Latest news with #ST
Straits Times
19 minutes ago
- Health
- Straits Times
S'pore's Covid-19 wave eases as weekly cases and hospitalisations dip
The latest data shows the number of hospitalisations has decreased to about 118 cases daily. PHOTO: ST FILE SINGAPORE - Singapore's recent Covid-19 wave is easing, with the number of cases dipping to about 15,300 weekly, said Minister of Health Ong Ye Kung. The latest data, which Mr Ong called 'encouraging', also shows the number of hospitalisations has decreased to about 118 cases daily. In his Facebook post on June 14, he added that when the wave first picked up in late April, the Republic saw the estimated weekly infections spike to about 26,400 cases. Healthcare institutions in Singapore also faced increased patient load, with daily Covid-19 hospitalisations reaching around 174 cases. 'The good news is that ICU cases remained consistently low throughout this wave, staying at just about two to three cases daily,' Mr Ong said. 'This shows how our healthcare system has built up stronger resilience in managing Covid-19.' Amid signs that the wave is slowing down, he said that wastewater surveillance readings have also declined, referring to the quick and accurate barometer to detect diseases. In his post, Mr Ong reminded the public that similar to seasonal influenzas, such Covid-19 waves can still put pressure on Singapore's healthcare system. He added that Singaporeans must continue to prepare for new pandemics or future waves. 'We will keep monitoring the situation closely, particularly the emergence of new variants, and update the public accordingly,' he said. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
The Star
an hour ago
- Business
- The Star
Indonesian province dangles cash for men to get vasectomy, in bid to slow population growth
SUBANG, West Java (The Straits Times/ANN): In a first for the country, the authorities in Indonesia's most populous province of West Java have introduced a new incentive to slow population growth by offering 500,000 rupiah (S$40 - RM132) in cash to men who undergo vasectomies. The men must be aged 35 and above, are healthy, have fathered at least two children, and have the consent of their wives for the procedure. In West Java, a person is defined as living below the poverty line if he lives on 535,000 rupiah, or lower, a month. 'Response has been way above expectations,' said Enda Suganda, a senior official at West Java's population control and family planning department in Subang regency. 'We had more than 200 men coming forward but we could only do 60. We will budget again for further vasectomies later this year,' he told The Straits Times at his office on June 12. The sterilisation programme, which is the brainchild of West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi, will be rolled out in other regencies including Purwakarta, Cirebon and Indramayu in the coming months. A small but undisclosed amount for the programme will come from the province's social assistance fund for 2025, which is earmarked at 14 trillion rupiah, according to Enda. 'There are always pros and cons, but I believe vasectomy gives a lot of benefits,' goods trader Asep Dadi, 50, who has three children, told ST. 'It does not do harm to us men,' added Mr Asep, one of the 60 who underwent the minor surgical procedure in Subang regency, saying he planned to use the money for household expenses. Indonesia's population of nearly 286 million makes it the world's fourth most populous country. West Java alone has a population of 49.9 million – about the same as South Korea's. Since Jakarta launched its family planning programme in the 1970s, Indonesia's total fertility rate, or births per woman, has fallen from 5.6 to around 2 today. To date, efforts to slow population growth had focused mainly on birth control for women, with commonly used methods such as oral contraceptive pills taken daily or regular injections every quarter. Some feel more could be done. In April, governor Dedi made headlines for his proposal requiring men to undergo sterilisation in exchange for access to the government's social assistance programme, known locally as bansos. Recently, he also proposed military-style boot camps to instill discipline among delinquent youth. Vasectomy is a sterilisation procedure for males, in which the tubes that carry sperm are cut or blocked. It is considered a simple and permanent form of birth control. Although it can be reversed in some cases, success is not guaranteed. 'Stop having children if you can't provide for them well,' he told reporters, suggesting funds used to subsidise hospital births for underprivileged women be redirected towards building simple housing. Dedi's proposal went further, outlining that vasectomy would also be a requirement for poor families seeking new electricity connections, food aid, scholarships or public housing. 'We now expect the husband to join the programme, as a form of responsibility for himself and his family. Don't always place the responsibility on women,' he said. Dedi argued that vasectomies would help reduce the poverty rate as 'poor families generally have many children'. Some 7 per cent of West Java's population live below the province's poverty line. The regional governor's controversial vasectomy-for-aid proposal has raised eyebrows, drawing backlash from rights and religious groups. His idea did not go down well with the West Java Ulema Council of Islamic leaders, whose chairman Mr Rahmat Syafei said vasectomy could only be used as an incentive, not a prerequisite for social aid. 'If it is for an incentive, that is acceptable, but still it must comply with religious teachings,' he told local news agency Antara on May 1. Chairperson of the National Commission on Human Rights for Indonesia, Atnike Nova Sigiro, who spoke to reporters in May, said: 'Whatever is medically being done to your body is (a matter of) privacy and... human rights. It should not be linked to social aid.' That same month, Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf said that Dedi's idea was 'not relevant' to solving the poverty issue and would 'be difficult (to implement).' Pangeran Khairul Saleh, a member of a Parliamentary group that oversees human rights issues, stressed that sterilisation cannot be made mandatory or conditional. 'Social assistance fund is a citizen's constitutional right and cannot be linked to any medical procedure, which is a private matter,' he said in a statement to local media on June 5. In the digital public sphere, reaction was divided. One social media user who backed the proposal, in principle, expressed hopes that men 'will make more effort to improve their standard of living, and that the family planning programme doesn't only burden women'. Others gave the idea a flat thumbs down, likening birth control as a population control tool, particularly for the poor, to eugenics. 'Reproductive rights or reproductive abuse?' posted an Instagram user. But for freelance electrician Nana Suryana, who was among the first batch of 60 to be vasectomised, the cash payout will come in handy. 'Any further social aid linked to my vasectomy will be very welcome,' the 46-year-old father of six told ST. - The Straits Times/ANN
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Russia and Ukraine exchange prisoners of war, but Moscow received no war dead, Russia says
People in hazmat suits carry what is said to be remains of Ukrainian soldiers received from Russia in an unknown location in a screen grab from a Handout video released on June 13, 2025. Security Service Of Ukraine/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Russia and Ukraine exchange prisoners of war, but Moscow received no war dead, Russia says Russia and Ukraine exchanged prisoners-of-war (POWs) on Saturday, the Russian defence ministry said, and Russia handed over the bodies of 1,200 dead Ukrainian soldiers to Kyiv. The exchanges are part of agreements reached by the warring sides during talks in Istanbul earlier this month. Ukraine earlier on Saturday confirmed it had received the bodies of its soldiers killed in action. However, Russian state media reported, citing sources, that Moscow had not received any of its war dead back from Kyiv, echoing a statement Russia made on Friday, when it said it had returned the bodies of 1,200 slain Ukrainian soldiers and received none of its own. The Russian defence ministry did not say how many POWs were involved in the swap with Ukraine on Saturday, but it posted video showing its soldiers holding Russian flags and cheering before boarding a bus. The Russian soldiers are in Belarus, where they are receiving medical treatment before transfer back to Russia, the defence ministry said. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Health
- Straits Times
Indonesian province dangles cash for men to get vasectomy, in bid to slow population growth
West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi wants men to join in the move to slow population growth, as previous government efforts had mainly involved women. PHOTO: BERITA HARIAN Indonesian province dangles cash for men to get vasectomy, in bid to slow population growth - In a first for the country, the authorities in Indonesia's most populous province of West Java have introduced a new incentive to slow population growth by offering 500,000 rupiah (S$40) in cash to men who undergo vasectomies. The men must be aged 35 and above, are healthy, have fathered at least two children, and have the consent of their wives for the procedure. In West Java, a person is defined as living below the poverty line if he lives on 535,000 rupiah, or lower, a month. 'Response has been way above expectations,' said Mr Enda Suganda, a senior official at West Java's population control and family planning department in Subang regency. 'We had more than 200 men coming forward but we could only do 60. We will budget again for further vasectomies later this year,' he told The Straits Times at his office on June 12. The sterilisation programme , which is the brainchild of West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi, will be rolled out in other regencies including Purwakarta, Cirebon and Indramayu in the coming months. A small but undisclosed amount for the programme will come from the province's social assistance fund for 2025, which is earmarked at 14 trillion rupiah, according to Mr Enda. 'There are always pros and cons, but I believe vasectomy gives a lot of benefits,' goods trader Mr Asep Dadi, 50, who has three children, told ST. 'It does not do harm to us men,' added Mr Asep, one of the 60 who underwent the minor surgical procedure in Subang regency, saying he planned to use the money for household expenses. Indonesia's population of nearly 286 million makes it the world's fourth most populous country. West Java alone has a population of 49.9 million – about the same as South Korea's. Since Jakarta launched its family planning programme in the 1970s, Indonesia's total fertility rate, or births per woman, has fallen from 5.6 to around 2 today. To date, efforts to slow population growth had focused mainly on birth control for women, with commonly used methods such as oral contraceptive pills taken daily or regular injections every quarter. Some feel more could be done. In April, governor Dedi made headlines for his proposal requiring men to undergo sterilisation in exchange for access to the government's social assistance programme, known locally as bansos. Recently, he also proposed military-style boot camps to instill discipline among delinquent youth. Vasectomy is a sterilisation procedure for males, in which the tubes that carry sperm are cut or blocked. It is considered a simple and permanent form of birth control. Although it can be reversed in some cases, success is not guaranteed. 'Stop having children if you can't provide for them well,' he told reporters , suggesting funds used to subsidise hospital births for underprivileged women be redirected towards building simple housing. Mr Dedi's proposal went further, outlining that vasectomy would also be a requirement for poor families seeking new electricity connections, food aid, scholarships or public housing. ' We now expect the husband to join the programme , as a form of responsibility for himself and his family. Don't always place the responsibility on women,' he said. Mr Dedi argued that vasectomies would help reduce the poverty rate as 'poor families generally have many children' . Some 7 per cent of West Java's population live below the province's poverty line. The regional governor's controversial vasectomy-for-aid proposal has raised eyebrows, drawing backlash from rights and religious groups. His idea did not go down well with the West Java Ulema Council of Islamic leaders, whose chairman Mr Rahmat Syafei said vasectomy could only be used as an incentive, not a prerequisite for social aid. 'If it is for an incentive, that is acceptable, but still it must comply with religious teachings,' he told local news agency Antara on May 1. Chairperson of the National Commission on Human Rights for Indonesia, Atnike Nova Sigiro, who spoke to reporters in May, said: 'Whatever is medically being done to your body is (a matter of) privacy and... human rights. It should not be linked to social aid.' That same month, Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf said that Mr Dedi's idea was 'not relevant' to solving the poverty issue and would 'be difficult (to implement).' Pangeran Khairul Saleh, a member of a Parliamentary group that oversees human rights issues, stressed that sterilisation cannot be made mandatory or conditional. 'Social assistance fund is a citizen's constitutional right and cannot be linked to any medical procedure, which is a private matter,' he said in a statement to local media on June 5. In the digital public sphere, reaction was divided. One social media user who backed the proposal, in principle, expressed hopes that men 'will make more effort to improve their standard of living, and that the family planning programme doesn't only burden women'. Others gave the idea a flat thumbs down, likening birth control as a population control tool, particularly for the poor, to eugenics. 'Reproductive rights or reproductive abuse?' posted an Instagram user. But for freelance electrician Mr Nana Suryana, who was among the first batch of 60 to be vasectomised, the cash payout will come in handy. 'Any further social aid linked to my vasectomy will be very welcome,' the 46-year-old father of six told ST. Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja has been Indonesia correspondent at The Straits Times since 2008, and is based in Jakarta. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Seoul's LGBT community gathers for annual festival after liberal president elected
FILE PHOTO: A participant poses for photographs during the Seoul Queer Culture Festival in Seoul, South Korea, June 1, 2024. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/File Photo SEOUL - The annual Seoul Queer Culture Festival was held in the South Korean capital on Saturday after the country ushered in a new liberal president, though it faced concurrent protests against the LGBT community's pride celebrations. While the community has made some advances towards broader acceptance in Korean society, conservative religious groups still mount resistance to efforts to pass laws against discrimination, and there is no legal acknowledgement of LGBTQ+ partnerships. City authorities repeatedly denied venue clearance requests for last year's festival before eventually giving their approval. "The slogan for the 26th Seoul Queer Culture Festival is that we never stop," said its chief organiser Hwang Chae-yoo. "During the last ... administration, hate against homosexuality and LGBTQ+ became very strong, leading to government policies that often ignored LGBTQ+ people. That's why we expressed our will to never give up until the end, and make efforts to improve human rights," Hwang said. South Korea elected liberal President Lee Jae-myung earlier this month in a snap election, after conservative predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol was ousted following his impeachment. While Lee has not explicitly stated his positions on LGBT issues during the campaign, his election has led to optimism among some in the community that conditions could improve. Under blue skies and temperatures reaching 31 degrees Celsius (87.8 Fahrenheit), festival turnout was brisk with people, some carrying rainbow flags, milling about booths including those set up by LGBTQ+ organisations, embassies and university clubs. From 4:30 p.m. local time (0730 GMT), participants marched through the streets of Seoul, calling for improved human rights and self-esteem for LGBTQ+ people. The event's organisers said 30,000 people were taking part, though police put their estimate at around 7,000. A protest against the Queer Culture Festival was also held in a nearby location in central Seoul on Saturday. Participants held blue and pink signs with phrases such as "Homosexuality Stop" and "Destroys Families". There was no clash. "It's changed a lot compared to the old days, but most people are still like, 'we know you exist, but don't come out'," said 44-year-old festival participant Hong Il-pyo, who was dressed in drag. "I hope we can make a little progress and change to 'you exist, so let's live well together.'" REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
