While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, March 30

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in a live interview on CNN’s programme, Fareed Zakaria GPS. PHOTO: MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION

Coronavirus could take years to run its course, world must brace itself: PM Lee

It could take several years for the coronavirus to go around the world and run its course unless something happens to abort that process, says Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, adding that the world will have to brace itself for a long battle ahead.

In an interview on Sunday with CNN's Fareed Zakaria about Singapore's much-lauded response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Mr Lee said he hesitates to call the Republic a "success story".

In response to the suggestion that Singapore has contained the virus outbreak, he said: "I hesitate to talk about success because we are right in the midst of a battle,which is intensifying."

He does not see the pandemic going away in a couple of months and expects it to spread to other parts of the world such as India, Africa, South-east Asia and Latin America.

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US coronavirus deaths could reach 200,000, Fauci warns

US deaths from coronavirus could reach 200,000 with millions of cases, the government's top infectious diseases expert warned on Sunday as New York, New Orleans and other major cities warned they would soon run out of medical supplies.

Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, estimated in an interview with CNN that the pandemic could cause between 100,000 and 200,000 deaths in the United States.

Since 2010, the flu has killed between 12,000 and 61,000 Americans a year, according to the website of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Italy to extend coronavirus lockdown beyond April 3

Italy's government will "inevitably" extend beyond April 3 the containment measures it had approved to stem the coronavirus outbreak in the country, the regional affairs minister said on Sunday.

Italy has suffered the most deaths from the virus epidemic and was the first Western country to introduce severe restrictions on movement after uncovering the outbreak just over five weeks ago.

The government has since increasingly tightened them and these were initially expected to be softened from next Friday.

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Trump says US will not pay for security protection for Prince Harry and Meghan

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the United States would not pay for security protection for Britain's Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, who, according to media reports, have settled in Los Angeles.

Trump wrote on Twitter that "now they have left Canada for the US however, the US will not pay for their security protection. They must pay!"

There is no indication that either Prince Harry or the British government has asked the US government to cover security costs, which some media reports have said run to millions a year.

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Scrap Premier League season if it can't be finished by end of June: Harry Kane

England captain Harry Kane said on Sunday the Premier League season should be cancelled if it cannot be completed by the end of June because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The English top-flight is currently suspended until at least April 30 due to the Covid-19 outbreak, with a likely further delay to be announced soon.

There is no clear idea about when or if football will be able to resume, but Euro 2020 has been cancelled, which opens a window to bring domestic seasons to a conclusion in the summer.

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