Lebanon: it didn’t have to be this way
Vox’s Alex Ward, when reporting on the Beirut explosion early last month, noted in passing that Lebanon’s post-civil war economic policy “was to attract investors and tourists, and bolster its...
Category: Asia
Why we eat what we eat: dog meat in Indonesia
In Indonesia, dog meat has never become mainstream, but this does not mean it is non-existent. The meat is often advertised as having healing properties; sellers would say the meat can cure serious...
The truth about Vietnam’s success against COVID-19
While other countries are still lifting quarantine or planning to re-open public activities, Vietnam - a small, developing country that has about 1,400 km of land, river and stream and borders with...
Dengue fever: an outbreak amid the pandemic
While struggling to curb the coronavirus pandemic, Indonesia must face the challenge of fighting an old enemy: dengue fever. The disease is caused by a virus carried by a species of mosquito called...
The war on media freedom in the Philippines
Maria Ressa, a prominent journalist, and Reynaldo Santos J., former reporter at one of Philippines' most influential news sites, Rappler, have been found guilty of cyber-libel, in a case seen as a...
How Indonesians have reacted to the coronavirus pandemic
Once upon a time, Indonesia prided itself on not having a single case of COVID-19 in the country amid the global pandemic. In February, after the test results for 134 suspected COVID-19 cases came...
How far will you go for the perfect body?
Warning: This article may be triggering for those with eating disorders. 45 kilograms (99 lbs) is regarded as an unhealthy weight goal for most people. Unless you’re short, forty-five kilograms...
Where tradition meets religion: Ramadan in Indonesia
Muslims in Indonesia have now welcomed Ramadan, which is Muslims’ fasting month. It will run from April 23 to May 23. Before the arrival of Islam, fasting was known as a method to advance one’s...
Fake news “Infodemic” around coronavirus pushes governments and tech giants to act
The spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), which began in the Chinese region of Wuhan in December 2019, has killed more than 2,100 people, with all but 11 of those deaths in mainland China. The total...
China’s actions “portend a dystopian future”, Human Rights Watch says
US-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the international community to push back against “the most brutal and pervasive oppression China has seen in decades” in its 2020 annual report....