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This Week in Asia /

Health & Environment

Related Topics:
Coronavirus pandemic
Climate change
Wellness
Shipping containers are seen stacked in Port Klang on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Photo: AFP
Malaysia

Can Malaysia’s ban stop global flow of toxic e-waste?

Malaysian customs recently intercepted nearly 200 tonnes of e-waste, but high shipping volumes make detection a ‘challenge’, officials say.

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Indonesia

Indonesians weigh peril and promise of Jakarta – the world’s most populous city

New Zealand

New Zealand catches flak for ‘secret’ US critical minerals talks

Malaysia

Malaysia risks under-reporting of TB cases as ‘slow-burn epidemic’ persists

The World Health Organization says the number of TB infections in Malaysia relative to the population is higher than official figures.

A doctor looking at an X-ray for signs of lung disease, such as tuberculosis. Photo: Shutterstock
A doctor looking at an X-ray for signs of lung disease, such as tuberculosis. Photo: Shutterstock
Australia

Australia demands answers from Laos over methanol poisoning ‘injustice’

While 10 were convicted of destroying evidence, not a single person has been charged in connection with the deaths of two Melbourne teens.

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Indonesia

Indonesia’s 68,000-year-old handprint: the birth of human art?

Found hiding beneath a chicken sketch, the faded outline proves ancient humans were capable of reflecting on their existence, scientists say.

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Japan

In Japan, residents are bearing the brunt of the hay fever season. Here’s why

The extreme heat in Japan last summer has led to more pollen-producing male flowers blooming across the country.

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A woman having an allergic reaction to pollen under a sakura tree. Photo: Shutterstock
A woman having an allergic reaction to pollen under a sakura tree. Photo: Shutterstock
Indonesia

‘Bali is so dirty’: waste woes under scrutiny after Prabowo warning

Experts point to structural problems endemic to the issue, such as overtourism, lack of enforcement and insufficient education among locals.

Japan

Japan’s deadly winter spurs warnings of more ‘disaster-level’ weather patterns

Severe snowfall and related accidents across Japan have killed at least 29 people, including foreign nationals on holiday, in recent weeks.

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Singapore

‘Stay calm’: crocodile sighting pauses water fun at Singapore’s Sentosa

Officials boost patrols, urge residents to follow safety signs and report sightings to NParks.

Singapore’s Sentosa island has suspended all water activities after a crocodile was spotted off Sentosa Cove. Photo: Facebook/coxie
Japan

Japan child suicides reach record high as experts warn of mounting pressures

The rise in child deaths contrasts with a broader decline in suicides, prompting scrutiny of school pressure and mental health support.

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Japan recorded a record 532 child suicides in 2025, according to preliminary government figures. Photo: Shutterstock
Japan recorded a record 532 child suicides in 2025, according to preliminary government figures. Photo: Shutterstock
India

Nipah cases in India raise regional anxiety but experts say escalation unlikely

The virus’s high fatality rate has prompted precautionary measures across Asia, even as analysts say the outbreak remains limited.

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Singapore

‘City in Nature’: can Singaporeans and wildlife coexist in harmony?

Concerns about hygiene and attacks grow as wildlife becomes ubiquitous in Singapore’s urban landscape.

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Indonesia

‘No other option’: Indonesia begins returning toxic e-waste to US

Four containers of electronic waste deemed hazardous have been shipped out from Batam, following the government’s hardline warning.

Indonesian customs and environmental enforcement officers inspect discarded electronic equipment seized from containers at Batu Ampar port in Batam in October. Photo: Batam Customs
The Philippines

Did shelved anti-disaster scheme lead to Philippines’ flood control woes?

The NOAH project, which ran daily from 2012 to 2016, helped the Philippines avoid ‘mass casualties in one place affected by a hazard’.

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Submerged houses and farmlands in Cagayan province, north of Manila, in November 2025, due to heavy rains brought about by Super Typhoon Fung-wong. Photo: AFP
Submerged houses and farmlands in Cagayan province, north of Manila, in November 2025, due to heavy rains brought about by Super Typhoon Fung-wong. Photo: AFP
Malaysia

Malaysia’s Johor books 5 Singaporeans for littering under new enforcement regime

The cases come as the country enforces new rules sending littering offences to court as the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign rolls out.

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Japan

Long and short of it: why Okinawa lost crown as Japan’s island of longevity

Okinawan men fell from first to 43rd while women slipped to 16th in the last life expectancy survey, a slide that is expected to continue.

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Japan

Japan snaps into action as alligator weed chokes waterways

The seemingly innocuous alligator weed, or Alternanthera philoxeroides, poses a real problem, especially to rice farmers.

The alligator weed can proliferate even from fragments. Photo: Conservation Auckland
The alligator weed can proliferate even from fragments. Photo: Conservation Auckland
Malaysia

How a crop of young farmers is reshaping agriculture in Southeast Asia

Young people across Southeast Asia are using city spaces and new technologies to improve on traditional farming methods to grow produce.

The Philippines

Philippines’ Cebu residents cry foul over mounting garbage, health risks

The fatal collapse of a garbage landfill in Cebu has also exposed lax enforcement and poor waste management.

Thailand

Thai PM moves to strip scandal-hit firm of contracts after second deadly accident

Amid public anger, PM Anutin issued an order to end two contracts and blacklist Italian-Thai Development after two crane disasters killed 34 people.

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A crushed car sits among the debris after a crane collapses at the under-construction Rama II Expressway on Thursday. Photo: Xinhua
Indonesia

Indonesia hails ‘99.9% successful’ free meals scheme amid food safety concerns

Critics have called for a ‘temporary halt’ to the programme to allow for further evaluation as food poisoning cases continue to grow.

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Indonesian students eat free meals at a school in Keutapang, Aceh Besar in September. Photo: EPA
Indonesian students eat free meals at a school in Keutapang, Aceh Besar in September. Photo: EPA
South Korea

Fury erupts over ‘mound of death’ in South Korea’s worst air disaster

Opposition MPs accuse officials of trying to bury a report that blames a known design flaw for the nation’s deadliest crash.

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Malaysia

‘Who can we trust?’: Nestle formula recall rattles Malaysian parents

Despite assurances that local stocks are safe, wary parents are scouring ingredient lists and doing their own ‘due diligence’.

Japan

As the crow flies: how Tokyo’s 25-year pest purge ended in triumph

A mix of civic discipline, careful waste management and a willingness among Tokyo residents to change their habits helped rein in the crisis.

A crow caws from an overhead power line. A survey conducted in December showed the number of crows in Japan’s capital had fallen to less than 20 per cent of its early-2000s peak. Photo: dpa
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