Asian Insider, March 16: Luzon under ‘enhanced quarantine’, Japanese care centre killer sentenced to death, Sanders and Biden face-off, explosion at Johor refinery kills five

Asian Insider brings you insights into a fast-changing region from our network of correspondents.

Hi,

In today's bulletin:

Luzon goes under complete lockdown, Malaysia sees a big jump in coronavirus cases, Biden and Sanders "elbow bump" at first debate, explosion kills five at a refinery in Johor, Japanese man who killed 19 disabled people sentenced to death, and more.

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LUZON UNDER ENHANCED QUARANTINE, BIG JUMP IN CORONAVIRUS CASES IN MALAYSIA, MOSQUES ADVISED TO CLOSE

Raul Dancel reports from Manila that President Rodrigo Duterte placed the entire main Philippine island of Luzon under "enhanced community quarantine" on Monday as measures to contain the new coronavirus by sealing the capital's borders failed.

The lockdown imposed on Metropolitan Manila buckled on Monday morning, its borders overrun by massive numbers of people and vehicles coming through.

Malaysia, meanwhile, has advised all mosques in the country to close for ten days, and Sarawak said it would impose a two week stay-home order for all visitors to the state, our Malaysia correspondent Hazlin Hassan reports. This comes a day after Malaysia saw its biggest single-day jump in new cases, with 190 new patients, most linked to a recent mass gathering of the Tabligh missionary group at a mosque in Kuala Lumpur. The event was attended by 16,000 people from several countries, reports Trinna Leong, our correspondent in Kuala Lumpur.

China, in an encouraging sign, continues to see declining local transmission although imported cases are still climbing. To curb this, the country announced that anyone arriving in Beijing from abroad would be sent to a central quarantine facility for two weeks.

And Australia joined the growing group of countries that have declared a state of emergency on Monday by doing so for Victoria state and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) - home to the capital city of Canberra. The country has 300 recorded cases and a death toll of five.

Must read:

Thailand Correspondent in Bangkok Hathai Techakitteranun: Tourism industry hit hard, with mass layoffs, shutdowns

Indochina Bureau Chief in Bangkok Tan Hui Yee: Working towards a shared Asean response

Hong Kong Correspondent Claire Huang: Tourist arrivals to Hong Kong down 96% in February

JAPANESE MAN ACCUSED OF KILLING 19 DIASBLED PEOPLE SENTENCED TO DEATH

Violent crime rates in Japan are dropping and homicide rates are at all-time lows, but a 2016 mass killing influenced by Adolf Hitler has cast a harsh glare on murders committed by disaffected youth in Japan. On Monday, Satoshi Uematsu, 30, was sentenced to death after admitting to stabbing to death 19 people at a care centre for people with mental disabilities. He said he wanted to eradicate all people with disabilities.

Uematsu is said to be unemployed and is a former employee of the facility in Sagamihara, located about 40km south-west of Tokyo.

Read more from Japan Correspondent in Tokyo Walter Sim:

Disbelief in Japan town after stabbing rampage at disabled centre left 19 dead, 25 injured

Japan's frustrated youth a ticking crime bomb

MALAYSIA'S FORMER FINANCE MINISTER SUES UMNO YOUTH LEADER OVER FALSE STORY ABOUT HIS SON BEING ARRESTED IN SINGAPORE

Malaysia's former finance minister Lim Guan Eng is filing a defamation suit against an Umno Youth leader over a false story alleging his son was arrested in Singapore.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Mr Lim, who is also secretary-general of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), said his family is "furious" over the claim, which was also published by Chinese daily Nanyang Siang Pau without the facts being verified.

"My family is furious for such shameless targeting of our innocent children, who are not in politics," said Mr Lim.

US DEMOCRATIC DEBATE: BIDEN COMMITS TO FEMALE RUNNING MATE AFTER HE AND SANDERS BUMP ELBOWS

Democrats Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders sparred over how they would respond to the coronavirus in their first one-on-one debate, arguing about whether Medicare for All is the right solution to fight the health crisis as it explodes across the United States.

Mr Biden, who is poised to lock up the nomination in the coming primaries, made a surprise announcement on another topic - that he would pick a woman to be his running mate.

"I commit that I will, in fact, pick a woman to be vice-president," Mr Biden said. "There are a number of women qualified to be president tomorrow. I would pick a woman to be my vice-president."

The debate began with an "elbow bump" instead of the traditional hand shake.

US Bureau Chief Nirmal Ghosh writes: Biden heading to Democratic nomination after big wins

See also: Biden's young voter problem: They don't think he's listening.

Must read: Biden, Sanders cancel rallies over virus concerns.

IN OTHER NEWS

AGUS YODHOYONO ELECTED AS DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIRMAN, TAKING OVER FROM HIS FATHER: Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, the eldest son of former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, has been elected as the Democratic Party's new chairman by acclamation on Sunday, following in his father's footsteps.

The decision was made after a plenary session held during the party's fifth national congress in Jakarta.

BANKS PLAY HOME LOAN LOTTERY WITH CLIMATE RISKS AS INSURERS BAIL OUT: Only a year after losing their homes to floods in parts of Australia's north eastern coast of Queensland, people are moving into new houses built on or near the same plots.

But while banks have been only too willing to offer them long-term loans at rates in line with the national average, insurance companies, who suffered insured losses of A$1.24 billion (S$1.08 billion) as a result of the Townsville floods, are more cautious.

EXPLOSION AT PETRONAS-ARAMCO REFINING COMPLEX IN MALAYSIA KILLS FIVE: A fire and explosion occurred at the Pengerang refining and petrochemicals complex in Malaysia's southern state of Johor, leaving five dead.

The incident occurred on Sunday night and an emergency response team was activated.

That's it for today, thanks for reading and see you tomorrow.

Tom

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