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Nation

Woman escapes with her life after crashing bike into driving school test car

BUKIT MERTAJAM: A woman managed to cheat death after her motorcycle was involved in a crash with a driving school test car at Jalan Betek, Bukit Mertajam on Thursday (April 2).

ASEAN+

Covid-19: Hong Kong offers specimen pick-up service for overseas arrivals

HONG KONG (China Daily/ANN): People returning to the city from overseas can hand in their specimens for Covid-19 tests using door-to-door collection service from Friday (April 3)onwards.

Nation

Hadi appointed as PM's special envoy to Middle East

PUTRAJAYA: PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang (pic) has been appointed as the Prime Minister's special envoy to the Middle East.

World

Swiss coronavirus cases top 18,000, death toll rises to 432

ZURICH (Reuters) - The Swiss death toll from the coronavirus epidemic has risen to 432, the country's public health agency said https://www.bag.admin.ch/bag/en/home/krankheiten/ausbrueche-epidemien-pandemien/aktuelle-ausbrueche-epidemien/novel-cov/situation-schweiz-und-international.html on Thursday, from 378 people on Wednesday.

Internet

Tone-deaf or tuned-in? Coronavirus epidemic proves a minefield for celebs

The coronavirus epidemic is bringing fans up close and personal with celebrities in an unprecedented way, but not everyone is liking what they see.

China

Shenzhen to ban eating of cats and dogs from May 1

SHENZHEN (Reuters): The Chinese city of Shenzhen has banned the eating of dogs and cats as part of a wider clampdown on the wildlife trade since the emergence of the new coronavirus.

Motorsport

Cricketer Stokes to test his F1 skills in virtual GP

LONDON (Reuters) - England cricketer Ben Stokes will test his driving skills against five Formula One drivers, including Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, in the sport's second virtual grand prix this weekend.

World

EU will avoid medicine shortage, industry chief says

PARIS (Reuters) - European Union countries will have access to the medicines they need to care for coronavirus sufferers, the bloc's industry chief Thierry Breton said on Thursday, adding pharmaceutical companies were doubling production to address shortages.

Technology

MCO: So you want lemang and rendang from Ramadan bazaars? Find out how sellers are preparing for online delivery

Ramadan bazaar sellers in Seremban, Dungun and Klang have started forming online groups to prepare for food delivery services in Malaysia during the upcoming fasting month.

Nation

Two motorcycle thieves arrested in PJ

PETALING JAYA: Police arrested two men who are believed to have been behind a spate of motorcycle thefts around here.

Energy

Alam Maritim wins Petronas Carigali charter contract

KUALA LUMPUR: Alam Maritim Resources Bhd has secured a RM28.4mil charter contract from Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd for the provision of support service vessel.

Cambodia

Cambodia's garment manufacturers urge buyers to honour purchasing contracts

PHNOM PENH (Xinhua): The Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia (GMAC) on Thursday (April 2) called on all international buyers to honour their purchasing contracts in order to ensure the livelihoods of millions of Cambodian workers and the survival of factories in the kingdom.

World

In about-turn, Catalonia seeks Spanish military help for coronavirus

BARCELONA (Reuters) - The separatist government of Spain's Catalonia region abandoned its initial reluctance and asked the national military on Thursday for assistance in tackling the coronavirus.

World

Kill the virus, not democracy - EU tells Hungary

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission told Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Thursday that emergency powers he has assumed to combat the coronavirus outbreak risk upending democracy and must be subject to proper parliamentary and media scrutiny.

World

Putin to make televised speech about coronavirus on Thursday - Kremlin

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin will deliver a televised address to the nation about the coronavirus situation after 4 p.m. Moscow time on Thursday, the Kremlin said on a conference call.

China

China seeks to rev up car market

BEIJING (Xinhua): China will endeavour to stabilise new car sales, loosen purchase restrictions in certain cities and invigorate the used-car market in a bid to unleash the consumption potential for cars, an official said Thursday (April 2).

Nation

Health Ministry braces for possible peak in Covid-19 cases in mid-April

PUTRAJAYA: The Health Ministry is bracing for the possibility of Malaysia’s Covid-19 cases peaking in mid-April as projected by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

China

No new domestic case, China to step up asymptomatic screening

BEIJING/WUHAN (China Daily/ANN): China will step up targeted screening of people infected with Covid-19 caused by a novel coronavirus but showing no symptoms, a health official said Thursday (April 2).

Motorsport

MotoGP start pushed back further as French race postponed

(Reuters) - The start of the MotoGP season was pushed back to the end of May at the earliest on Thursday after France postponed its race at Le Mans due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Other Sports

Jockey Club to honour health workers at 2021 Grand National

(Reuters) - Britain's Jockey Club will donate 10,000 tickets for the first day of the 2021 Grand National meeting at Aintree to local National Health Service (NHS) and social care sector staff, it said on Thursday.