tier-1



STORY OF THE DAY • Apr 15, 2020 • 2 min read

Thai economy Gold glitters as cash-strapped Thais sell jewellery

By Agence France-Presse • Apr 15, 2020
Hundreds of Bangkok residents rushed to goldsmith shops in Chinatown in order to sell their jewellery, as gold reached its highest levels since 2012 this week due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic pushes prices skywards

STORY OF THE DAY • Apr 15, 2020 • 10 min read

Southeast Asian history The Race to Yunnan

By Christian Gilberti • Apr 15, 2020
In the late 19th century, colonial powers Britain and France held grand ambitions to exert control over the Southeast Asia region. The construction of highly ambitious railway lines to access Chinese markets was deemed the answer, and the "Race to Yunnan" was on

Apr 13, 2020 • 5 min read
Singapore economy

Singapore’s struggling bars and eateries having to adapt to survive

As Singapore goes into full lockdown, the city-states once-bustling food and beverage establishments are having to find innovative ways to stay afloat. Will the pandemic change the way the sector operates for good?
By Amanda Oon • Apr 13, 2020

Apr 13, 2020 • 1 min read
Covid-19

‘Medibot’ to do rounds on Malaysian virus wards

Engineers at the International Islamic University in Malaysia have created a robot to assist health workers treat patients and check temperatures, something they hope will reduce their risk of contracting Covid-19
By Agence France-Presse • Apr 13, 2020

Apr 13, 2020 • 9 min read
Tales of the Pandemic

The view from inside Singapore’s migrant dorms

In April, Singapore put several dormitories housing 20,000 migrant workers under lockdown to control the spread of Covid-19, prompting criticism about conditions. Writer and Bangladeshi migrant worker Md Sharif Uddin gives his account from inside
By Md Sharif Uddin • Apr 13, 2020

Apr 12, 2020 • 2 min read
Covid-19

Silent streets for water festival in Myanmar lockdown

Myanmar’s New Year festival, Thingyan, is the country’s biggest public holiday and normally a week of nation-wide celebration and water-fights. But this year the country’s commercial hub Yangon lies in lockdown and silent, its streets eerily empty with residents shut firmly indoors as coronavirus fears grow
By Agence France-Presse • Apr 12, 2020

Apr 10, 2020 • 2 min read
Editorial

Hunkering down

This week, we looked past the headlines to hear more from you, our readers, and the diverse communities we cover across Southeast Asia. Check out this week’s coverage for a glimpse into the lives of ordinary people living through extraordinary times
By Andrew Haffner • Apr 10, 2020

Apr 10, 2020 • 6 min read
Freedom of the press

Cambodian journalist’s arrest part of regional crackdown on virus coverage

This week Cambodian journalist Sovann Rithy was arrested after he posted a quote taken directly from a Prime Minister Hun Sen speech. Rights groups have warned it's part of a worrying trend across Southeast Asia, as governments tighten their grip on the press in the wake of reporting on the virus
By Miriam Deprez • Apr 10, 2020

Apr 10, 2020 • 7 min read
Covid-19

‘Indonesia’s politicisation of the virus is stopping effective response’

Covid-19 is perhaps the most politicised virus in human history, and in Indonesia it's no different. Political analyst Yohanes Sulaiman explains how President Jokowi's economic aspirations, combined with opposition scheming, have resulted in a weak response to the crisis
By Yohanes Sulaiman • Apr 10, 2020

Apr 09, 2020 • 10 min read
Singapore inequality

‘We shouldn’t need Covid-19 to see migrant workers’ humanity’

As Singapore's divide between rich and poor is amplified by the Covid-19 crisis, columnist Yong Han Poh argues that it shouldn't take a pandemic to acknowledge the humanity of those who labour, unseen and unheard, to build the city-state
By Yong Han Poh • Apr 09, 2020