Month: April 2020

An Indonesian crew member on the coronavirus-hit Zaandam cruise ship who was hospitalised after the vessel was finally allowed to dock in the US state of Florida has died, officials said, raising the ship’s virus-related death toll to four.Craig Mallak, the medical examiner of Broward County, on Thursday confirmed the death of Wiwit Widarto, 50, who had tested positive for Covid-19.The man died on Wednesday, six days after the Zaandam and a sister ship docked in the Fort Lauderdale port after…

Two weeks ago, Indonesian IT consultant Okki Soebagio packed up his home and moved his family from Jakarta to Bali, unnerved by the death of a good friend killed by the novel coronavirus. He left before Jakarta on Friday introduced new social distancing guidelines that include a ban on gatherings of more than five people, limits on public transport and the closure of public places including schools, offices and places of worship. On Thursday, Indonesia recorded 40 deaths, its most in a single…

As the coronavirus pandemic places a spotlight on the issue of food security, Singapore is launching a new S$30 million (US$21 million) grant to help local farmers increase their food production over the next six to 24 months.The Singapore Food Agency’s (SFA) 30×30 Express grant, which will be available from mid-April, specifically aims to support the food and agriculture industry in ramping up local production of eggs, leafy vegetables and fish – food which is commonly consumed in Singapore –…

For Chinese national Didi, the most important lesson that living abroad has taught him is to love his home country even more.This was the message the 21-year-old student posted on popular Chinese microblogging site Weibo last week, accompanied with images of him collecting surgical masks from the Chinese embassy in Singapore.“Going abroad has taught us patriotism. At this moment when the global supply of masks is low, only our country is showing that it cares about our compatriots abroad. I am…

The Indonesian capital of Jakarta decided late on Tuesday to impose “large-scale social restrictions” to curb the spread of coronavirus, introducing limits on public activity and enforcement patrols after an alarming surge of infections.In announcing the policy, Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan told a press conference that the restrictions, which take effect on Friday, were for an initial period of two weeks, with the possibility of extension.Indonesia warned to be on guard for anti-Chinese…

When Singapore decided to close schools in its battle against the Covid-19s pandemic, education minister Ong Ye Kung had something extra in his portfolio to help him help students stay upbeat – a Yale University course on the “science of happiness”. “It was an eye opener, and helped me understand the challenges students are facing today, which youths of previous generations might not have encountered,” he said. Ong joined millions of people from more than 160 countries who have signed up for…

Australia’s highest court has overturned the convictions of the most senior Catholic found guilty of child sex abuse.High Court Chief Justice Susan Kiefel announced the decision of the seven judges on Tuesday in the appeal of former Vatican treasurer Cardinal George Pell. The decision means he will be released from Barwon Prison outside Melbourne after serving 13 months of a six-year sentence.Pope Francis’ former finance minister was convicted by a Victoria state jury in 2018 of sexually…

Two of the Philippines’ oldest hospitals hope to gain “precious” knowledge from a group of Chinese medical experts who have arrived in the Southeast Asian country to share their frontline experience fighting and containing the coronavirus pandemic.The 12 doctors are specialists in respiratory and infectious diseases, critical care, and integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine, said Huang Xilian, China’s envoy to the Philippines, who on Sunday welcomed the group on the tarmac. Huang…

A public servant in Singapore accused of leaking a draft media statement on school closures amid the coronavirus pandemic has been arrested under the city state’s Official Secrets Act.The 37-year-old woman allegedly shared the statement by the Ministry of Social and Family Development and the Ministry of Education with her husband, 38, who is not authorised to receive such information. He has also been arrested under the act.Singapore millennials bond on Instagram during stay-home noticesThe…

Confirmed coronavirus cases crossed 1 million last week and most of the world remains under lockdown or practising social distancing. One of the best pieces of advice on how to cope is to keep getting “ready in the morning” – get out of bed, change out of our pyjamas and try to maintain a semblance of normality as much as possible. When our days morph into night and night into day, and we lose count of how many days we’ve been living in our PJs, we are at risk of getting depressed. That’s no…