Indonesia bans traditional Ramadan exodus to rein in coronavirus

JAKARTA - Indonesia will ban its traditional annual exodus by people streaming out of cities at the end of the Muslim fasting month in May, as the Southeast Asian nation looks to curb the spread of coronavirus, President Joko Widodo said on Tuesday.

Indonesia's tally of 590 virus deaths is the highest in East Asia after China, but Widodo had previously resisted a ban, seeking instead to persuade people to stay put.

But health experts had warned that allowing millions in the world's biggest Muslim-majority country to travel to their home villages after Ramadan could hasten the spread of the disease.

"I have taken the decision that we will ban 'mudik,'" Widodo told a cabinet meeting, using the Indonesian term for the journey. "That is why the relevant preparation needs to be done."

He cited a survey by the transport ministry that showed 24% of the archipelago's population of more than 260 million were insisting on joining the exodus after Ramadan.

Last year, about 19.5 million people in the archipelago made the journey, the government says, and Widodo added that 7% of Indonesians had already set out this year.

The world's fourth most populous country has recorded 6,760 virus infections for southeast Asia's second highest tally after the neighboring city state of Singapore, though some estimates put the figure far higher.

In a study last week, researchers at the University of Indonesia's public health faculty warned that if the exodus home were permitted, it could lead to a million infections by July on Java, the most populous island, home to Jakarta, the capital.

Without the exodus, that figure could be cut to 750,000 cases, the researchers said.

-reuters-

Asia stocks edge up on optimism over global growth, dollar soft

TOKYO - Asian shares edged up on Monday on optimism for global growth, while the dollar was on the defensive as a subdued US inflation outlook capped US bond yields and raised questions about the Federal Reserve's plans to tighten policy.

European shares are seen opening little changed. Spread-betters expect Britain's FTSE to open 0.1 percent higher and Germany's DAX and France's CAC to start almost flat.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan ticked up 0.4 percent as tech counters led gains in Korean and Taiwanese shares to record highs and 27-year highs respectively. [

Trading was slow with many markets in the region closed for holidays to celebrate the end of Ramadan.

Japan's Nikkei rose 0.1 percent.

Mainland Chinese shares rallied, with the CSI300 index rising 1.2 percent to hit its highest level in almost a year and a half, after the MSCI chief said the index provider could raise its weighting of China's mainland-listed 'A' shares.

The prospect of solid global economic growth has kept alive investor optimism for world equities even as some markets, including Wall Street, have slowed from a meteoric run because of high valuations.

Share prices have also been supported by relatively loose monetary policies in the developed world, with the Bank of Japan and the European Central Bank still pumping in funds.

The US Federal Reserve is gradually tightening its policy, but investors think the pace of its tightening will be much slower than policymakers want, given subdued US inflation.

Money market futures price in only about 50 percent chance of another rate hike by the end of the year, compared to Fed's own projection of one more rate increase.

That hardly changed after San Francisco Fed President John Williams said the US central bank needs to keep raising rates gradually with the US economy at full employment and inflation set to hit the Fed's two-percent target next year.

The 10-year US Treasuries yield stood at 2.153 percent, not far from seven-month low of 2.103 percent hit mid-June, after news that inflation had undershot expectations for a third straight month.

The 30-year yield hit 7-1/2-month low of 2.710 percent on Friday, making the yield curve the flattest in almost a decade. It last stood at 2.722 percent.

The lower yields have put the dollar on the defensive, though some market players say both Treasury yields and the dollar could rise if US President Donald Trump manages to push his healthcare bill through Congress.

"There will be renewed focus on US healthcare bill. Its passage in the parliament could lead to expectations that the administration will get down to stimulus next," said Masahiro Ichikawa, senior strategist at Sumitomo Mitsui Asset Management.

Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell has pushed for a vote on the bill before the July 4th Independence Day holiday recess that begins at the end of this week.

Yet he can afford to lose the support of only two Republicans in the face of unanimous Democratic opposition, while five Republican senators have said they will not support the bill in its current form.

The dollar stood at 111.29 yen, off last week's high of 111.79.

The euro traded at $1.1194, slowly recovering from its three-week low of $1.1119 touched on Tuesday.

A strong reading in Germany's Ifo business sentiment survey due at 0800 GMT (4 p.m. in Manila) could open the way for a test of $1.1296, its seven-month high hit earlier this month.

The euro was little damaged by the news that Italy began winding up two failed regional banks on Sunday in a deal that could cost the state up to 17 billion euros ($19 billion).

"This won't cause a major financial crisis considering the current strength of the euro zone economy," said Yukio Ishizuki, senior strategist at Daiwa Securities.

Oil prices ticked up after having fallen for five weeks in a row on concerns OPEC-led production cuts have failed to ease a global crude glut stemming in part from increased US oil production.

US energy firms added 11 oil rigs in the week to June 23, bringing the total count up to 758, the most since April 2014, according to data from energy services firm Baker Hughes Inc.

Brent crude futures rose 1.1 percent to $46.02 per barrel from seven month lows of $44.35 hit last week.

US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fetched $43.47 per barrel, up 1.1 percent on the day and extending gains from their 10-month low of $42.05 set on Wednesday.

"There is some support near $40 in the WTI. People think that U.S. shale development will stop if it falls below $40," said Tatsufumi Okoshi, senior economist at Nomura Securities.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Snipers make rescue of trapped civilians, wounded soldiers difficult

MARAWI, Lanao del Sur - Snipers of the Maute group were making it difficult for government forces from rescuing wounded soldiers and trapped civilians in this southern city on Sunday, as fighting between state forces and local terrorists entered the sixth day. 

Authorities said around 17 non-combatants were reportedly stranded in a building in the downtown area after they sought shelter from the government's surgical airstrikes against the extremists.

 The building's fourth and fifth floors reportedly collapsed due to the airstrikes, trapping the civilians on the second floor.

ABS-CBN sources, meanwhile, said several wounded soldiers were also trapped in the city center.

Soldiers and elite policemen from the Special Action Forces have made several attempts to rescue their injured comrades and the civilians.

Snipers, however, have opened fire at the state troops, forcing them to retreat.

VIOLENCE MARS RAMADAN 

The military on Saturday said it will sustain the airstrikes to flush out Maute fighters. 

The offensives have damaged or destroyed at least 4 houses, including the residence of Lanao del Sur Rep. Jun Papandayan. 

The fighting has also made it difficult for Marawi residents to observe Ramadan, the holiest month in Islam, as many continued fleeing to safer ground or grappled with difficult conditions in evacuation centers. 

At least 31 suspected terrorists have been killed in clashes since Tuesday, 6 of whom may be fighters from Malaysia and Indonesia, Armed Forces spokesperson Restituto Padilla earlier said.

The government side, meanwhile, has suffered 13 deaths, 11 soldiers and two policemen. There has yet to be a confirmed count on civilian deaths, but nine people were found slain allegedly by the Maute group on Tuesday.

The pandemonium in Marawi erupted last Tuesday after a failed attempt to arrest Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon, the suspected leader of the Islamic State terror group in Southeast Asia. -- report from Ron Gagalac, ABS-CBN News

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Working on a holiday? Here's how you should get paid

MANILA - While most employees took a day off from work Friday, some had to report for duty on the regular holiday. How should they be paid by their employers?

According to the Department of Labor Employment (DOLE), employers should implement the following pay rules for employees who report to work on the holiday:

The employee should be paid 200 percent of regular salary for that day for the first eight hours [(Daily Rate + Cost of Living Allowance) x 200 percent].

For overtime work, the employee should be paid an additional 30 percent of his or her hourly rate on said day [(Hourly rate of the basic daily wage) x 200 percent x 130 percent x number of hours worked]

For work done during a regular holiday that also falls on the employee's rest day, the employee should be paid an additional 30 percent of daily rate of 200 percent [(Daily Rate + Cost of Living Allowance) x 200 percent] + [30 percent (Daily Rate x 200 percent)]

For work done in excess of during a holiday that also falls on a rest day, the employee should be paid an additional 30 percent of his or her hourly rate on said day (Hourly rate of the basic daily wage x 200 percent x 130 percent x 130 percent x number of hours worked)

If the employee did not work, however, the employee should still be paid 100 percent of salary for that day [(Daily Rate + Cost of Living Allowance) x 100%].

Friday, July 17, is the celebration of Eid’l Fitr, the feast marking the end of Ramadan. It was declared a regular holiday because of its religious and cultural significance to the Muslims.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

32 missing, 5 dead after boat sinks off Malaysia

BANTING - Thirty-two people were missing on Wednesday and five were confirmed dead after an apparently overloaded boat carrying Indonesian illegal migrants headed home for Ramadan sank overnight in rough seas off western Malaysia.

Officials said 60 people were rescued or made it to land by themselves after the accident around midnight near Port Klang, Malaysia's largest port, as authorities intensify the search with nine ships and a helicopter.

"Thirty-two people are still missing. We have found five bodies comprising four men and one woman. They died due to drowning," said Mohamad Hambali Yaakup, head of the Port Klang office of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency.

"Rough seas are making our rescue operation difficult. But we will continue the search until the remaining 32 people are found," he said.

The boat sank not far from shore, raising hopes that many of the missing had made it to safety on their own, Mohamad Hambali added.

Officials believe 97 passengers were aboard the wooden boat, including some children.

Authorities said rescued passengers told them they were returning home to Indonesia across the Malacca Strait -- the busy shipping lane between Malaysia and Indonesia's Sumatra island -- for the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

Officials had initially said the passengers were believed to be seeking to enter Malaysia.

"From interviews with those rescued, they said they were returning to Aceh (in northern Sumatra). They did not have any travel documents," said Mohamad Hambali.

"As in previous years, many Indonesian migrants will be leaving Malaysia ahead of Ramadan."

Around two million illegal immigrants -- the vast majority of them from Indonesia -- are estimated to be working in Malaysia.

Large numbers of them annually return home to Indonesia ahead of Ramadan, which begins around the end of June and will culminate in late July with Eid al-Fitr, Islam's biggest festival.

Both countries are Muslim-majority.

"We believe the boat was overcrowded and the sea was rough during the incident," Mohamad Hambali said.

Access to survivors was not immediately available as they have been taken into custody by police.

Relatively affluent Malaysia is a magnet for migrant workers from poorer neighbours such as Indonesia, Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Accidents, however, are frequent as thousands annually risk the sea journey in rickety boats to seek low-paying work -- typically shunned by Malaysians -- on plantations, construction sites and in factories.

Indonesians often add to the risk by choosing to cross the Malacca Strait in darkness to avoid detection.

Last August a boat carrying more than 40 Indonesians heading home for Eid-al-Fitr sank off southern Malaysia.

Malaysian authorities called off a search several days later, with seven confirmed dead and 33 still missing.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Asian Muslims celebrate Eid as 14 killed in Afghanistan

KABUL - Muslims across Asia celebrated Eid al-Fitr Thursday with lavish feasts and religious services but festivities in Afghanistan were marred by an explosion at a graveyard that killed 14 women and children.

The attack, which occurred in eastern Nangahar province, came as a group of women and youngsters gathered to commemorate the late wife of a pro-government tribal leader as part of their Eid prayers.

Earlier, President Hamid Karzai appealed to the Taliban to resist being controlled by foreigners and said the militants should support their own country.

"You are working for others, (foreign) guns are put on your shoulders, and innocent Afghan people are being killed by it, homes are destroyed," he said. "Give up on it, be Afghan."

Elsewhere in Asia, Indonesia was among the first countries in the Islamic world to kick off Eid celebrations, but fears of fresh attacks at Buddhist sites prompted a security clampdown days after a temple bombing.

The past week has seen an exodus from cities in the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation, with people taking to cars, boats and planes to head home to their families across the archipelago of more than 17,000 islands.

While most Indonesians were celebrating, it was an anxious time for the country's minority Buddhists after an attack on a temple in Jakarta on Sunday.

One person was injured when a small bomb exploded at the Ekayana temple as hundreds were praying, an attack motivated by anger at the plight of the persecuted Rohingya Muslim minority in Buddhist-majority Myanmar.

"Buddhist temples are one of the key locations we are securing," national police spokesman Ronny Sompie told AFP.

Malaysia's Islamic authorities called for Muslims to strengthen the unity of the nation in the aftermath of controversial elections in May that saw the Muslim Malay ruling party retain its grip on power.

Prime Minister Najib Razak is expected to host up to 80,000 guests as he opens his home to celebrate the end of the fasting month.

Muslims in Australia were among those to celebrate Eid on Thursday, along with Malaysia and the Philippines, with Gulf states expected to follow. Pakistan, Hong Kong and North African nations are expected to start festivities on Friday.

Leaders of Australia's ruling Labor Party including foreign minister Bob Carr and members of the opposition addressed worshippers outside Sydney's Lakemba mosque, rallying support ahead of national polls on September 7.

In Beijing, Chinese Hui Muslims exchanged sweets and received blessings at the city's historic Nijuie Mosque, built in the 10th century.

Many of China's estimated 40 million Muslims live in the country's eastern regions of Ningxia and Xinjiang, which last month saw its worst ethnic violence in recent years that left at least 35 people dead.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com