Frustrated after a string of break-ups, Dwita Astari Pujiartati quit the casual romance circuit and turned to a growing trend among Indonesian singles – marriage without dating.The 27-year-old professor exchanged resumes with prospective suitors – helped by a Muslim cleric turned matchmaker – until she was contacted by a long-lost acquaintance who also wanted to give contactless dating a whirl.There was no hand-holding or kissing. The pair did not even meet in person for almost a year, chatting…
Anwar asks if Malaysia’s new cabinet is truly ‘clean’ as rights groups slam its lack of diversity
Malaysia’s reformist icon Anwar Ibrahim, until recently tipped to be the nation’s next prime minister, has questioned if the country’s new cabinet is truly free of corruption – even as activists come forward to criticise its reduced representation of women and ethnic minorities.Commenting on the 69-person line-up announced by new Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin on Monday, Anwar asked how the ruling Perikatan Nasional coalition’s cabinet and deputy ministers had been deemed “clean” in the first…
Southeast Asia at risk of missing coronavirus cases amid dengue outbreak: experts
The concurrent outbreaks of dengue and Covid-19 in Southeast Asia will pose new challenges for authorities and health care workers, with experts warning that new coronavirus infections could slip through the cracks.Their concerns were sparked by a March 4 report by Singapore-based doctors in medical journal The Lancet that pointed to the similarities between the mosquito-borne disease and the novel coronavirus – and how this could result in false-positive results for dengue.“Dengue and…
As Covid-19 spreads in Singapore, Chinese immigrants fear a repeat of mainland experience
Singapore’s handling of the deadly coronavirus outbreak may have won plaudits from experts around the world, but Tao, a Chinese immigrant in the city state, is hoping that authorities do even more.The 48-year-old recently lost his father to the Covid-19 illness caused by the virus, which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan where some of his family and relatives live.“My father died of pneumonia in Wuhan two days after the city was closed off, so I know how scary, pervasive and lethal the…
As Malaysia Airlines MH17 trial begins in The Hague, court examines ‘atrocious disaster’
The trial of four men charged with murder over the July 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 began on Monday in The Hague. The defendants did not show up in court but the sombre proceedings were watched by family members of the 298 victims who perished when the plane was shot down over eastern Ukraine.“As you can see, none of the four defendants has complied with the summons by the Public Prosecution Service to appear in court today,” said public prosecutor Ward Ferdinandusse.After the…
North Korea fires 3 unidentified projectiles, South Korean military reports
North Korea has fired three projectiles, Seoul’s military said Monday, a week after it launched what the South said appeared to be two short-range ballistic missiles.Three devices were fired eastward over the sea from the Sondok area in South Hamgyong province, the South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.“The military is monitoring for additional launches and maintaining readiness,” it added.Monday’s launch was the North’s second weapons test in a week.After last week’s launch the…
Coronavirus: Singapore confirms 12 new cases, taking total number of infections to 150
Singapore on Sunday confirmed 12 new cases of the coronavirus, taking the total number of infections in the city state to 150.Nine of the new cases are linked to a private dinner at a function centre near Jurong Central Park on February 15. There now 30 cases linked to this cluster.Of the three other new cases, one is linked to a previous case, one is imported and one is currently unlinked, the Ministry of Health said.“Further epidemiological investigations and contact tracing have uncovered…
Coronavirus: third virus-related death in Australia after elderly Sydney man dies
A man in his 80s died in a Sydney hospital after testing positive to COVID-19, becoming the third coronavirus-related casualty in Australia, state health authorities said on Sunday.The total number of coronavirus cases has topped 70 in Australia with state and federal health authorities fretting over the risk of more widespread community transmission.The outbreak has killed more than 3,400 people worldwide, spreading across more than 90 nations outside China.New South Wales Health said in a…
Coronavirus: Malaysia turns away cruise ship, as cases rise to 93
Malaysia on Saturday reported 10 new cases of the novel coronavirus, bringing the total number of infections to 93, as it turned away a cruise ship from a port in northern Penang state.Health director general Noor Hisham Abdullah said all of the cases had been identified and the patients were currently under treatment.“All the new cases recorded today are due to close contact with Case 33, where four cases, which are cases 85, 86, 87, and 93, were first-generation close contacts with Case 33,”…
Coronavirus: Japan’s tourism industry in ‘survival mode’ as travellers stay away
Japan’s domestic tourism industry is facing a major test of whether it can withstand the ravages of the novel coronavirus, with the country’s two major airlines cancelling hundreds of domestic flights and the travel sector as a whole feeling the pinch as leisure and business travellers alike increasingly choose to stay at home rather than risk contracting the disease. On a daily basis, 35,000 foreign nationals entered Japan in February, compared with 85,000 a year ago. Japan Airlines said it…