Advertisement
Advertisement
This Week in Asia /

Health & Environment

Related Topics:
Coronavirus pandemic
Climate change
Wellness
More than 1,000 Orang Asli rally in Putrajaya on Friday. Photo: Iman Muttaqin Yusof
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.

Thailand

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

4
Ebola virus

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

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.

6
Waves hit the coastline as Typhoon Jangmi approaches in Tateyama, Chiba prefecture, Japan, on June 3. Photo: AFP
Waves hit the coastline as Typhoon Jangmi approaches in Tateyama, Chiba prefecture, Japan, on June 3. Photo: AFP
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.

videocam
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.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
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.

A gas-fired power plant in Melaka. Gas-fired power generation has surged in Malaysia, driven by data-centre growth, electrification, climate stress and electric-vehicle uptake. Photo: Shutterstock
A gas-fired power plant in Melaka. Gas-fired power generation has surged in Malaysia, driven by data-centre growth, electrification, climate stress and electric-vehicle uptake. Photo: Shutterstock
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.

videocam
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.

Myanmar

Deformed fish in river, pollution from rare earth mines in Myanmar fuel fears

Russian and Chinese firms are also competing to be the first to reach a tungsten mine in a conflict zone, sparking concerns of NGOs.

A drone view shows a gold mine in Shan State, Myanmar, as seen from Chiang Rai province, Thailand, last year amid increased rare earth and gold mining at the Kok River’s source in Myanmar. Photo: Reuters
Indonesia

A hidden ecological shift is sparking a wave of crocodile attacks in Indonesia

Logging and other deforestation activities have led to an increased likelihood of human-wildlife conflicts.

Indonesia has the world’s highest number of reported crocodile attacks, according to the CrocAttack independent database. Photo: AP
Indonesia has the world’s highest number of reported crocodile attacks, according to the CrocAttack independent database. Photo: AP
Bangladesh

Bangladesh faces further measles risk due to lack of vaccinations, travel

Nearly 600 people have died from the disease, with over 60,000 suspected cases in the country since mid-March.

Malaysia

Could Malaysia’s under-16 social media ban expose children to new online risks?

Experts warn age checks could expose sensitive identity data while pushing determined minors towards harder-to-monitor spaces.

videocam
Indonesia

Bali’s taxi wars: why Grab and Gojek drivers fear the island’s ‘no-go zones’

An unseen battle between ride-hailing giants and traditional village councils is forcing tourists to pay inflated rates – or walk.

Cars drive along a road in Denpasar, on Indonesia’s resort island of Bali, at sunset. Photo: AFP
Laos

After years in tiny cages, 27 moon bears finally taste freedom in Laos

The raid on a brutal bile extraction facility disguised as a zoo was believed to be the largest in Southeast Asian history.

5
One of the moon bears rescued from an illegal bear bile farm in Laos. Photo: Free the Bears
One of the moon bears rescued from an illegal bear bile farm in Laos. Photo: Free the Bears
Malaysia

Malaysia police’s ‘gay party’ label sparks debate after hotel drug raid

LGBTQ activists were critical of police using terms such as ‘immoral activities’ when describing the raid.

4
Malaysia

Malaysia’s ruling coalition faces test over Selangor non-Muslim worship rules

The dispute began after an MP flagged state planning guidelines stating that non-Islamic places of worship cannot be in commercial zones.

videocam
8
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Asean

Shock absorber: will Asean’s power grid be up to the task by 2045?

With only eight of 18 links built and a 100-terawatt demand surge looming, analysts say the blueprint may need an overhaul for the AI age.

The sun sets behind power lines in San Fernando town, Pampanga province, the Philippines, last month. Photo: AFP
The sun sets behind power lines in San Fernando town, Pampanga province, the Philippines, last month. Photo: AFP
Asean

Over 4,300 Southeast Asian species face extinction threat

Tigers, giant catfish, gibbons and pangolins are among the thousands of ‘critically endangered’ or ‘endangered’ species in the region.

Malaysia

In Malaysia, drug-laced vape seizures stoke US-like ‘zombie epidemic’ fears

Viral ‘zombie vape’ videos prompt arrests and warnings of a growing substance abuse crisis in the country.

videocam
Japan

Russian hiker becomes Japan’s latest bear attack victim as a new record looms

After a year with more than 50,000 sightings and 238 injuries, Japan’s vanishing hunting communities are struggling to contain the problem.

videocam
A bear is spotted on a riverbank in Morioka, Iwate prefecture, in October 2025. Photo: Kyodo
Japan

How a Japanese deal to appease Trump resulted in Texans protesting in Tokyo

Community groups from the Freeport area are urging Japanese financiers and ministries not to back fossil fuel infrastructure.

videocam
A tanker carrying crude oil from Venezuela docks at Port Freeport in Freeport, Texas, on January 15. Photo: Reuters
A tanker carrying crude oil from Venezuela docks at Port Freeport in Freeport, Texas, on January 15. Photo: Reuters
Thailand

‘Lives are cheap here’: Thailand reels from deadly Bangkok train crash

A drug-positive train driver with no licence. A barrier raised too late. Thailand’s capital asks: when will the city finally fix itself?

videocam
Thailand

Face forward: why Thailand is the next big thing in beauty trends

The T-beauty industry is growing by 5 per cent each year and is estimated to be worth over US$10 billion by 2030.

videocam
Thailand

Thai researchers make huge discovery with Southeast Asia’s largest dinosaur

Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis, named after a snake from folklore and the province where it was found, weighed as much as nine adult elephants.

videocam
An artist’s impression of the Cretaceous period sauropod dinosaur Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis. Photo: Patchanop Boonsai/AFP
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW