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This Week in Asia /

Health & Environment

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Coronavirus pandemic
Climate change
Wellness
Mount Krakatoa in the Sunda Strait, South Lampung, spews smoke and volcanic ash during an eruption. Photo: AFP/Indonesia’s Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation
Indonesia

Indonesia knew a volcano was erupting. Could it have prepared better?

An expert advises Jakarta to take steps such as announcing evacuation routes and releasing maps following a pre-eruption alert.

Nepal

‘Nothing left’: Nepal’s flood survivors face a homeless future

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Nepal

Nepal puts UN climate fund to test after fatal US$2.5 billion flood

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Japan

‘Not our problem’: Japanese resort town balks at nuclear waste plan

Hitachiomiya weighs state handouts against lasting stigma as residents protest against a preliminary survey for radioactive waste storage.

The interim storage facility in Futaba, Fukushima prefecture, which stores contaminated soil and waste generated from decontamination work following the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, in February. Photo: Kyodo
The interim storage facility in Futaba, Fukushima prefecture, which stores contaminated soil and waste generated from decontamination work following the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, in February. Photo: Kyodo
Asean

Southeast Asia’s extreme heat exposes holes in safety net for outdoor workers

Many Southeast Asian cities lack adequate heat risk assessments, and have weak regulations protecting outdoor workers, a report says.

Singapore

Silver linings: in ageing Southeast Asia, growing old is big business

From Singapore to Thailand, private operators and luxury resorts are cashing in, as more retirees seek care on their own terms.

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Nepal

Nepal’s tourism industry warns of ‘existential crisis’ after flood disaster

As the death toll mounts, travel bosses and guides work round the clock to reassure anxious tourists and salvage the peak autumn season.

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An army helicopter transports rescuers and flood victims in Nepal’s Rasuwa district on Wednesday. Photo: AFP
An army helicopter transports rescuers and flood victims in Nepal’s Rasuwa district on Wednesday. Photo: AFP
Japan

Japan goes on student suicide watch as school term starts

Government data shows student suicide spikes in September, when children return to school after a long summer break.

Japan

Pufferfish peril: Japan’s deadliest delicacy is getting more dangerous

Rising sea temperatures are pushing pufferfish species together, spawning hybrids that even specialist chefs cannot safely prepare.

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The Philippines

Manila’s ‘acutely unhealthy’ air due to Indonesian haze spurs health warnings

The haze has led Quezon City to suspend classes in schools and health experts to urge residents to wear N95 masks outdoors.

A thick haze shrouds Metro Manila due to smoke from ongoing fires in Kalimantan, Indonesia, on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters
Malaysia

Malaysia’s air quality turns hazardous as Indonesian wildfires burn

Pollution index hits 476 near the border, forcing school closures and triggering emergency cloud-seeding plans in Sarawak.

The skyline of Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur is seen shrouded in haze from regional wildfires on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters
The skyline of Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur is seen shrouded in haze from regional wildfires on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters
Asean

Asean urged to take on Big Tech after Meta’s record payout

Asean cannot pass EU-style laws, but a ‘coalition of the willing’ could force Big Tech to adopt safeguards against scams and child harm.

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Nepal

Nepal floods: could foreign rescue teams have been brought in earlier?

In the immediate aftermath of the floods, the government refused overseas help, only to reverse its decision days later.

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Vietnam

Vietnam’s move to end executions for drug trafficking sparks debate in region

The proposal has put a spotlight on the different legal approaches against drug trafficking offences in the region.

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Defendants (in blue) stand during their trial for drug trafficking in Ho Chi Minh on November 12, 2023. Photo: Vietnam News Agency/AFP
The Philippines

Philippine Roblox ban call sparks wider debate over children’s online safety

The online gaming platform has been blamed for the rise in school shootings and child sexual exploitation cases in Southeast Asia.

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A boy plays Roblox in front of a screen displaying the platform’s logo on December 8, 2025. Photo: Reuters
A boy plays Roblox in front of a screen displaying the platform’s logo on December 8, 2025. Photo: Reuters
Malaysia

Trunk road: injured elephant’s 100km trek home drives debate in Malaysia

The Asian elephant’s long journey back home has stirred outrage over logging and habitat loss in Malaysia.

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Malaysia

Smog without borders: Indonesia opens its skies to Malaysian rainmakers

Joint cloud seeding efforts offer immediate relief from the haze, but experts warn fire prevention at source is the real battle.

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Malaysia

‘Crazy loud’: terror as Malaysian roller coaster fails mid-ride, injuring 10

A top official points to metal fatigue as police and the theme park operator face a backlash for delayed comment on Saturday’s incident.

Riders react after a roller-coaster malfunction in Subang Jaya, Malaysia, on Saturday. Photo: Threads/wnelliesya
Riders react after a roller-coaster malfunction in Subang Jaya, Malaysia, on Saturday. Photo: Threads/wnelliesya
Singapore

Singapore’s island merger plan fuels nuclear power speculation

Analysts say nuclear could be one of Singapore’s options when planning the new island and its supporting infrastructure.

Indonesia

As toxic haze spreads, can Indonesia make land burners pay?

With thousands of fire hotspots traced to corporate land, the president has vowed action – but past efforts to collect fines have failed.

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Malaysia

‘An intrusion’: data centre fights test Southeast Asia’s AI ambitions

From Malaysia to the Philippines, residents have begun resisting power-hungry AI projects planned next to their homes.

Residents and NGO activists hold placards as they gather to protest outside Petaling Jaya City Council office in Malaysia on July 27. Photo: EPA
Japan

False claims about quakes, Hiroshima expose Japan’s conspiracy problem

Claims that a deadly quake was artificial and Hiroshima was not hit by an atomic bomb have alarmed experts tracking Japan’s online spaces.

Ground fissures are seen on a road in Hikawa, Kumamoto prefecture, on August 2, in the wake of the July 28 earthquake. Photo: Kyodo
Ground fissures are seen on a road in Hikawa, Kumamoto prefecture, on August 2, in the wake of the July 28 earthquake. Photo: Kyodo
Vietnam

Wax-sealed secrets: Vietnamese gangs keep ivory trade alive after China’s ban

A 1.2-tonne seizure reveals how transnational syndicates bypass bans to move poached tusks from Africa to Asia.

Malaysia

Malaysia’s Sarawak shuts almost 600 schools as haze hits ‘very unhealthy’ level

Asean’s consensus-based approach limits the effectiveness of a regional response to tackle the haze, a climate expert says.

Indonesia

‘Clothes went everywhere’: Indonesian quake survivors recall all-day aftershocks

Officials say there were 4,256 aftershocks since the quake off Flores, which killed 78 people and injured more than 900.

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Rescue personnel work at the scene of a collapsed building in East Manggarai following a 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Indonesia’s Flores island on August 15. Photo: AFP/Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency
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