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This Week in Asia /

Health & Environment

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Coronavirus pandemic
Climate change
Wellness
A pedestrian carries an umbrella crosses a street in front of the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Tuesday. Photo: AP
Malaysia

Climate change in Malaysia turns up heat on youth

Unicef survey shows young people reporting significant concerns including worsening illnesses and heat-related health problems.

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South Korea

As record heatwave hits Asia, fears of energy crisis and health risks mount

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Malaysia

Malaysian police investigate how pilot smuggled drugs past airport checks

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Japan

3 lions perish at Tokyo zoo as Japan bakes in ‘cruelly hot’ summer

Authorities at Tama Zoological Park have strengthened cooling measures to help the animals beat the heat.

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Three lions have died of suspected heatstroke at Tokyo’s Tama Zoological Park in Japan. Photo: Tokyo Zoological Park Society/Kyodo
Three lions have died of suspected heatstroke at Tokyo’s Tama Zoological Park in Japan. Photo: Tokyo Zoological Park Society/Kyodo
Thailand

Thai justice system under fire after freed criminal confesses to killing 5

The suspected ringleader behind the murders of two Russian siblings and a Thai family was released just seven weeks before the first crime.

Nepal

‘Always inspiring’: Nepal mourns Nirmal Purja after body found on mountain

The British-Nepali climber was renowned for ascending all 14 of the world’s 8,000-metre peaks in a record 189 days in 2019.

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Malaysia

Malaysia’s baby bust accelerates shift towards greying society

Seniors now account for 8.4 per cent of the population, with Malaysia projected to be classified as an aged nation by 2048.

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Malaysia’s total fertility rate fell to 1.6 children per woman from 1.7 in 2024, well below the replacement level of 2.1. Photo: Shutterstock
Malaysia’s total fertility rate fell to 1.6 children per woman from 1.7 in 2024, well below the replacement level of 2.1. Photo: Shutterstock
Japan

Japanese mall is rebuilt to withstand earthquakes. Then it collapses again

Four bodies have been pulled from the rubble of the Aeon mall after an earthquake hit Kumamoto, followed by an explosion on Tuesday.

South Korea

South Korean team discovers how facial massage flushes dementia-causing waste

The breakthrough offers hope for new Alzheimer’s treatments – and provides a scientific basis for the benefits of facial massage.

Cambodia

Cambodia’s tourism slump leaves Angkor Wat eerily quiet

Tourist arrivals have collapsed by nearly 50 per cent this year, forcing local operators to rethink Cambodia’s entire pitch.

Restoration work is seen on a balustrade at the Angkor Wat temple complex in Siem Reap province, Cambodia, on July 20. Photo: ANA/Xinhua
Indonesia

Tornado rips roofing from Indonesian construction site, sends workers fleeing

Officials say there were no fatalities from the brief incident in Batam, but warn that unstable conditions can trigger further sudden storms.

A tornado ripped roofing from workshop facilities at a construction site in Batam, Indonesia, on Wednesday. Photo: Facebook/Kurniawan Edi
A tornado ripped roofing from workshop facilities at a construction site in Batam, Indonesia, on Wednesday. Photo: Facebook/Kurniawan Edi
Japan

Japan’s deadliest fault line shifts, frustrating megaquake forecasts

As small quakes cluster off the coast, a new seabed study shows the Nankai Trough’s ‘locked zone’ is far more fluid than scientists believed.

Myanmar

Myanmar and Laos plan downstream Mekong’s biggest dam yet

A joint study for a 2,790MW hydropower project is more political stunt than power plan, critics say.

Japan

Helicopters and hashtags: Japan’s mounting problem with unprepared hikers

Locals make up the vast majority of Japan’s mountain rescues, yet internet anger is largely reserved for ill-equipped tourists.

A traveller walks past an image of Mount Fuji in the arrivals terminal at an airport in Tokyo in May. Photo: AFP
Energy

Asia’s AI boom has a dirty secret: the coal that powers it

In the rush to build the digital future, regional tech hubs are digging up the past.

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Illustration: Huy Truong
Illustration: Huy Truong
The Philippines

‘All talk’: farmers warn Philippines isn’t ready for ‘super’ El Nino

Rice output could be slashed by 700,000 tonnes as dams dry up, evoking memories of the Philippine drought of 1997-98.

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The Philippines

20-hour days, 2 hours’ sleep: Filipino helpers’ Saudi Arabian nightmares

The kingdom says kafala is gone, but advocates say employers still wield unchecked authority over domestic workers.

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Thailand

Bangkok bar fire: 27 die as distraught relatives dread the worst

The bar in Thailand’s capital was crowded with hundreds of revellers at the time of the suspected electrical fire.

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Rescuers work at the site of a fire in Bangkok, Thailand early on Monday. Photo: AP
Rescuers work at the site of a fire in Bangkok, Thailand early on Monday. Photo: AP
Malaysia

What is driving rise in crocodile encounters across Malaysia?

Over 300 have been captured in Peninsular Malaysia since 2024, and experts warn more could follow as humans encroach into crocodile habitats.

Thailand

Wombs for hire: the painful price of Asia’s lawless baby trade

Commercial surrogacy is illegal in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. It is also worth an estimated US$15 billion a year.

Singapore

Singapore carer burnout highlights invisible burden of super-aged society

The city state crossed the super-aged threshold this year, making carer support even more critical, experts say.

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Content creator Edgar Tang speaks to his father in a nursing home. Photo: Handout
Vietnam

Vietnam bets on baby bonuses to get rich before it grows old

Hanoi is throwing cash and housing at its low birth rate, scrambling to protect an export boom that is fast running out of young workers.

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A pregnant woman holding an umbrella walks past a billboard of a happy family in Hanoi last month. Photo: AFP
A pregnant woman holding an umbrella walks past a billboard of a happy family in Hanoi last month. Photo: AFP
Thailand

Thai PM warns may ‘shut down’ cannabis industry after global smuggling spike

Four years after decriminalisation, a wave of international drug busts could force Asia’s only legal cannabis market to recriminalise.

Indonesia

As Bali battles a rabies surge, dog meat draws fresh scrutiny

Nearly 30,000 people have been bitten by suspected rabid animals on the Indonesian resort island this year. Five died.

Singapore

Is super-ageing Singapore headed for population decline?

With babies in short supply and its birth rate tanking, the city state is weighing a future of robots and immigrants.

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Illustration: Huy Truong
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