HOT NEWS
- France approved tougher penalties for defying a nationwide confinement order as the coronavirus death toll rose, with the country’s medical profession among the victims.
Source: Channel NewsAsia
- DPRK launched two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea off the east coast of the Korean peninsula, drawing the US and China to talk North Korea to a negotiation table.
Source: Al Jazeera (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/north-korea-fires-missiles-coronavirus-pandemic-200321001901321.html)
WORLD
- Iran’s leader refuses the assistance from the US to fight the COVID-19, claiming that the virus is specifically made for the Iranians using their genetic data.
Source: Al Jazeera (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/iran-leader-refuses-cites-coronavirus-conspiracy-theory-200322145122752.html)
- Italy banned internal travelling as an additional attempt to slow down the spread of coronavirus while the death toll rose to 651 lifting the total number of fatalities to 5,476.
Source: Reuters (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-italy/italy-bans-internal-travel-as-a-further-651-die-from-coronavirus-idUSKBN2190ZP)
- German chancellor Angela Merkel will quarantine herself at home and get tested regularly for COVID-19 after the doctor who has treated her tested positive .
Source: Sputnik (https://sputniknews.com/europe/202003221078670832-germanys-merkel-in-quarantine-after-meeting-covid-19-infected-doctor/)
REGIONS
- China saw a decline in daily cases of COVID-19 as the country expanded measures to contain the outbreak as the daily case dropped from 46 to 39 on Sunday.
Source: Channel NewsAsia
(https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/coronavirus-covid-19-china-cases-toll-imported-12566264)
- Malaysian government deployed the army to curb the spread of COVID-19 as the country currently has the biggest cases in ASEAN with a total of 1,306 cases and 10 deaths.
Source: Bangkok Post
(https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/1884060/army-patrols-malaysian-streets-as-virus-cases-top-1-300)
- Singapore will ban all entry and transit to tighten border control to reduce further imported cases as the country confirmed 23 new cases, 18 of which are imported cases.
Source: Xinhua Net (http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-03/22/c_138905415.htm)
- Prime Minister Abe said the postponing of the Olympic Games is a possible option since the event cannot be held in a complete form amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Source: The Straits Times (https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/japan-pm-abe-says-postponing-tokyo-olympics-an-option)
CAMBODIA
- Cambodia Ministry of Health released a statement confirming 31 new cases, wherein 29 are French nationals and 2 are Cambodians, bringing the total to 84.
Source: KhmerTimes (https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50704525/virus-cases-soar-to-84-latest-patients-quarantined-in-preah-sihanouk-hotel/)
- Cambodia is included as one of the top destinations for Dubai exports and potential bilateral trade in the future along with other ASEAN countries.
Source: Khmer Times
(https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50704647/dubai-eyes-trade-with-asean-members-including-cambodia/)
- Three Cambodians who are living in one family in South Korea have been infected with COVID-19 as confirmed by Cambodian Ambassador to South Korea Long Dimanche.
Source: Fresh News
(http://en.freshnewsasia.com/index.php/en/localnews/17420-2020-03-22-04-11-30.html)
- The Ministry of Education Youth and Sport urged parents to provide home education to children with enough materials, including a computer and internet connection.
Source: The Phnom Penh Post
(https://phnompenhpost.com/national/ministry-calls-home-schooling)
