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This Week in Asia /

Health & Environment

Related Topics:
Coronavirus pandemic
Climate change
Wellness
A street vendor sells drinks and other items at a beach in Bali. Many food and drink products in Indonesia already have a Guideline Daily Amount nutrition facts label. Photo: EPA-EFE
Indonesia

Can Indonesia’s front-of-pack nutrition labels help fight rising obesity?

Indonesians welcome the new labelling system to reduce sugar, salt and fat intake, but experts warn it is not a ‘silver bullet’.

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Vietnam

Pangolin win: Vietnam sends scale smugglers to prison for 8 years

US, Israel war on Iran

Powerful reaction: how Iran war could spark Asia’s green hydrogen surge

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Food and agriculture

Asia braces for food shortages as ‘super El Nino’ and Iran war collide

A precarious planting season looms amid suppressed rainfall and soaring fertiliser costs threatening the region’s harvests.

Women sit and eat rice noodles on the sidewalk in Hanoi, Vietnam, on April 14. Photo: AFP
Women sit and eat rice noodles on the sidewalk in Hanoi, Vietnam, on April 14. Photo: AFP
Indonesia

Why Japan’s earthquake has Bali on edge over magnitude 9 ‘megathrust’ risk

Bali, Sumba and the Flores Islands are expected to be the worst hit from a megathrust earthquake in the Sumba fault.

Japan

Big one coming? Japan issues megaquake advisory after magnitude 7.7 shock

The Japan Meteorological Agency has upped the risk of a megaquake to 1 per cent, compared to 0.1 per cent at other times.

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Malaysia

‘River of mud’ in Malaysia’s Cameron Highlands prompts accountability calls

Environmental NGO calls on authorities to adopt a more responsible approach when granting approvals for development projects in the area.

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Malaysia’s Cameron Highlands is a popular tourist destination. Photo: Shutterstock
Malaysia’s Cameron Highlands is a popular tourist destination. Photo: Shutterstock
Thailand

‘Worst I’ve seen’: forest fires rage across Thailand, Mekong region

The region faces a perennial haze scourge, with enforcement of bans against slash-and-burn farm practices remaining patchy.

US, Israel war on Iran

Why Iran war is making petrol cars an unwanted luxury in Asia

From Nepal to Vietnam, soaring fuel costs are making petrol cars a luxury as Asia outpaces Europe in the race to go electric.

Social media

Southeast Asia wants children off social media. Will it work?

Indonesia is leading a regional push to ban children from social media platforms. Enforcement is another matter, however.

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A child uses a mobile phone at a park in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia, last month. Photo: EPA
Japan

Japan warned of ‘hellish summer’ as energy fears mount

A prolonged Iran war, combined with an unusually early spell of hot weather, could leave Japan facing power shortages this summer.

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People walk under a parasol in Shizuoka, Japan, where temperatures exceeded 30 degrees Celsius, on April 11. Photo: Kyodo
People walk under a parasol in Shizuoka, Japan, where temperatures exceeded 30 degrees Celsius, on April 11. Photo: Kyodo
US, Israel war on Iran

Shock therapy: war forces oil-addicted Asia to finally go green

Burned by soaring energy prices, Southeast Asian nations are racing to future-proof themselves against the volatility of war.

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Japan

Japan’s Trump tariff deal faces climate backlash over projects’ 20% carbon surge

Campaigners said the three US projects could generate greenhouse gas emissions equal to about 20 per cent of Japan’s annual total.

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South Korea

Solo in Seoul? South Korean capital offers helpers for US$4 an hour

The city’s ‘companion service’ aims to help single-person households move house or visit hospital.

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People walk through Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, South Korea, earlier this month. Photo: AFP
Indonesia

‘Alarming’ film poster sparks debate on child mental health in Indonesia

Psychologists warn provocative posters like the ones for ‘I Must Die’ can trigger suicidal ideation amid rising mental health struggles.

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About 10 per cent of Indonesian children suffer from mental health disorders, including anxiety and depression, a recent report has revealed. Photo: Shutterstock
About 10 per cent of Indonesian children suffer from mental health disorders, including anxiety and depression, a recent report has revealed. Photo: Shutterstock
Japan

‘Unable to handle rejection’: the forces driving Japan’s knife crime wave

Experts warn a generation raised on screens is losing the ability to handle real-world rejection.

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Japan

Solomon Islands residents live in fear of WWII bomb explosions

With more people on the islands killed or injured due to the munitions, a UN team calls for international efforts to remove the danger.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Is the Strait of Hormuz a ticking environmental time bomb?

A major oil spill in the Gulf could damage fragile marine habitats, leading to dire consequences for the region, conservationists warn.

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Oil tankers and cargo ships line up in the Strait of Hormuz as seen from Khor Fakkan, the United Arab Emirates, on March 11. Photo: AP
Oil tankers and cargo ships line up in the Strait of Hormuz as seen from Khor Fakkan, the United Arab Emirates, on March 11. Photo: AP
Thailand

Thai undertaker brings corpse to petrol station to prove fuel need

After being denied fuel, a Thai man live-streamed the moment he showed station staff an occupied coffin to prove his urgent need.

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Japan

Where can Japan store its nuclear waste? Island plan raises alarm

Critics of Minamitorishima proposal point to scant research on the remote Pacific atoll.

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Asean

Burning daylight: Asean’s power grid plans get an Iran war jolt

Oil is up, coal is back and so are fuel queues. As the Middle East burns, Southeast Asia dusts off an old plan to rewire its future.

Illustration: Huy Truong
Defence

Activists push for Cop31 to discuss impact of wars on global climate

Military activities are hampering the transition towards renewable energy, with data transparency lacking among major defence spenders.

A damaged police station in Tehran following Israeli and US strikes on March 3. Global conflicts are hampering climate goals to reduce or end fossil fuel use. Photo: West Asia News Agency via Reuters
A damaged police station in Tehran following Israeli and US strikes on March 3. Global conflicts are hampering climate goals to reduce or end fossil fuel use. Photo: West Asia News Agency via Reuters
Singapore

As haze returns to Singapore, is crisis ‘quietly accepted’ by Asean?

Some Singaporeans are resigned to tolerating the annual occurrence despite the health risks and higher electricity bills.

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Malaysia

Malaysia’s weather is so hot that it can warp a payment card

Rice fields are drying out in the northern region, while heat-related health cases are rising across the country.

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The Philippines

A dog killer in the Philippines was fined US$17. New bills seek reform

Dedicated police units and a national watchdog. Two new bills aim to ensure animal abusers face justice, not just a US$17 fine.

Killua, a three-year-old golden retriever, was found dead inside a sack in 2024. Photo: Vina Arazas
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