JAKARTA (THE JAKARTA POST/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) -For sure, 2020 is a year we would all like to forget. The Covid-19 pandemic has taken more than 1.75 million lives around the world, more than 20,000 Indonesians among them, and the fear it has caused has cast a pall over the world. We can draw some comfort […]

SINGAPORE – What is essential to a society in the throes of a pandemic-induced lockdown? Bubble tea, it seems – at least for the hordes of Singaporeans who in April scrambled for one “last” hit, after it was announced that stores selling the sugar-addled concoction were “non-essential” and had to be temporarily shuttered as Singapore […]

SINGAPORE – Kyle You, five, and his brother Rhys, three, enjoyed volunteering with their parents at Willing Hearts, delivering meals from the charity to those in need. Their mother, Mrs Eve You, 37, wondered how the boys could get more involved in giving back rather than just following instructions from adults. Please subscribe or log […]

PALM BEACH, Fla./WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. government headed toward a chaotic last few days of the year as President Donald Trump’s refusal to approve a $2.3 trillion financial package caused millions of jobless Americans to lose benefits and threatened to shut down federal agencies due to lack of funding. Trump, who leaves office on […]

KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar suffered minor injuries after his bicycle hit a pothole, causing him to fall in Banting, a city in the Selangor state Sunday morning (Dec 27). In a tweet that was shared more than 2,900 times, he posted pictures of his bruised face […]

MIR ALI, Afghanistan — On the barren high plains of western Afghanistan, along a roadway south of Herat city, is a collection of sturdy earthen huts known as Qala-e-Biwaha, or “village of widows.” Most of the village’s men have disappeared — killed while trying to smuggle opium across the desolate frontier into neighboring Iran. The […]

KATHMANDU (REUTERS) – A senior Chinese official arrived in Kathmandu on Sunday (Dec 27) to assess the political situation, local party officials said, a first diplomatic step by the neighbouring power after Nepal’s Prime Minister dissolved Parliament a week ago. China has poured millions of dollars into Nepal in recent years in the form of […]

SINGAPORE – The regulatory lapses found at Concord International Hospital (CIH) were not linked to the management of any Covid-19 cases, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Sunday (Dec 27). This is based on its inspection thus far, said an MOH spokesman. The private hospital, which specialises in cancer treatment, was enlisted by the MOH […]

SINGAPORE – People aged 70 and above will be prioritised for Covid-19 vaccination, followed by those aged 60 to 69 years, as these older age groups are among the most vulnerable to severe complications if they contract the disease. Healthcare workers and workers at the front line of the national Covid-19 response will also be […]

PANIQUI, PHILIPPINES (REUTERS) – Hundreds attended the funeral on Sunday (Dec 27) of a woman and her son shot dead by an off-duty policeman in the Philippines, a week after a video of the incident went viral on social media, sparking public outrage over police brutality. Members of the public joined as relatives and friends […]