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Recycled condoms, heroic animals, and QAnon comes to Asia: the region’s most bizarre stories from 2020
- Conspiracy theories made their mark on the continent, fuelled by the coronavirus pandemic and concerns about vaccines
- Also in the news was a man in Indonesia who sold a meteorite that crashed into his house, along with an Indian couple who got married in hazmat suits
Reading Time:5 minutes
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It’s been an unusual year, mostly due to the once-in-a-lifetime disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic. It’s not a surprise in that case that 2020 brought its share of bizarre news. Here are the weirdest stories from a weird year.
CATS DRESSED TO IMPRESS
After quitting his job as a schoolteacher, Indonesian tailor Fredi Lugina Priadi tried his hand at a number of businesses – including running a motorbike repair shop – before stumbling upon feline fashions, an idea from one of his cat-loving cousins. The 39-year-old now supplies outfits to picky pet owners looking to dress their cats in everything from superhero outfits for figures like Thor and Superman to cosplay characters, nurse uniforms and even traditional Islamic wear. Since setting up his online business three years ago, he now generates up to 3 million rupiah (US$210) a month, provided he sells four pieces per day.
QANON COMES TO ASIA
The spread of the QAnon conspiracy theory throughout the US was bizarre enough – but then it somehow took root in Asia as well. Like its US counterpart, Japan’s QAnon community centres on an unsubstantiated belief that US President Donald Trump is battling to save the world from a cabal of paedophiles, including Democrats and “deep state” agents. QAnon also found supporters in Australia, sometimes manifesting alongside alternative health therapies and scepticism about the long-awaited coronavirus vaccines. Wellness influencers such as celebrity chef Pete Evans have amplified such messages to their millions of followers.
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