Life

Putting people at the heart of the story.

Life • STORY OF THE DAY • May 25, 2020 • 10 min read

Tales of the Pandemic Humanitarian outreach for migrants on the Thai-Myanmar border

By Wayland Blue • May 25, 2020
Mae Sot, a town on the Thai-Myanmar frontier home to a large Burmese migrant worker and refugee community, was hit hard in February when borders shut and supply routes were interrupted. Wayland Blue of the Shade Tree Foundation was part of an outreach team trying to mitigate these effects through a community outreach programme

Life • STORY OF THE DAY • May 25, 2020 • 2 min read

Migrant workers Filipina domestic worker commits suicide in Lebanon says embassy

By Agence France-Presse • May 25, 2020
A Filipina domestic workers committed suicide after jumping from the roof of a shelter run by her embassy in Lebanon. Already harsh conditions for migrant workers in the Middle East have only been made worse in recent months as the Covid-19 crisis causes currencies to depreciate and wages drop

Life • STORY OF THE DAY • May 21, 2020 • 2 min read

Covid-19 Robot dog on virus park patrol in Singapore

By Agence France-Presse • May 21, 2020
A yellow robot dog called Spot, which found fame online for dancing to Mark Ronson's hit song Uptown Funk, has been deployed to patrol a Singapore park and ensure people observe social distancing to stem the spread of Covid-19

Life • STORY OF THE DAY • May 20, 2020 • 6 min read

Philippines press freedom Embattled ABS-CBN’s future shrouded in doubt, but newsroom fights on

By Alexi Demetriadi • May 20, 2020
In the Philippines, the future of ABS-CBN remains uncertain as a decision on whether to allow it to return to air meanders through the nation's political system. But in the newsroom, one of the network's few branches still operating, news chief Ging Reyes says there is a renewed drive and energy

Life • May 19, 2020 • 6 min read
Art in Singapore

Discussing life, colonialism and migration with poet Theophilus Kwek

Ahead of the release of his upcoming book of poetry Moving House, award-winning Singaporean writer Theophilus Kwek sits down with the Globe to discuss the themes of colonialism, politics, racism and migration that all served as inspiration for his latest work
By Miriam Deprez • May 19, 2020

Life • May 19, 2020 • 4 min read
Covid-19

In Indonesia, gravediggers are battling virus fears and stigma

In Indonesia, some 50 gravediggers at Pondok Ranggon cemetery – one of two earmarked for coronavirus victims in the capital Jakarta – are risking their health and confronting stigma as they work up to 15 hours a day, seven days a week, for monthly wages of $290
By Haeril Halim/Agence France-Presse • May 19, 2020

Life • May 18, 2020 • 8 min read
Tales of the Pandemic

Reflecting on face masks as Vietnam enjoys Covid-19 ‘liberation’

Against the odds, Vietnam has become a global success story in combating Covid-19 as its started to open up once again. Hanoi resident Alex Sheal has been present for Vietnam's latest "liberation", and believes attitudes towards the humble face mask highlight the difference between his new home and the West
By Alex Sheal • May 18, 2020

Life • May 18, 2020 • 5 min read
Tales of the Pandemic

A student’s perspective: What I learned from Singapore’s schools closing

Singapore is a country famous for having among the most rigorous education systems in the world. So when all its schools were shut in recent months as the pandemic took hold, student Charmaine Sew acquired a valuable life lesson of her own
By Charmaine Sew • May 18, 2020

Life • May 15, 2020 • 7 min read
Covid-19

Singapore’s social recession: Are the elderly the hardest hit?

As social distancing measures have been implemented in Singapore, many businesses have closed and the economy has suffered. But along with the financial hardship, there's also a social recession going on, impacting the city-state's already isolated elderly hardest
By Lee Ying Shan • May 15, 2020

Life • May 15, 2020 • 4 min read
Cox's Bazar

First Covid-19 case found in Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh

Bangladeshi officials announced on May 15 that a first person tested positive in the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar. The world's largest refugee settlement and home to one million people living in overcrowded conditions, fears are that it will rapidly spread
By Shafiqul Alam and Sam Jahan/AFP • May 15, 2020

Life • May 13, 2020 • 7 min read
Refugee rights

Once a safe haven, anti-Rohingya sentiment in Malaysia is growing

Malaysia, once a safe haven for thousands of Rohingya, is witnessing a shift in attitude towards the persecuted and displaced minority group from Myanmar. Fuelled by misinformation and government rhetoric, anti-Rohingya sentiment is growing online
By Andrew Haffner • May 13, 2020

Life • May 12, 2020 • 10 min read
Sport

Karen national football team playing for victory away from home

In the US state of Minnesota, the newly established Karen Football Association is aiming to provide a platform to promote the struggles of the ethnic group back in Myanmar, as well as foster a sense of community and identity for future generations in their new home
By Alexi Demetriadi • May 12, 2020