Authorities have said today Singapore will chair the boards of governors of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank for the next year.

A LAST-MINUTE case has shattered Singapore’s dream of being stricken off the World Health Organisation’s list of SARS-affected countries, after a 39-year-old man was diagnosed with the disease.

SINGAPORE authorities said yesterday it was too early to say its outbreak of the deadly SARS virus had peaked, and braced the nation for higher unemployment as visitor arrivals plunged and a major regional airline fired staff.

IN Hong Kong, health officials revised the territory’s SARS death rate to 7.2% of all reported cases, from about 5%. Officials fear it may rise further.

Deaths worldwide from severe acute respiratory syndrome reached at least 100 today, as the main casualty China revealed that fatalities have been much more widespread than it had previously reported.