ASEAN IN FOCUS

Indonesia reports record number of COVID deaths at over 1,300 in 24 hours

Indonesia overtaking India as Asia’s COVID-19 epicenter   Skyrocketing Covid-19 infections and deaths are hammering hospitals in Indonesia which is overtaking India as Asia’s coronavirus epicentre. Desperate patients lining up at hospitals for days before getting proper treatment, as the government has advised infected people with mild symptomps to self quarantine. Many, however, ended up dying at homes. Workers from local community health centers and volunteers have taken the job to go house to house […]

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75 children killed, around 1,000 detained since Myanmar coup: UN experts

  GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — Dozens of children have been killed and hundreds arbitrarily detained in Myanmar since a coup more than five months ago, UN rights experts warned Friday. The UN child rights committee said it had received “credible information” that 75 children had been killed and around 1,000 arrested in Myanmar since February 1. “Children in Myanmar are under siege and facing catastrophic loss of life because of the military coup,” committee chair […]

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Indonesia new ‘epicentre of Asia’ as virus cases skyrocket

  JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — Virus-wracked Indonesia posted record daily infections topping 54,000 on Wednesday as the highly infectious Delta variant rips across the archipelago, catapulting it ahead of India as Asia’s Covid-19 epicentre. The Southeast Asian nation has been battered by a virus explosion that overwhelmed hospitals, leaving scores to die at home, while desperate relatives hunt for oxygen tanks to treat the sick. On Wednesday, Indonesia’s health ministry posted its highest-ever 54,517 new […]

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Singapore unveils one of world’s biggest floating solar farms

SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — Singapore Wednesday unveiled one of the world’s biggest floating solar power farms, covering an area the size of 45 football pitches, as part of the city-state’s push to cut greenhouse gas emissions. The project is the country’s most ambitious yet, comprising 122,000 panels on Tengeh Reservoir that will produce enough electricity to run its five water treatment plants. Singapore is among the biggest per capita carbon dioxide emitters in Asia and […]

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US pushes ASEAN to hold Myanmar accountable on coup

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US has “deep concerns” about the situation in Myanmar following February’s coup, urging the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to take action, the State Department said Tuesday. Myanmar has been in chaos and its economy paralyzed since the military ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s government earlier this year, accusing it of fraud during 2020 elections. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken “called on ASEAN to take joint action to […]

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Covid case cuts short Singapore ‘cruise to nowhere’

SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — An ocean liner on a “cruise to nowhere” was forced to make an earlier-than-scheduled return to Singapore Wednesday after a coronavirus case was detected on board, reports said. The cruises — starting and ending in Singapore, with no stops — were launched last year as part of the travel industry’s attempt to bounce back from a pandemic-induced crunch. They have proved popular among those seeking an escape from the tiny city-state, […]

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Thailand defends Covid vaccine ‘mix-and-match’ after WHO warning

BANGKOK, Thailand (AFP) — Thailand on Tuesday defended mixing two different Covid-19 vaccines to battle a surge in infections, after the WHO’s top scientist warned it was a “dangerous trend” not backed by evidence. The kingdom is struggling to contain its latest outbreak fuelled by the highly contagious Delta variant, with cases and deaths skyrocketing and the healthcare system stretched thin. Authorities said they will mix a first dose of the Chinese-made Sinovac jab with […]

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Thailand sees tougher Covid-19 curbs bite, including Bangkok curfew

BANGKOK, Thailand (AFP) — Over ten million people were placed under fresh Covid-19 restrictions and a curfew in the Thai capital Monday, as the kingdom battles a surge of cases worsened by the highly infectious Alpha and Delta variants. Thailand has so far recorded more than 345,000 cases and 2,791 deaths — with the bulk of them coming in this latest wave that kicked off in April. First detected in clubs frequented by the Thai […]

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6.1-magnitude quake strikes eastern Indonesia: USGS

  JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — A 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia’s Sulawesi island Saturday, the United States Geological Survey said, but no tsunami warning was issued and there were no immediate reports of damage. The strong quake hit 258 kilometres (160 miles) northeast of the city of Manado in North Sulawesi at a depth of 68 kilometres. Indonesia experiences frequent quakes due to its position on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, an […]

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Indonesia to give medics Moderna booster jab after death of several fully vaccinated doctors

  JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — Health workers in coronavirus-hit Indonesia will get a third booster jab using the Moderna vaccine, authorities said Friday, after several fully inoculated medics died from Covid-19. The Southeast Asian nation, battling its most serious outbreak to date driven by the Delta variant, has relied heavily on the Chinese-made Sinovac jab in its vaccine roll-out. But out of 1,000 medical workers who have died of Covid-19, more than a dozen were […]

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Indonesians ignore warnings in rush to buy anti-parasite drug, Ivermectin, for Covid

  by Agnes Anya / Haeril HALIM Agence France Presse JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — Indonesians have ignored health warnings to stock up on a “miracle cure” for Covid-19 backed by leading politicians and social media influencers, as an out-of-control virus surge sweeps the country. Authorities are reporting hundreds of deaths every day as the world’s fourth-most populous nation struggles with its worst outbreak since the pandemic began. Pharmacies across the country are running out of […]

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Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam postponed over coronavirus

  BANGKOK, Thailand (AFP) — The Southeast Asian Games, which were due to take place in Vietnam this year, have been postponed because of the pandemic and will most likely be held in 2022, a member of the organising council said Thursday. The regional Olympics were scheduled to be held in Hanoi and 11 other locations from November 21 to December 2. But Vietnam is struggling to contain a new coronavirus outbreak, and many Southeast […]

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