Morning Briefing: Top stories from The Straits Times on Feb 12

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Wednesday, Feb 12.


Coronavirus: 2 new cases in S'pore including man who works at RWS casino; 2 more discharged bringing total recovered to 9

One of the new patients works at the Resorts World Sentosa Casino. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH

Meanwhile, two more patients have been discharged from hospital, bringing the total number of those who have recovered to nine.

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Coronavirus: China's Hubei province, epicentre of outbreak, reports 94 new deaths on Feb 11

Residents wait to enter a supermarket in Wuhan, China on Feb 11, 2020, that limited the number of shoppers allowed inside the store in response to the coronavirus epidemic. PHOTO: NYTIMES

There have been a further 1,638 cases detected in Hubei, the epicentre of the outbreak, taking the total in the province to 33,366.

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WHO brands coronavirus 'public enemy number one' as it officially names it Covid-19

A passenger wears a protective mask and covers herself and her child with a plastic bag at the Beijing railway station on Feb 11, 2020. PHOTO: EPA-EFE

The UN health agency has warned of a global threat potentially worse than terrorism.

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askST: Can the coronavirus be spread through the air?

Scientists at work in the VirPath university laboratory, classified as "P3" level of safety, on Feb 5, 2020, as they try to find an effective treatment against the novel coronavirus. PHOTO: AFP

Readers have asked how the virus could be transmitted without direct prolonged contact with any infected person.

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Singapore Airshow opens to smaller crowds, thumping aerobatics

Aerial display by the Ba Yi Aerobatics Team from China's People's Liberation Army Air Force on the opening day of Singapore Airshow on Feb 11, 2020. ST PHOTO: ONG WEE JIN

Even though it is open only to trade visitors for now - public days begin this weekend - there was a noticeable drop in attendance at what is billed as Asia's largest aerospace and defence event.

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Meth menace, Singapore street names among ST's 6 winners at global design contest

Interactive projects from The Straits Times have bagged the publication six awards at the 2019 Best of Digital Design competition. PHOTOS: THE STRAITS TIMES

Among ST's awards were two silver medals for story page design, won by interactive graphics journalist Rebecca Pazos, 32, and user interface designer Alyssa Karla Mungcal, 28.

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ST Singaporean of the Year: A reminder that the astonishing is often found in the anonymous

President Halimah Yacob with (front row, from left) Mr August Hatecke, country head for Singapore and co-head of global wealth management for Asia-Pacific at UBS; Mr Warren Fernandez, editor-in-chief of Singapore Press Holdings' (SPH) English/Malay/Tamil Media Group and editor of The Straits Times; Ms Angie Chew, The Straits Times Singaporean of the Year 2019; SPH chairman Lee Boon Yang; and president of UBS Asia-Pacific Edmund Koh. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR

The generosity of the mostly unknown nominees of ST award deserves a wider imitation in these strained times of a lurking virus, says Rohit Brijnath.

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London judge rejects StanChart robber's bid to stop extradition to Singapore

David James Roach, held in London, is accused of a 2016 bank robbery in Holland Village.

Canadian David James Roach is accused of robbing Standard Chartered Bank's Holland Village branch of $30,450 on July 7, 2016.

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Samsung doubles down on foldable devices, unveils Z Flip and S20 series

Samsung unveils its new foldable Z Flip phone at its Galaxy Unpacked event in San Francisco on Feb 11, 2020. ST PHOTO: LESTER WONG

The Galaxy Z Flip is the first foldable phone to introduce an ultra-thin glass screen that bends in half.

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Safer Internet Day 2020: Be aware of online risks

While there are plenty of reports and information these days on the dangers of online scams, Singaporeans are still falling for them and cases have been rising. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: ST FILE

It all started with a WhatsApp message from a close friend, but it led to Madam Alison Chong losing access to her WhatsApp account for 12 hours last month.

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