Man sentenced to death on Zoom in Singapore
Zoom Logo Image: Wikimedia Commons
Singapore has sentenced a drug suspect to death on the popular video chat app Zoom because of the city-state’s coronavirus lockdown.
The move has been criticised by a human rights group as callous and inhumane.
Defence lawyer Peter Fernando said the Supreme Court announced the penalty to his client, Punithan Genasan, in a virtual hearing.
Supreme Court building in Singapore. Image: Terence One. CC BY-SA 2.0
The court ruled that the 37-year-old Malaysian was the mastermind of drug trafficking activity in 2011.
Genasan was in jail, while Mr Fernando and prosecutors participated in the hearing from different locations.
Man sentenced to death in Singapore via Zoom call https://t.co/FCvtmQ2vL6 pic.twitter.com/ppEAa3X9jm
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 20, 2020
2.6 million evacuated as Cyclone Amphan brings heavy rain and strong wind to India and Bangladesh
A strong cyclone has reached coastal India and Bangladesh with wind speeds ranging between 100mph and 105mph.
A potential storm surge could push sea water 15 miles inland with the possibility of flooding in crowded cities like Kolkata, India.
Bangladesh is attempting to evacuate 2.2 million people to safety.
India’s West Bengal state evacuated nearly 300,000, and Odisha state has evacuated 148,486 people.
The coronavirus pandemic has made it harder to manage evacuations, with many fearful to go to the shelters.
One of the strongest cyclone in Bay of Bengal is on its way. It will hit coast in evening. Stay safe. Take precautions. pic.twitter.com/rnqBDpL1sh
— Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) May 20, 2020
Brazil sees highest daily rise in Covid-19 cases and deaths
The number of people in Brazil who have died with Covid-19 has jumped by 1,179 – a daily record.
In total, 271,628 infections and 17,971 deaths had been confirmed as of Tuesday, health officials say.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has repeatedly downplayed the threat of coronavirus.
The country has the third highest number of infections worldwide, behind Russia and the US.
Brazil sees highest daily rise in coronavirus cases and deaths, with 17,408 cases and 1,179 deaths reported in the past 24 hours https://t.co/hclzIRSOwJ pic.twitter.com/2OdUNbIqFi
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) May 20, 2020
South Koreans return to school amid virus outbreak
South Korean students began returning to schools on Wednesday.
The new school year was supposed to start in early March, but it was delayed several times due to concerns regarding the spread of the coronavirus.
Students and teachers are now required to wear masks in classrooms, and some schools installed plastic partitions at each student’s desk, according to the Education Ministry.
The country has confirmed more than 11,000 coronavirus cases, including 263 deaths.
Students in South Korea are returning to school after an unprecedented 5-month break.
Officials have declared the country may have avoided a 2nd wave of #Covid_19 infections. More @business: https://t.co/N2UvuPGpsn #코로나19 pic.twitter.com/F7cAchxZxG
— Bloomberg QuickTake (@QuickTake) May 20, 2020
Hidden objects found at concentration camp
A number of objects have been found hidden beneath a chimney at the Auschwitz concentration camp complex.
Knives, forks, scissors and tools were among the objects discovered in Block 17, which is thought to have housed prisoners with handicraft skills.
It is unclear why prisoners would have hidden the items at the site.
The concentration camp was operated in occupied southern Poland during World War Two.
In just over four-and-a-half years, Nazi Germany systematically murdered at least 1.1 million people there, almost one million of whom were Jewish.
Knives, forks, scissors and tools found hidden beneath chimney at Auschwitz concentration camp complex https://t.co/H2sHYpnVSl
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) May 20, 2020
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