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This Week in Asia /

Health & Environment

Related Topics:
Coronavirus pandemic
Climate change
Wellness
A police officer sprays water in a bid to extinguish a fire razing through a peatland field in Ogan Ilir, South Sumatra, Indonesia, in July last year. Photo: AP
Singapore

Burning point: Southeast Asia’s haze fight faces cost test

Indonesia has come under renewed attention after President Prabowo Subianto committed to cracking down on agriculture-linked fires.

Extreme weather

Asia’s ‘dangerous’ humid heatwaves push human body to its limits

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Singapore

Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew seen as cool guy amid Europe’s deadly heatwave

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Malaysia

Is Malaysia risking its world-class coral reefs for offshore oil?

A new report reveals that 86 per cent of the country’s sensitive marine environments overlap with active or proposed oil and gas blocks.

Boats anchor at a dive site off Sipadan Island in Sabah, Malaysia. Photo: Shutterstock
Boats anchor at a dive site off Sipadan Island in Sabah, Malaysia. Photo: Shutterstock
Singapore

Singapore aims to lead Asia’s wellness race with US$770 million complex

The Therme wellness hub is set to draw 2 million visitors annually as competition heats up in the regional tourism sector.

The Philippines

After Philippines’ worst school shooting, a familiar hunt for easy answers

The Tacloban attack has reignited a debate over youth radicalisation online, but experts warn blanket bans ignore the real issue.

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Singapore

‘So much pressure’: why Singapore lawyers don’t last beyond courtship phase

Poor mental health is the main reason for young lawyers leaving the profession in droves, a new survey has found.

People walk across a bridge near the Supreme Court (right) in Singapore. Photo: AFP
People walk across a bridge near the Supreme Court (right) in Singapore. Photo: AFP
Malaysia

Moving tribute to Malaysian donor spurs vital conversation on organ donation

Misconceptions remain in the Muslim-majority country – especially around brain death, burial and whether the body must remain complete.

Malaysia

Elephants’ transfer to Japan sparks Malaysia’s corruption inquiry

A whistle-blower claims that millions of dollars are linked to several individuals and the government did not receive the money from the move.

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Extreme weather

Asia’s shaky food supply shudders as ‘super’ El Nino arrives

Every few years, the Pacific runs a fever. This year, it could be worse than anything seen for decades, scientists warn.

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Illustration: Huy Truong
The Philippines

‘Sorry, grandma’: Filipino family apologises after woman left alone during quake

The elderly woman was seen clinging to a table as relatives fled the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Mindanao on June 8.

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CCTV camera from a home in the Philippines showing the moments before and after the magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck on June 8. Photo: Facebook / Jonard Pacres Abrasado
CCTV camera from a home in the Philippines showing the moments before and after the magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck on June 8. Photo: Facebook / Jonard Pacres Abrasado
Indonesia

Plastic chokes Indonesian islands as enforcement slip through ghost nets

Plastic pollution blights Anambas Islands, affecting marine life and highlighting lax enforcement amid calls for real accountability.

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Indonesia

Drowning of Indonesian teen at tourist spot spurs calls for tighter safety rules

Several tourists have died in Indonesia while taking part in outdoor activities, prompting calls for operators to be held accountable.

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US, Israel war on Iran

How 75 days trapped under fire in Hormuz broke these Indian sailors

As the Strait of Hormuz edges towards reopening, sailors who survived 75 days under fire count the psychological cost of someone else’s war.

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Captain Raman Kapoor, who was stranded in the Persian Gulf for 75 days, seen in a still from a video he made while trapped. Photo: Handout
The Philippines

‘We’re still not ready’: why buildings fell in a survivable Philippine quake

As politicians stall on updating a 50-year-old building code, experts warn the devastation in Mindanao is just a preview of a worse disaster.

A worker walks near a collapsed building in General Santos, southern Philippines, on June 8 following the magnitude 7.8 quake. Photo: Reuters
A worker walks near a collapsed building in General Santos, southern Philippines, on June 8 following the magnitude 7.8 quake. Photo: Reuters
The Philippines

How drowning of 2 athletes exposes gaps in Philippine collegiate sports safety

The tragedy shows how young players could be pushed into risky training situations as universities compete for prestige, sports experts say.

Malaysia

‘We’re not going anywhere’: indigenous people in Malaysia rally for land rights

The protesters want Kuala Lumpur to recognise their claims, stop encroachment and seek consent before approving projects on ancestral land.

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Thailand

Thai court sentences 2 Uygur men to death for 2015 Bangkok shrine bombing

The worst attack on the city in recent history killed 20, including tourists from China, Malaysia and Singapore.

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Police cordon off the site of a bomb blast at the Erawan shrine in Bangkok on August 18, 2015. Photo: AFP
Police cordon off the site of a bomb blast at the Erawan shrine in Bangkok on August 18, 2015. Photo: AFP
Ebola virus

Asia on Ebola alert: could the virus slip through regional defences?

While the risk of Ebola reaching Asia is low, experts urge governments to prioritise early detection over border controls.

Japan

Japan braces for historic typhoon season with up to 14 landfalls forecast

Up to 28 typhoons are predicted to affect Japan this year, with 14 likely to make landfall – close to historical extremes.

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The Philippines

At least 35 dead, 200 injured, after magnitude 7.8 quake hits Philippines

Schools and buildings collapsed as residents fled, with rescue teams continuing to search for missing students.

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A man walks near a collapsed building after a magnitude 7.8 quake in General Santos, Mindanao Island, the Philippines, on Monday. Photo: GenSan Dev/Reuters
The Philippines

Mindanao quake a stark reminder of Metro Manila’s ‘Big One’ threat: experts

Limited evacuation routes in densely populated Metro Manila would make rapid, orderly evacuation a major challenge, disaster planners warn.

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People collect their belongings from a damaged house following an earthquake off the southern Philippine island of Mindanao on Monday. Photo: Reuters
People collect their belongings from a damaged house following an earthquake off the southern Philippine island of Mindanao on Monday. Photo: Reuters
Malaysia

Malaysia’s gas-guzzling data centre boom clashes with its clean energy goals

Across Malaysia, dozens of data centres hum around the clock, powered by electricity that increasingly comes from gas-fired turbines.

Malaysia

How Malaysia’s island paradise became a haven for smugglers

Traffickers exploit Langkawi’s scattered geography and proximity to Thailand to smuggle drugs, fuel and migrants.

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Environment

Asia’s marine pledges face credibility test at global ocean conference

Experts say even as momentum on ocean commitments grows in Asia, gaps in implementation and delivery remain.

A mangrove forest in Balikpapan, Indonesia. Photo: AFP
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