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A doctor checks the eyes of a patient. Glaucoma damages the optic nerve, often without noticeable symptoms, leading to loss of vision if left untreated. Photo: Shutterstock
India

India turns to AI to boost early detection of glaucoma

AI tools can help analyse retinal images to detect signs of glaucoma, and warn people about impending health risks for related diseases, experts say.

Japan

Japan’s municipalities unready to deal with major earthquake: survey

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South Korea

South Korea mulls giving Indonesian wildfire hero a long-stay visa

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Thailand

‘Earthquake drunk’ Thais given advice on how to deal with post-quake dizziness

The syndrome, caused by an overstimulated nervous system, is more common among those with anxiety disorders and migraines, experts say.

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Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra (right) visits relatives of a missing worker at the site of a building that collapsed following an earthquake in Bangkok on Wednesday. Photo: EPA-EFE
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra (right) visits relatives of a missing worker at the site of a building that collapsed following an earthquake in Bangkok on Wednesday. Photo: EPA-EFE
The Philippines

Deaths from future big quake in Philippines may surpass 50,000: seismologist

The forecast comes after a 7.7-magnitude quake in Myanmar last week left over 2,700 people dead and caused a building in Bangkok to collapse.

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Malaysia

Malaysians angry over Selangor gas pipeline fire, blame ‘haphazard’ works

More than 100 people were injured in the huge blaze that happened near a residential area, with 65 of them hospitalised.

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Thailand

Massive Myanmar earthquake reveals cracks in Bangkok’s ‘tofu buildings’

The Chinese embassy in Bangkok has called for full cooperation with the Thai authorities’ investigation into the State Audit Office collapse.

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Rescuers conduct a search for survivors on Friday at the site of the collapsed State Audit Office tower building in Bangkok. Photo: EPA-EFE
Rescuers conduct a search for survivors on Friday at the site of the collapsed State Audit Office tower building in Bangkok. Photo: EPA-EFE
Japan

Japan’s second ‘baby hatch’ for abandoned infants opens amid economic strain

With thousands of product prices rising, the cost of raising a child is becoming an impossible burden for some young Japanese women.

Thailand

Thai man arrested after faking story about pregnant wife buried in quake rubble

The man reportedly collected around US$300 in donations before his lie was exposed.

Myanmar

Malaysian rescuers in Myanmar’s quake epicentre face aftershocks, landmines

Hopes of finding survivors are ‘diminishing’ as the critical 72-hour window in which people can survive without water closes.

Members of the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team retrieve bodies from under collapsed buildings in Sagaing, Myanmar, on Monday. Photo: Facebook/Smart Team Malaysia
Australia

Jetstar flight turns back to Bali after woman tries to open plane door mid-flight

A reality TV star who was also on the flight said the incident was sparked by a dispute over a reclining seat.

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A Jetstar plane flying to Melbourne was forced to turn back to Bali on March 31, 2025. Photo: AP
A Jetstar plane flying to Melbourne was forced to turn back to Bali on March 31, 2025. Photo: AP
Japan

Japan warns up to 298,000 could die in potential Nankai Trough ‘megaquake’

The figure is revised from previous projections of 323,000 deaths, but economic damage is estimated to increase to US$2 trillion.

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Earthquakes

Myanmar diaspora rallies for quake victims with 1 rule: do not help the junta

Those living overseas have urged international donors not to send aid via the junta, saying the military will weaponise relief efforts to increase exploitation.

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Indonesia

‘The sooner, the better’: Bali governor wants island waste-free by 2027

A sustainable waste management facility which can convert rubbish to energy is in the works for the resort island.

Workers clean up a river filled with rubbish in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia. Photo: EPA-EFE
Japan

Japan to spend a record US$133 billion on earthquake resilience

One focus will be on strengthening essential services affected by recent disasters, such as the Noto Peninsula earthquake last January.

A police officer and a rescue dog search for survivors after a earthquake hit the Noto Peninsula on January 1, 2024. Photo: Kyodo
A police officer and a rescue dog search for survivors after a earthquake hit the Noto Peninsula on January 1, 2024. Photo: Kyodo
Myanmar

‘We are on our own’ in quake-hit Myanmar, as rescuers wait for aid to arrive

‘The cemetery is packed with bodies, there are so many that we are cremating them every three minutes,’ a Sagaing resident says.

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Environment

Black carbon: the super pollutant melting Asia’s glaciers

While CO2 gets the spotlight, black carbon’s potent, short-lived warming effect is pushing Asia’s glaciers past the tipping point.

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Myanmar

‘It’s like apocalypse’: Myanmar, Thailand quake death toll tops 1,600

Over 3,400 people have been injured, with deaths and injuries expected to rise significantly amid devastating and widespread damage.

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Residents inspect the collapsed Maha Myat Muni Pagoda in the city of Mandalay, Myanmar, following a devastating earthquake. Photo: EPA-EFE
Residents inspect the collapsed Maha Myat Muni Pagoda in the city of Mandalay, Myanmar, following a devastating earthquake. Photo: EPA-EFE
Japan

Japan faces 99 times more heatwaves if global warming intensifies, report warns

A new report reveals global warming could cause “once-in-a-century” heatwaves annually.

Thailand

Over 150 dead across Myanmar, Thailand as quake traps scores under rubble

A state of emergency has been declared in Bangkok as rescuers rush to the site of a collapsed building where at least 80 workers are unaccounted for.

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South Korea

South Korean mayor sparks outrage by blaming female workers for wildfire woes

Kim Doo-gyeom of Ulsan city cites limitations in fighting the devastating blaze, saying it is not easy to send women into ‘rugged mountain areas’.

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Houses burn in a South Korean village after being engulfed by a wildfire fuelled by winds. Photo: Yonhap via AP
SCMP Highlights

Chiang Kai-shek’s great grandson, Coldplay ticketing mess: 7 highlights

From a cross-straits move to Coldplay’s ticketing mess, here are highlights from SCMP’s recent reporting.

Andrew Chiang You-ching, the great-grandson of Taiwan’s former leader Chiang Kai-shek, announced on social media that he is moving to Hangzhou to build a career and promote cross-strait ties. Photo: Douyin/Andrew Chiang
Andrew Chiang You-ching, the great-grandson of Taiwan’s former leader Chiang Kai-shek, announced on social media that he is moving to Hangzhou to build a career and promote cross-strait ties. Photo: Douyin/Andrew Chiang
Thailand

Thailand offers rewards for reporting e-cigarette use as vaping concerns rise

Thailand’s new initiative aims to curb vaping and protect public health, with fines and jail terms for offenders.

Japan

Norovirus cases in Japan hit decade high amid ‘unseasonal’ outbreak

The spread of norovirus nationwide has prompted health warnings about hygiene and food safety.

Thailand

Thai tourist gems Chiang Mai and Bangkok among world’s worst for air quality

With both Thai cities listed among the 10 worst in air quality worldwide, emergency measures and regional cooperation are under way to address the crisis.

Bangkok’s skyline is seen amid high levels of air pollution on March 21. Photo: AFP
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