Queen's death: British magazine claims Elizabeth II died at around 3pm - Yahoo Singapore News

Queen Elizabeth died on 8 September. (PA)

Queen Elizabeth II died around 3pm on 8 September, three and a half hours before the official announcement, a British magazine has claimed.

Private Eye also claimed the monarch had been quite ill for some time and only managed to do the state appearances she did in the final months of her reign with the help of medication, despite Buckingham Palace blaming "ongoing mobility issues" for her absence.

The magazine said the Queen was "physically weak, although mentally alert".

Private Eye said the Queen had hoped to receive Boris Johnson and new PM Liz Truss for the official handover of power in London, but her doctors told her she was not fit enough to leave Balmoral.

Read More: Lying In State: Mourners describe 'eerie but beautiful' Westminster Hall atmosphere

Members of the Royal Family rushed to be at the Queen's side on 8 September. (PA)

Despite her limited mobility, she was still able to carry on her normal tasks, including reportedly managing to call her horse racing manager to check on how one of her horses was doing in the days before her death.

But she became seriously ill on 8 September, catching many of those close to her and the wider Royal Family by surprise.

Although most of her family rushed to see her as soon as it became aware she was gravely ill, in the end only Princess Anne and the former Prince of Wales were there at her bedside when she died.

Private Eye said the Queen died around 3pm, but the required phone calls to inform the wider political and media establishment were delayed until all of the Royal Family could be informed.

The magazine claims the way the Royal Family's press team handled the death of the Queen was informed by the death of Prince Philip.

They said Buckingham Palace was still claiming Philip was in "good spirits" when he was "being revived by crash teams" around the time of his death.

Read more: King Charles coronation: When will he be crowned and will there be a bank holiday?

Huw Edwards was in black tie by 2pm before he announced the Queen's death at 6.30pm. (Getty)

The Palace also struggled to keep a lid on the news of the Queen's health as members of the royal staff began briefing trusted journalists about the seriousness of her situation.

Coincidentally, BBC journalist Yalda Hakim tweeted the Queen had died around the actual time of the Queen's death, despite not knowing this and later retracting the tweet saying she had been mistaken.

On the day of the Queen's death, the nation came to a standstill almost as soon as Buckingham Palace said they were concerned about the monarch's health.

The BBC suspended normal programming from 12.30pm, with an episode of Bargain Hunt cut short.

Politicians were stunned into silence in the middle of a debate on the government's answer to the energy bill crisis.

Royals rushed to Balmoral from across the country with Prince William, Andrew and Edward arriving by car around 5pm.

Initial reports suggested the group arrived before the Queen's death, with only Prince Harry missing out on seeing her one last time, but this now appears to not be the case.

By 2pm, BBC journalists had all switched into black dress and tie.

The Queen's death was announced to the public at 6.30pm.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMibmh0dHBzOi8vc2cubmV3cy55YWhvby5jb20vcXVlZW5zLWRlYXRoLWJyaXRpc2gtbWFnYXppbmUtY2xhaW1zLWVsaXphYmV0aC1paS1kaWVkLWF0LWFyb3VuZC0zLXBtLTE1MjYyMzY4My5odG1s0gF2aHR0cHM6Ly9zZy5uZXdzLnlhaG9vLmNvbS9hbXBodG1sL3F1ZWVucy1kZWF0aC1icml0aXNoLW1hZ2F6aW5lLWNsYWltcy1lbGl6YWJldGgtaWktZGllZC1hdC1hcm91bmQtMy1wbS0xNTI2MjM2ODMuaHRtbA?oc=5

2022-09-22 15:26:52Z
CBMibmh0dHBzOi8vc2cubmV3cy55YWhvby5jb20vcXVlZW5zLWRlYXRoLWJyaXRpc2gtbWFnYXppbmUtY2xhaW1zLWVsaXphYmV0aC1paS1kaWVkLWF0LWFyb3VuZC0zLXBtLTE1MjYyMzY4My5odG1s0gF2aHR0cHM6Ly9zZy5uZXdzLnlhaG9vLmNvbS9hbXBodG1sL3F1ZWVucy1kZWF0aC1icml0aXNoLW1hZ2F6aW5lLWNsYWltcy1lbGl6YWJldGgtaWktZGllZC1hdC1hcm91bmQtMy1wbS0xNTI2MjM2ODMuaHRtbA

Taiwan eyes mid-October end to COVID quarantine on road to re-opening - Reuters

TAIPEI, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Taiwan aims to end its mandatory COVID-19 quarantine for arrivals from around Oct. 13 and will ease other restrictions from next week as it continues to re-open to the outside world, the government said on Thursday.

Taiwan has kept some of its entry and quarantine rules in place as large parts of the rest of Asia have relaxed or lifted them completely, though in June it cut the number of days required in isolation for arrivals to three from seven previously.

Taiwan has reported six million domestic cases since the beginning of the year, driven by the more infectious Omicron variant. With more than 99% of those showing no or only mild symptoms, the government has relaxed rather than tightened restrictions in its "new Taiwan model".

Cabinet spokesman Lo Ping-cheng told reporters that from next Thursday visa-free entry will be resumed for citizens of all countries that previously had that status. The government will also increase weekly arrival limits for international travellers by 10,000 to 60,000, he said, with no more PCR tests for arrivals.

If "everything is under control", the government is aiming to end mandatory quarantine for all arrivals from around Oct. 13, with arrivals rising to 150,000 a week, Lo said.

"This is the last mile in our fight against the pandemic," he said, speaking after a weekly Cabinet meeting, adding the government is making all preparations needed to reopen its door to international tourists and to revive domestic businesses hit by previous COVID-related curbs.

Those who test positive, however, still need to quarantine at home or in designated hotels, the government said.

While Taiwan's vaccination rate is high, the daily number of cases has been rising again, with more than 46,000 reported on Wednesday.

Throughout the pandemic Taiwanese citizens and foreign residents have not been prohibited from leaving and then re-entering, but have had to quarantine at home or in hotels for up to two weeks.

Before the pandemic, Taiwan was a popular tourist destination for mainly Asian visitors, with Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia the most important markets.

Reporting by Yimou Lee and Ben Blanchard; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Kenneth Maxwell

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMibGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnJldXRlcnMuY29tL3dvcmxkL2FzaWEtcGFjaWZpYy90YWl3YW4tYWltcy1lbmQtY292aWQtcXVhcmFudGluZS1hcnJpdmFscy1taWQtb2N0b2Jlci0yMDIyLTA5LTIyL9IBAA?oc=5

2022-09-22 04:13:00Z
1571002639

China Losing Appeal as European Firms Rethink Future Investments - Bloomberg

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

1. China Losing Appeal as European Firms Rethink Future Investments  Bloomberg
2. European business group warns of loss of confidence in China  CNA
3. Zero-Covid harming 75% of European firms in China - The Jakarta Post  The Jakarta Post
4. EU chamber report's allegation of China losing business allure to European firms is 'untrue', laying bare their economic malaise: observer  Global Times
5. Zero-COVID harming 75% of European firms in China: Business group  CNA
6. View Full coverage on Google News

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMic2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJsb29tYmVyZy5jb20vbmV3cy9hcnRpY2xlcy8yMDIyLTA5LTIxL2NoaW5hLWxvc2luZy1hcHBlYWwtYXMtZXVyb3BlYW4tZmlybXMtcmV0aGluay1mdXR1cmUtaW52ZXN0bWVudHPSAQA?oc=5

2022-09-21 10:25:21Z
1569205123

European business group warns of loss of confidence in China - CNA

SHANGHAI: A top European industry group warned on Wednesday (Sep 21) that firms were losing confidence in China and that its standing as an investment destination was being eroded, citing its "inflexible and inconsistently implemented" COVID-19 policy as a key factor.

The European Chamber of Commerce published the warnings in a paper it said had input from 1,800 member companies, which also contained 967 recommendations for China, the European Union and European companies related to doing business in the country.

The report, which touched on issues from Taiwan to trade, said, for example, that China should refrain from "erratic policy shifts", deepen cooperation with the European Union and increase international flights.

The European Union should proactively engage with China and reject calls for disengagement, it added.

A "stark contrast" has emerged between China and the rest of the world over the past year, as other countries remain committed to globalisation while China continues to turn inward, the chamber's president, Joerg Wuttke, told a media briefing.

"The world lives with herd immunity, and China waits until the world gets rid of Omicron, which is of course unlikely," he said, referring to China's rigid zero-COVID stance, which has led to frequent lockdowns and kept borders mostly shut to international travel.

China says its policy is needed to prevent its health system from being overwhelmed as well as an unacceptable loss of life.

Besides COVID, the chamber said stalled reforms of China's state-owned enterprises, an exodus of European nationals from China coupled with travel restrictions for Chinese staff to go abroad as well as increased politicisation of business were also harming China's attractiveness.

The report said record numbers of businesses looked to shift current or planned investments to other markets.

Last month, a US business lobby said China's strict COVID-19 control measures had overtaken sour US-China relations as the top concern of US companies in the country.

China is one of the few countries still requiring travellers to quarantine on arrival, and Wuttke said the chamber remained hopeful that restrictions could loosen after the ruling Communist Party's five-yearly congress, which starts Oct 16.

While Xi Jinping is expected to secure a historic third leadership term, it is not yet clear who will join him on the Politburo Standing Committee and who will replace Premier Li Keqiang, who is set to retire in March from his role whose main remit is managing the world's second-largest economy.

Wuttke said that Vice Premier Liu He, who is expected to retire from his current position, always stood for reform and "would be hard to replace".

"We have to see what the line-up is in the economic decision-making, and that might give us some indications of where this country is heading," he said.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMia2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vYnVzaW5lc3MvZXVyb3BlLWJ1c2luZXNzLWdyb3VwLXdhcm5zLWxvc3MtY29uZmlkZW5jZS1jaGluYS1jb3ZpZC0xOS0yOTUzMzUx0gEA?oc=5

2022-09-21 00:44:00Z
1569205123

International tourists travel to Japan, spend big at top tourist spots in Tokyo - SoraNews24

First weekend following new entry procedures sees foreign visitors picking up loads of bargains, thanks to the weak yen.

After closing its borders to international tourists due to the pandemic and the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, Japan has been making small but positive steps towards reopening the country again. 

Back in June, the Japanese government increased inbound traveller caps from 10,000 to 20,000 a day, and abolished the need for proof of vaccination and PCR testing for certain countries. The only catch was that visitors needed to be part of a supervised tour group, which wasn’t ideal for a lot of people, both in terms of expense and the restrictions it put on the places they could visit. 

However, that all changed on 7 September, when a new raft of changes came into effect, with inbound caps being raised to 50,000 and the abolishment of the supervised tour group requirement. While travellers are now required to book their travel as a package tour, this affords visitors greater freedom over where they can travel, and the amount of time they can spend at their chosen locations.

For many travellers, the locations they most want to visit are Japanese stores, not just for the items they’ve long been waiting to purchase, but the chance to purchase them at super cheap prices, given that the yen is the weakest it’s been in 24 years.

Some of the travellers who took advantage of the low yen on the first weekend after the new travel requirements came into effect arrived from countries as varied as England, Saudi Arabia, and Latvia, as this following news report shows, and they all have one thing in common — wallets full of cash with which to go shopping.

As the above report shows, travellers have been stocking up on anime goods, souvenirs, and even bottles of sesame oil. One gent in particular, from Singapore, tells the reporter that he spent 1.4 million yen (US$9774.69) that day. His haul includes expensive Louis Vuitton bags and top-shelf whiskey, which he says are much cheaper to buy here, given the weak yen, as it would cost him three times as much to buy the same items back home. 

A couple of American tourists in Tokyo’s otaku mecca of Akihabara can be seen buying a One Piece figurine and DVD, before dropping 3,000 yen ($20.93) on a UFO catcher machine at a local game centre and then 4,400 yen on a Gundam model. They also go on to purchase half-a-dozen anime-related goods that come to a total of 21,200 yen, and they were clearly thrilled with their shopping trip, saying it was easy to buy a lot of things as the current conversion rate made the price of everything so cheap. 

Even buying a Japanese-style engagement ring or wedding ring is surprisingly affordable if you’re converting American dollars to yen at the moment, with one jewellery store in Ginza saying they’ve seen an uptick in foreign customers already. 

With foreign tourists spending big on the first weekend since the new entry changes came into effect, Japan can expect to see a huge surge in spending once the country finally reopens its borders without restrictions. According to government sources, it shouldn’t be long before that happens, with an official announcement from Prime Minister Kishida expected to be just days away. 

Sources: YouTube/ANNnewsCH via Yahoo! Japan, Hachima Kikou
Top image: Pakutaso
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMicWh0dHBzOi8vc29yYW5ld3MyNC5jb20vMjAyMi8wOS8yMS9pbnRlcm5hdGlvbmFsLXRvdXJpc3RzLXRyYXZlbC10by1qYXBhbi1zcGVuZC1iaWctYXQtdG9wLXRvdXJpc3Qtc3BvdHMtaW4tdG9reW8v0gEA?oc=5

2022-09-20 17:33:59Z
CAIiEPrF0dgTLNs8fq9vCcaTFhAqGQgEKhAIACoHCAow4arvCjD3xrYCMJG4gQM

2 people given undiluted Covid-19 vaccine at Hougang clinic, 1 discharged after hospitalisation - The Straits Times

SINGAPORE - Two adults were each given a full vial of the undiluted Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine at a clinic in Hougang on Sept 15.

Responding to queries, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Tuesday that one of them was hospitalised after experiencing a headache and an increased heart rate, and has since been discharged.

The other patient did not report any adverse reaction.

The MOH said it was alerted to the incident on Sept 19 and that both individuals were given the vaccine at ProHealth Medical Group @ Hougang.

Each full vial of the undiluted vaccine contains five doses' worth.

Said the Health Ministry: "MOH takes a serious view of this incident and is carrying out a thorough investigation.

"The clinic and doctor who administered the vaccine have been suspended from the National Vaccination Programme until further notice."

The Straits Times has asked MOH when the hospitalised patient was discharged, and what members of the public should do if they suspect they have been given an undiluted dose of the vaccine.

There have been previous incidents of the wrong Covid-19 vaccine dosage being administered to patients.

A staff member at the Singapore National Eye Centre was given five doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in one injection on Jan 14 last year.

The centre said later that the mistake arose from human error after a lapse in communication among members of the vaccination team.

It said the worker in charge of diluting the vaccine had been called away to attend to other matters before it was done.

A second staff member had then mistakenly thought the undiluted dose in the vial was ready to be administered.

The error was discovered within minutes of the vaccination.

In another incident, 117 patients and staff at Bukit Merah Polyclinic were given around one-tenth the recommended dose between Oct 20 and Oct 22 last year, requiring replacement doses.

In this case, the error was reportedly the result of a mistake in identifying markings on new syringes.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMihgFodHRwczovL3d3dy5zdHJhaXRzdGltZXMuY29tL3NpbmdhcG9yZS9oZWFsdGgvdHdvLWFkdWx0cy1naXZlbi11bmRpbHV0ZWQtY292aWQtMTktdmFjY2luZS1vbmUtZGlzY2hhcmdlZC1hZnRlci1uZWVkaW5nLWhvc3BpdGFsaXNhdGlvbtIBAA?oc=5

2022-09-20 12:44:04Z
1575342888

China Mortgage Boycotts Grow as Homebuyers Regroup On GitHub's WeNeedHome - Bloomberg

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

China Mortgage Boycotts Grow as Homebuyers Regroup On GitHub's WeNeedHome  BloombergView Full coverage on Google News
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMibWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJsb29tYmVyZy5jb20vbmV3cy9hcnRpY2xlcy8yMDIyLTA5LTIwL2NoaW5hLW1vcnRnYWdlLWJveWNvdHRzLWdyb3ctYXMtaG9tZS1idXllcnMtcmVncm91cC1vbmxpbmXSAQA?oc=5

2022-09-20 07:09:03Z
CBMibWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJsb29tYmVyZy5jb20vbmV3cy9hcnRpY2xlcy8yMDIyLTA5LTIwL2NoaW5hLW1vcnRnYWdlLWJveWNvdHRzLWdyb3ctYXMtaG9tZS1idXllcnMtcmVncm91cC1vbmxpbmXSAQA