Singapore’s civil aviation authority announced its support for the commercial use of drones in delivering parcels, inspecting buildings and providing security – according to AFP – a move that further highlights the country’s ambitious commitment to drone technology
Indonesia plane crash
Was the Lion Air disaster caused by the plane’s own computer?
The crash of a Boeing 737 operated by Indonesia’s Lion Air in late October was the second most fatal in the country’s history. A standard preliminary report – released one month after the crash – confirms that the plane had problems on previous flights and notes that the pilots struggled with the aircraft’s anti-stall automated
AICHR
Asean human rights rep says Malaysia regarded as ‘new beacon of hope and democracy’
The country’s representative for the Asean Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) says they need to be smart about the way forward, but “Malaysians are hopeful”
Mae Tao Clinic
‘It’s a cycle’: the refugee healthcare centre treating the casualties of an endless struggle
Nestled on the border between Thailand and Myanmar, the Mae Tao Clinic, in the Thai town of Mae Sot, has given desperately needed healthcare services to the thousands of ethnic minority refugees fleeing military crackdowns in their homeland for more than three decades
Sponsored
Sofitel decks the halls with holiday tunes
Phnom Penh’s Sofitel luxury hotel has a long history of celebrating the arts, which it will do this holiday season at Musica Felice. The resort’s first open-air concert for the whole family will feature 1930s jazz standards and festive classics like “Feliz Navidad” played by the Phnom Penh Choral Ensemble, 9th Harmonics, Alex Scarpati and
Art in action
Plastic Kingdom: art exhibition questions Cambodia’s rampant waste problem
An new art exhibition in Phnom Penh featuring works by Cambodian and foreign artists will raise questions about plastic use and recycling, through woodcarvings, illustrations and even a motorbike
Jet set
Exploring Tanjong Pagar: draped in fashion, steeped in history
Historic Tanjong Pagar, in Singapore’s business district, is home to a blend of Chinese tradition and modern living – making it the perfect medicine for escaping the bustle of the city-state
Socials Coffee and Humanity
Taking on Cambodia’s deaf stigma, one coffee at a time
A recently opened coffee shop in downtown Phnom Penh is empowering the country’s often marginalised deaf and mute community
Environment
How our great plastic love affair turned toxic
Plastic was invented a century and a half ago as a way to protect the environment. Today, the world is suffocating in it as researchers and startups search for solutions
Drug trafficking
First Bali Nine smuggler to walk free after 13 years in prison
Australian native Renae Lawrence will become the first member of the infamous drug trafficking group to be freed from Indonesian jail on Wednesday, 21 November
What’s in a job
Asylum protection officer: ‘in Thailand we treat refugees like tourists’
Waitsara Rungthong has worked as a protection officer in Thailand since 2015, assisting refugees who have fled there as they await resettlement in another country. She shared some of the nuances and challenges of her job at the Centre for Asylum Protection legal aid organisation
Financial technology
Blockchain to banking: key takeaways from Singapore’s huge fintech festival
The largest event of its kind in the world, the festival welcomed more than 40,000 participants and 250 speakers