A police officer stands guard ahead of the 18th Shangri-La Dialogue held at Singapore's Shangri-La Hotel on May 31, 2019. (Xinhua/Then Chih Wey)
-- The Shangri-La Dialogue to be held in Singapore is cancelled.
-- Brunei confirms its first death case from COVID-19.
-- Eight crew members in New Zealand have tested positive.
-- South Korea reports 146 more cases.
HONG KONG, March 28 (Xinhua) -- The following is the latest developments of the COVID-19 pandemic in Asia-Pacific countries.
SINGAPORE -- The London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) said early Saturday that after close consultation with the Singaporean government, they have decided not to convene the 2020 Shangri-La Dialogue in light of the serious challenges posed by the global COVID-19 pandemic.
It would be "a significant challenge" to hold the Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD) in early June in view of the COVID-19 outbreak, Singapore Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen said in a Facebook post Saturday.
The annual SLD is held in Singapore in late May or early June.
An airplane of Singapore Airlines parks on the tarmac of Singapore's Changi Airport on March 23, 2020. Singapore Airlines announced on Monday that it would cut 96 percent of its capacity till the end of April. (Photo by Then Chih Wey/Xinhua)
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN -- Brunei reported the first death case from COVID-19 in the country, the Ministry of Health said on Saturday.
According to the health ministry, the deceased was a 64-year-old man who returned to Brunei from Malaysia and Cambodia on March 4.
Aerial Photo taken on March 17, 2020 shows the CC4 section of Brunei's Temburong Bridge in Temburong District. (Xinhua)
WELLINGTON, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Air New Zealand said on Saturday that eight crew members have tested positive for COVID-19.
The eight confirmed cases are among the 451 confirmed or probable cases of COVID-19 in New Zealand.
A spokesperson from Air New Zealand said all eight employees work on the company's long-haul fleet and operated sectors to Los Angeles or London.
Photo taken on March 26, 2020 shows an empty street in Wellington, New Zealand. (Xinhua/Guo Lei)
SEOUL -- South Korea reported 146 more cases of the COVID-19 compared to 24 hours ago as of midnight Saturday local time, raising the total number of infections to 9,478.
Five more deaths were confirmed, lifting the death toll to 144. The total fatality rate came in at 1.52 percent.
A staff member introduces the work process of the screening clinic to a woman in Seoul, South Korea, March 26, 2020. (NEWSIS/Handout via Xinhua) ■