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The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the world bad. And it's hit some places harder than others. In Southeast Asia for instance, no where is this more apparent than Indonesia, with a sprawling population of over 270 million. Throughout 2020, the archipelago saw a massive wave of criticism directed at (former) Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto for his lax approach to containing the virus. After all, when the fate of your […]

It seems that the pandemic hasn't really changed marriage traditions across the world. Sure, actual wedding dates have had to be postponed; some have been canceled outright. But the traditions that come with marriage are here to stay, pandemic or no pandemic. Such is the case in the town of Tokamachi in Japan's Niigata Prefecture, where women have their new husbands tossed into snow. It's one of the very few […]

Malaysians are either riling in discontent or basking in indifferent comfort as the country dives into another Movement Control Order (MCO), following a surge in COVID-19 cases in the country. The Southeast Asian nation's first MCO, which was imposed back in March 2020, taught Malaysians the importance of staying safe during a pandemic. It also tore a huge hole in the local economy, running many establishments out of business. However, […]

In Malaysia's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the country has decided to prioritize frontliners and senior citizens with chronic illnesses in its vaccination program. This follows neighboring Singapore's approach. But when can healthy Malaysians who aren't active frontliners, and below the age of 60, expect to be vaccinated? Science, Technology, and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin says they'll only be vaccinated by the third quarter of 2021. Science, Technology, and... Click […]

The Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has just green-lit the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) in the country. This comes just 22 days after Pfizer officials filed for EUA with the FDA. The first-of-its-kind approval by the government body marks a historic change in direction for the country's embattled struggle to contain the deadly virus. The Philippines is currently the hardest-hit country in Southeast Asia, recording […]

Singapore's nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive, which started on December 30, 2020, is off to a good start. So far, over 6,200 people have already been given their first-of-two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, Health Minster Gan Kim Yong said after getting his first jab. The country plans to set up a total of eight vaccination centers by the end of February 2021. IMAGE: Tan Tock Seng Hospital / Channel News […]

Children these days are growing up in an age of smartphones and other tech. Digital natives, as they're called. But of course, children still have a lot to learn, including the proper use of the devices they're given. Can't blame them for the innocent mistakes they make. Business owner Julmar Grace Locsin (39) learned that the hard way when she discovered her son had spent over US$2,000 on mobile games. […]

It has begun. Panic-buying among Malaysian grocery shoppers has made a return, following the January 11 announcement of a renewed Movement Control Order (MCO), in addition to the state of emergency declared by the King on January 12, 2021. The last time Malaysians were exposed to this phenomenon was back in the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, when Malaysia's first series of lockdowns took place. But […]

If it hadn't already been flooding your social media newsfeeds by now, you'll know that Malaysia has now entered a state of emergency in order to curb the spread of COVID-19. This comes just a day after it was announced that the country would once again be under a strict Movement Control Order (MCO), much like the first lockdown of March 2020. But to a lot of Malaysians, the announcement […]