Surge in coronavirus in Southeast Asia

There has been a surge in Southeast Asia, and South Korea has warned that it might have to order the closure of religious, sports and entertainment centres, if citizens ignore government advice to avoid group gatherings for the next fifteen days.

Also in the programme: One of the biggest stars in country music history, Kenny Rogers, has died at the age of eighty-one; and Egyptian novelist, Ahdaf Soueif, tells us of the protest she staged to highlight the threat to prisoners from the coronavirus.

Picture: Visitors sit on social distancing benches at a hospital to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Padang, 21/03/2020. Credit: Reuters.