This Week in Asia /

Health & Environment

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Coronavirus pandemic
Climate change
Wellness
People make their way through floodwaters on a wooden boat the town of Kawit, Cavite province, Philippines, on Thursday. Photo: EPA
Climate change

World’s top court just changed the game for climate action

The landmarks ruling holds that countries and big corporations have a legal duty to shield people from environmental harm.

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Japan

Whale of a row in Japan as Interpol drops activist’s red notice

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Indonesia

Rabies fears rise in Bali as tourist hotspots declared ‘red zones’

India

Skeletal remains force India to probe Dharmasthala mass burial claims

Hundreds of secret burials linked to Dharmasthala, Karnataka, have come to light as a whistle-blower eyewitness seeks protection.

The Dharmasthala temple authority has said it it supports a “fair and transparent” investigation and expressed hope that investigators will get to the bottom of the claims. Photo: Shutterstock
The Dharmasthala temple authority has said it it supports a “fair and transparent” investigation and expressed hope that investigators will get to the bottom of the claims. Photo: Shutterstock
Malaysia

Malaysia on edge as police hunt armed robbery suspect amid surge in shootings

A series of audacious shootings has rocked Malaysia. The latest saw a robbery suspect fire a gun outside a Johor store on Saturday.

The Philippines

Haunted waters: the Philippine murder mystery spoiling Taal Lake’s catch

As divers brave volcanic eruptions and storms to search for human remains, their discoveries have a nation demanding answers.

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Indonesia

Indonesia’s dream of a ‘smart forest’ capital becomes a vice-ridden nightmare

Sex work, cockfighting and illegal gambing are rife in Indonesia’s planned capital city, officials say, raising doubts about its future.

Indonesia’s future capital city of Nusantara is seen under construction in July last year. Photo: AFP
Indonesia’s future capital city of Nusantara is seen under construction in July last year. Photo: AFP
Aviation

After 2025’s string of aviation scares, are the skies still safe?

Experts say air travel is still the safest mode of transport and accidents such as the Air India crash remain ‘statistical outliers’.

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South Korea

South Korean man drowns in flood after telling wife: ‘car being swept away’

Intense rainfall has battered South Korea in recent years, prompting questions about its flood prevention measures.

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Indonesia

Bali urges tourists to assess fitness after spike in accidents and rescues

The warning comes amid a string of emergencies involving foreigners on the island.

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Tourists wander at Kuta Beach in Bali, Indonesia, Photo: EPA-EFE
Japan

Japan megaquake ... again? Disaster fears re-emerge over rash of island tremors

Japan’s weather agency has logged at least four ‘felt quakes’ in the area with an intensity of 4 on the country’s Shindo scale since Sunday.

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A ferry carrying residents and visitors evacuating from Akuseki island, as multiple earthquakes hit the island, a part of the Tokara island chain in southwestern Japan’s Kagoshima prefecture on July 4. Photo: Kyodo via Reuters
A ferry carrying residents and visitors evacuating from Akuseki island, as multiple earthquakes hit the island, a part of the Tokara island chain in southwestern Japan’s Kagoshima prefecture on July 4. Photo: Kyodo via Reuters
Japan

The smartphone squint: a closer look at Japan’s cross-eyed epidemic

The highest proportion of patients with the condition are middle and high school students, according to a recent study.

Thailand

Thailand to require cannabis shops to convert into clinics staffed by doctors

Officials say only around 2,000 of the country’s 18,000 marijuana dispensaries are expected to stay open after the new rules go into effect.

South Korea

Off the hook: South Korean fishers forced to dump US$1.9 million of bluefin tuna

After catching more than 1,300 bluefin tuna, the fishers from Yeongdeok county had to throw away the fish under an international obligation.

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Some 1,300 giant bluefin tuna were caught off the coast of Yeongdeok County, North Gyeongsang, South Korea on Tuesday morning. Photo: Yeongdeok county
Japan

Japan dives deep in race for rare earths, stirring a green backlash

While rich mineral deposits promise centuries of supply, critics argue Japan’s deep-ocean venture risks an irreversible ‘race to the bottom’.

A researcher logs coral reef coverage near a Japanese island. Environmentalists warn that deep-sea extraction of rare earths could have disastrous consequences for marine life. Photo: AFP
A researcher logs coral reef coverage near a Japanese island. Environmentalists warn that deep-sea extraction of rare earths could have disastrous consequences for marine life. Photo: AFP
Singapore

Do Singapore’s insurers and private hospitals need a rethink as costs surge?

Great Eastern’s suspension of pre-treatment approval for admission to two Mount Elizabeth hospitals has sparked a debate on cost management.

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India

As Delhi scraps vehicle ban plan, what next for clean air in India’s capital?

Better traffic management and addressing gaps in public transport could be a start to fixing the problem, analysts say.

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Asean

Eating plastic: the hidden cost of convenience in Southeast Asia

If plastic pollution continues to worsen in the region, its people could face a wide range of health issues, medical experts warn.

Rising microplastic waste is fast becoming a global health hazard. Photo: Shutterstock
Rising microplastic waste is fast becoming a global health hazard. Photo: Shutterstock
India

Bollywood star’s sudden death reignites India’s quick-fix beauty treatment debate

The death of Shefali Jariwala, 42, a user of anti-ageing injections, has raised concerns about cosmetic treatment safety and heart-related deaths among young adults.

Japan

Explainer | What is Japan’s viral manga quake prophecy and how likely is it to come true?

Ryo Tatsuki’s manga novel predicts that a ‘megaquake’ will hit Japan on Saturday, creating tsunamis three times as tall as those from 2011.

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Thailand

Thailand’s doctors have to show cannabis use for medical reasons in new form

The reversal of Thailand’s decriminalisation of cannabis in 2022 is a major setback for retail sellers of the drug across the country.

A marijuana flower bud being prepared for a customer at a cannabis shop in Bangkok. Photo: AP
Malaysia

Soft soil caused Malaysia’s huge gas pipeline fire: authorities

A high-level special committee will be formed to ensure sufficient measures are in place to prevent the incident from recurring.

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An aerial drone photo of the gas pipeline fire in Malaysia on April 1. Photo: Xinhua
An aerial drone photo of the gas pipeline fire in Malaysia on April 1. Photo: Xinhua
Indonesia

The rat in the room: understanding Indonesia’s hantavirus cases

Medical experts say there is no cause for alarm as the 8 reported cases of a disease linked to the virus happened at a local level.

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Japan

Japan’s bear attacks surge: is social media clout worth risking life and limb?

Climate change, fewer hunters and shrinking habitats are causing the animals to venture into human territory, naturalist says.

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Pacific nations

The future of climate migration? Tuvalu’s people seek a new home in Australia

About 3,125 Tuvaluans have entered the ballot for a climate visa to live in Australia, but analysts warn of brain drain.

The serpentine coastline of Funafuti Atoll of Tuvalu. Scientists have warned Tuvalu is likely to have only 80 years before it becomes uninhabitable. Photo: AFP
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