Australians urged to avoid rush hour crush in return to work
Australians in the country’s most populated state began their first full week of loosened coronavirus lockdown measures on Monday, with officials urging commuters returning to offices to avoid catching peak hour trains and buses.
Exclusive: Huge fentanyl haul seized in Asia’s biggest-ever drugs bust
(This May 18 story corrects to show Zaw Lin could not confirm which country the methylfentanyl came from, not declined to identify it, paragraph 25.)
Climbing season at Mount Fuji cancelled due to coronavirus
The climbing season for Mount Fuji, Japan’s highest peak, is cancelled for this year, after local officials announced on Monday that the mountain trails leading up to the summit will stay closed throughout the summer due to the novel coronavirus.
China says premature to immediately begin a COVID-19 investigation
China’s foreign ministry said on Monday it was premature to immediately launch an investigation into the origins and spread of the coronavirus that has killed more than 300,000 people globally.
Russia’s new coronavirus cases below 10,000 for third day in a row
Russia on Monday reported 8,926 new cases of the novel coronavirus in the last 24 hours, pushing its nationwide case tally to 290,678.
Taiwan says did not receive WHO meeting invite, issue off the table for now
Despite strong efforts Taiwan did not get invited to this week’s meeting of a key World Health Organization (WHO) body due to Chinese pressure, its foreign minister said on Monday, adding they had agreed to put the issue off until later this year.
China’s defence budget likely to grow despite economic cost of coronavirus
China, facing what it sees as increasing military pressure from the United States, is likely to shrug off the pall hanging over its economy from the novel coronavirus and increase its defence budget again this year.
Singapore’s health ministry confirms 305 new coronavirus cases
Singapore’s health ministry confirmed 305 new coronavirus cases on Monday, the smallest increase in over a month, taking its tally of infections to 28,343.
Ardern becomes New Zealand’s most popular PM in a century: poll
Jacinda Ardern became New Zealand’s most popular prime minister in a century, a Newshub-Reid Research poll showed on Monday, thanks to her COVID-19 response that made the country among the most successful in curbing the spread of the disease.
Australia welcomes growing support for COVID-19 inquiry at WHO meeting
A resolution pushed by the European Union and Australia calling for a review into the origins and spread of the novel coronavirus has the support of 116 countries at the World Health Assembly, almost enough for it to pass, a document showed.
