beijing faces mounting pressure over its management of the crisis.

Critics have accused China of downplaying the scale and scope of the outbreak when it first emerged late last year, while conspiracy theories have swirled in the US the virus could have been leaked from a lab.

READ: The Wuhan lab at the core of a coronavirus controversy

Merkel urged for more information about the early days of the outbreak, which originated in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.

"I believe the more transparent China is about the origin story of the virus, the better it is for everyone in the world in order to learn from it," Merkel told reporters in Berlin Monday.

Chinese scientists say the virus was likely first transmitted to humans at a wet market where wild animals were sold.

Unproven theories that the virus came from a maximum-security virology lab in Wuhan have been raised by US officials, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo who has said an investigation was under way into how the virus "got out into the world".

The Wuhan Institute of Virology has strongly rejected claims it could be the source of the outbreak, calling it "impossible".

READ: China says Australia's questions on its COVID-19 handling groundless

Chinese authorities have been accused of initially downplaying the outbreak and last week authorities in Wuhan admitted mistakes in counting their death toll and revised the figure up by 50 per cent.

French President Emmanuel Macron last week told the Financial Times it would be "naive" to think China had handled the pandemic well, adding: "There are clearly things that have happened that we don't know about."

In Britain, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said China will face "hard questions" about the coronavirus outbreak, namely "how it came about and how it couldn't have been stopped earlier".

Australia meanwhile has called for an independent investigation into the global response to the pandemic, including the World Health Organization's handling of the crisis.

Its foreign minister has said the country would "insist" on a review that would probe, in part, China's response to the outbreak.

BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments

Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram

Let's block ads! (Why?)


https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMicmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vbmV3cy93b3JsZC9tb3JlLXRyYW5zcGFyZW50LWNoaW5hLWlzLW9uLWNvdmlkMTktdGhlLWJldHRlci1mb3ItYWxsLW1lcmtlbC0xMjY2MDA4ONIBAA?oc=5

2020-04-20 15:11:15Z
52780737764040
By di Tidak ada komentar:

Hong Kong unemployment rate hits highest in more than 9 years - CNA

HONG KONG: Hong Kong's unemployment rate rose to the highest in more than nine years in the first quarter as the coronavirus pandemic dealt a sharp shock to an economy already in recession.

The seasonally adjusted jobless rate in January to March rose to 4.2 per cent from 3.7 per cent in the previous three-month period, government data showed on Monday (Apr 20).

The underemployment rate hit nearly a decade high of 2.1 per cent, from 1.5 per cent in the previous three-month rolling period.

Total employment fell by around 48,800 to 3.72 million.

READ: Hong Kong reports zero new coronavirus cases for first time since early March

The year-on-year declines in total employment and the labour force widened further to 3.6 per cent and 2.2 per cent respectively, both the largest on record.

The unemployment rate in the consumption and tourism-related sectors combined soared to 6.8 per cent, the highest since the global financial crisis a decade ago.

"The labour market will continue to face significant pressure from the economic fallout arising from the pandemic in the near term," Secretary for Labour and Welfare Law Chi-kwong said in a statement.

READ: COVID-19 sparks boom for local farmers in import-dependent Hong Kong

The government earlier this month announced relief measures worth HK$137.5 billion (US$17.7 billion) to help businesses and people losing money due to the coronavirus outbreak to stay on their feet, and urged employers not to lay off workers.

Around 10,400 retail employees are expected to lose their jobs in February to May, about 4 per cent of the 260,000 workforce in the retail sector, Hong Kong Retail Management Association said.

Hong Kong's economy contracted for the first time in a decade in 2019 due to often violent anti-government protests and the US-China trade war.

While the government of the Asian financial centre has stopped short of full lockdowns seen in some other cities, the recession is expected to deepen this year.

The Chinese-ruled city recorded zero new coronavirus cases on Monday for the first time since early March, health authorities said, though they urged residents to maintain strict hygiene and social distancing practices and avoid unnecessary travel. 

BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments

Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram

Let's block ads! (Why?)


https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiZWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vbmV3cy9idXNpbmVzcy9ob25nLWtvbmctdW5lbXBsb3ltZW50LXJhdGUtaGlnaGVzdC1uaW5lLXllYXJzLTEyNjU5MjUy0gEA?oc=5

2020-04-20 10:35:47Z
52780738201916
By di Tidak ada komentar:

Foreign worker dormitory linked to grassroots gains $70m in valuation after govt approves redevelopment plan on 10 Feb - The Online Citizen

It was announced on today that the number of new COVID-19 cases in Singapore hit a new record of 1,426  with the total number of infected cases exceeding 8,000.

As of yesterday, Singapore has highest number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in South-East Asia.

Of the 1,426 new cases, “vast majority” of the new cases are work permit holders residing in foreign worker dormitories, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in its media release of preliminary figures.

As of 20 April, there are a total of 18 foreign worker dormitories that have been declared as isolation areas.

As reported earlier, Westlite dormitories are run by public listed company Centurion Corporation who is helmed by Potong Pasir grassroots leaders: David Loh Kim Kang and Han Seng Juan (‘Foreign worker dormitories with active COVID-19 clusters linked to PA grassroots leaders‘, 10 Apr).

According to its website, Centurion Corporation currently operates 5 foreign worker dormitories:

Westlite Toh Guan and Westlite Mandai have been gazetted as isolated area while Westlite Woodlands has been identified by MOH as a cluster.

SLA extends dorm lease and Centurion doesn’t have to pay development premium

In any case, 2 months ago (14 Feb), Centurion Corporation announced that it has obtained approval from the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) on 10 Feb for the redevelopment of an existing block at Westlite Toh Guan dormitory to an 8 storey workers dormitory and industrial training centre. It said the company has obtained planning permission from the URA in relation to the redevelopment project.

Also, the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) would issue the company an offer to regularise the title restriction so as to reflect the approved use of the property as a worker dormitory, training centre and ancillary commercial use.

SLA would also extend the use of the existing lease of Westlite Toh Guan by another 25 years from 2032 to 2057. The company said it “understands” from SLA that a development premium for the “intensification of the property” is not payable.

Westlite Toh Guan dormitory was the first 2 foreign worker dormitories to be gazetted on 5 Apr as isolation areas under the Infectious Diseases Act, after a large surge in the numbers of infected workers were seen in the 2 dormitories.

After its announcement on 14 Feb, Centurion Corporation gave a positive profit alert on 18 Feb to the public in relation to the “good news” it had received from URA and SLA earlier.

It said that as the period of use for Westlite Toh Guan is extended by 25 years, the company would gain a fair value uplift on the investment property by S$70 million. It announced that property firm Knight Frank has valued Westlite Toh Guan at S$284 million as at 31 December 2019 giving the revaluation gain of S$70 million or about 33% from the original value.

With the valuation gain thanks the redevelopment approvals the company had received from the government, it’s not known if it would also help to create a less crowded and better living environment for those foreign workers living in its dormitories.

Let's block ads! (Why?)


https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiogFodHRwczovL3d3dy50aGVvbmxpbmVjaXRpemVuLmNvbS8yMDIwLzA0LzIwL2ZvcmVpZ24td29ya2VyLWRvcm1pdG9yeS1saW5rZWQtdG8tZ3Jhc3Nyb290cy1nYWlucy03MG0taW4tdmFsdWF0aW9uLWFmdGVyLWdvdnQtYXBwcm92ZXMtcmVkZXZlbG9wbWVudC1wbGFuLW9uLTEwLWZlYi_SAQA?oc=5

2020-04-20 09:45:13Z
52780736053123
By di Tidak ada komentar:

Foreign worker dormitory linked to grassroots gains $70m in valuation after govt approves redevelopment plan on 10 Feb - The Online Citizen

It was announced on today that the number of new COVID-19 cases in Singapore hit a new record of 1,426  with the total number of infected cases exceeding 8,000.

As of yesterday, Singapore has highest number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in South-East Asia.

Of the 1,426 new cases, “vast majority” of the new cases are work permit holders residing in foreign worker dormitories, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in its media release of preliminary figures.

As of 20 April, there are a total of 18 foreign worker dormitories that have been declared as isolation areas.

As reported earlier, Westlite dormitories are run by public listed company Centurion Corporation who is helmed by Potong Pasir grassroots leaders: David Loh Kim Kang and Han Seng Juan (‘Foreign worker dormitories with active COVID-19 clusters linked to PA grassroots leaders‘, 10 Apr).

According to its website, Centurion Corporation currently operates 5 foreign worker dormitories:

Westlite Toh Guan and Westlite Mandai have been gazetted as isolated area while Westlite Woodlands has been identified by MOH as a cluster.

SLA extends dorm lease and Centurion doesn’t have to pay development premium

In any case, 2 months ago (14 Feb), Centurion Corporation announced that it has obtained approval from the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) on 10 Feb for the redevelopment of an existing block at Westlite Toh Guan dormitory to an 8 storey workers dormitory and industrial training centre. It said the company has obtained planning permission from the URA in relation to the redevelopment project.

Also, the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) would issue the company an offer to regularise the title restriction so as to reflect the approved use of the property as a worker dormitory, training centre and ancillary commercial use.

SLA would also extend the use of the existing lease of Westlite Toh Guan by another 25 years from 2032 to 2057. The company said it “understands” from SLA that a development premium for the “intensification of the property” is not payable.

Westlite Toh Guan dormitory was the first 2 foreign worker dormitories to be gazetted on 5 Apr as isolation areas under the Infectious Diseases Act, after a large surge in the numbers of infected workers were seen in the 2 dormitories.

After its announcement on 14 Feb, Centurion Corporation gave a positive profit alert on 18 Feb to the public in relation to the “good news” it had received from URA and SLA earlier.

It said that as the period of use for Westlite Toh Guan is extended by 25 years, the company would gain a fair value uplift on the investment property by S$70 million. It announced that property firm Knight Frank has valued Westlite Toh Guan at S$284 million as at 31 December 2019 giving the revaluation gain of S$70 million or about 33% from the original value.

With the valuation gain thanks the redevelopment approvals the company had received from the government, it’s not known if it would also help to create a less crowded and better living environment for those foreign workers living in its dormitories.

Let's block ads! (Why?)


https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiogFodHRwczovL3d3dy50aGVvbmxpbmVjaXRpemVuLmNvbS8yMDIwLzA0LzIwL2ZvcmVpZ24td29ya2VyLWRvcm1pdG9yeS1saW5rZWQtdG8tZ3Jhc3Nyb290cy1nYWlucy03MG0taW4tdmFsdWF0aW9uLWFmdGVyLWdvdnQtYXBwcm92ZXMtcmVkZXZlbG9wbWVudC1wbGFuLW9uLTEwLWZlYi_SAQA?oc=5

2020-04-20 09:45:00Z
52780736053123
By di Tidak ada komentar:
Langganan: Postingan (Atom)