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This Week in Asia /

Health & Environment

Related Topics:
Coronavirus pandemic
Climate change
Wellness
A Filipino farmer inspects rice for pests at a farm in Palawan province. Photo: AFP
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

Thailand

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

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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.

A crocodile fitted with a satellite tag enters the Kinabatangan River in Malaysia’s Sabah state. Photo: Danau Girang Field Centre/AFP
A crocodile fitted with a satellite tag enters the Kinabatangan River in Malaysia’s Sabah state. Photo: Danau Girang Field Centre/AFP
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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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
Japan

Bear spray surge in Japan sparks safety concerns after accidental discharge

A Vietnamese man has apologised for accidentally discharging the spray in a Nagoya post office, resulting in five people being hospitalised.

The post office in Nagoya, Japan’s Aichi prefecture, where a man accidentally discharged a bear repellent spray on Wednesday. Photo: Kyodo
The post office in Nagoya, Japan’s Aichi prefecture, where a man accidentally discharged a bear repellent spray on Wednesday. Photo: Kyodo
Japan

Japan’s disaster plans fail to keep pace with tourist boom

Japan regularly drills its schoolchildren for earthquakes evacuations, but foreign visitors are another matter entirely.

Malaysia

No more warnings for litterbugs as Malaysia’s Penang deploys bodycams

Duty officers are empowered to issue a notice to offenders, who could face a maximum fine of US$489 or up to 12 hours of community service.

The Philippines

‘Providing a solution’? Why some Filipinos risk their lives amid abortion ban

Filipinos wanting to end unwanted pregnancies have resorted to black-market alternatives that can result in life-threatening consequences.

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A placard is displayed in front of the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo, the Philippines, during a Catholic organised anti-abortion rally in 2011. Photo: Getty Images
Malaysia

In Malaysia, military veterans are sent to schools to teach bullies a lesson

The first 16 former Malaysian Armed Forces personnel will start work as wardens at eight selected Mara Junior Science Colleges on Wednesday.

Malaysian soldiers march in formation during National Day celebrations in Kuala Lumpur in 2022. Photo: AP
Malaysian soldiers march in formation during National Day celebrations in Kuala Lumpur in 2022. Photo: AP
Malaysia

Border security stepped up after 2 Malaysians hurt in roadside bomb in Thailand

A total of 4.4 million Malaysians crossed the border last year, making the country Thailand’s largest inbound tourism market.

Nepal

Why scientists are alarmed by Nepal’s worsening bird flu outbreak

Nepal has culled 600,000 birds as H5N1 sweeps Kathmandu, closing the capital’s only zoo and raising fears it could mutate to infect humans.

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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.

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
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
Extreme weather

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

Parts of Southeast Asia are set to experience at least six months of dangerous humid heat days annually, a report says.

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Singapore

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

In the midst of record-breaking temperatures, social media users are praising the late statesman’s foresight in embracing air conditioning.

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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
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 seven-storey Therme Singapore complex is expected to spearhead the country’s wellness sector. Photo: Handout
The seven-storey Therme Singapore complex is expected to spearhead the country’s wellness sector. Photo: Handout
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.

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.

Hospital Sungai Buloh medical staff line the corridor to give Normah Sabar a final send-off. Photo: Facebook/Hospital Sungai Buloh Selangor
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