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Emergency staff spraying disinfectant in front of the St George City Hospital in St Petersburg, Russia, last month.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
Russia is battling both the coronavirus crisis and an economic downturn. It is facing not only ominous rates of infection, with an average of 10,000 new cases registered each day, but also the possibility of its gross domestic product shrinking by 5.5 per cent this year, and its unemployment figure rising to eight million.
Property buyers who are finding it hard to make payments on account of the Covid-19 pandemic can get temporary reprieve under a new law that buys time for individuals and businesses to satisfy the terms of their contracts. The Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) Act has been extended to the purchase and lease of homes.
An industry task force is examining how coronavirus infections in the construction sector can be prevented once work gradually resumes after the circuit breaker. This task force - comprising eight to 10 members of the Singapore Contractors Association Limited (Scal) - is working with the authorities to devise new practices.
Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin will not face a no-confidence vote next Monday as earlier scheduled, the Speaker of Parliament said. Speaker Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof said the government had decided to list only one order of parliamentary business for the day - the opening address by the King.
Reducing density and having social enterprises as operators can improve conditions in foreign worker dormitories, says breaking news editor Toh Yong Chuan (below).
Demand for renting both private apartments and Housing Board flats plunged last month because of the circuit breaker measures, which prevented prospective tenants from visiting and viewing properties offered for lease, said market observers. The month-on-month drops are also the largest in percentage terms since at least 2011.
The roads in Singapore are significantly more free-flowing and safer than before the pandemic, even if the percentage of speeding cases and breakdowns has climbed. Traffic volume has shrunk on average by 60 per cent since January, though the reduction varies across locations and time periods.
The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the move to digital among small businesses, as hawkers and retailers scramble to get online to stay afloat during the circuit breaker period. A new normal may be achieved in the future where there could be fewer brick-and-mortar outlets.
Ten members of the Football Association of Singapore's (FAS) senior management are contributing around $25,000 from their bonuses and salaries to establish the OneStrong fund. It will go towards a project to support less privileged children and their families amid the Covid-19 crisis and provide youth with mentors.
Edie Falco has played a gangster's wife in The Sopranos (above) and a drug-addled nurse in Nurse Jackie. But her new show Tommy gives the Emmy-winning actress a bit of a career bump: She plays Abigail "Tommy" Thomas, who has just been appointed the first female police chief of Los Angeles, and must now prove herself on the job.
STRAITS TIMES DIGITAL
VIDEO
Brisk business in the heartland
Many were out getting haircuts and buying cakes and pet supplies after curbs that were part of circuit breaker measures were eased. We speak to business owners about their preparations and safety restrictions. str.sg/blurb369
VIDEO
Eating healthy
Taking vitamin C is not enough to stay healthy during the pandemic, says dietitian Bibi Chia from Raffles Diabetes and Endocrine Centre. She shares tips on how to maintain a balanced diet. str.sg/blurb370
