This Week in Asia /

Health & Environment

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

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

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South Korea

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

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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’.

Health warnings related to baby milk formula recall have been issued by dozens of governments, from Europe and Australia to Brazil, South Africa, Hong Kong and Singapore. Photo: Shutterstock
Health warnings related to baby milk formula recall have been issued by dozens of governments, from Europe and Australia to Brazil, South Africa, Hong Kong and Singapore. Photo: Shutterstock
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.

Japan

‘Easier targets’: is Japan safe for foreigners if disaster strikes?

Rising xenophobia, ‘vigilante’ patrols and memories of 1923 have rights advocates concerned that history could repeat itself.

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Singapore

Singapore takes stock of lessons from Hong Kong’s Tai Po blaze

The city state will study and incorporate into policy frameworks relevant observations made by the Hong Kong authorities about the fire.

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The Tai Po blaze in Hong Kong, which broke out on November 26 last year, killed 161 people, injured 79 and displaced nearly 5,000 residents. Photo: AFP
The Tai Po blaze in Hong Kong, which broke out on November 26 last year, killed 161 people, injured 79 and displaced nearly 5,000 residents. Photo: AFP
The Philippines

Soaring healthcare costs in the Philippines: are doctors’ fees to blame?

Doctors have hit back, saying that they are being unfairly blamed for deeper systemic failures in healthcare financing.

Human rights

Ageing Asia needs domestic helpers, but can it keep them safe?

While the region cries out for care, top source nations the Philippines and Indonesia have tightened controls to curb exploitation and abuse.

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Malaysia

Malaysia’s new year revelry sees less waste as tougher littering laws kick in

Some 42 litterbugs caught in a nationwide operation face fines and community service amid stringent enforcement of waste laws.

Fireworks explode near the Petronas Twin Towers during New Year’s Eve celebrations in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Photo: Xinhua
Malaysia

‘Less than friendly’: Malaysia’s tourism minister flags visitor complaints

Authorities have also called for a major clean-up ahead of Visit Malaysia 2026 in response to reports of dirtiness in tourist areas.

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Tourists take pictures with Malaysia’s Petronas Twin Towers in the background in Kuala Lumpur. The country aims to attract 47 million international visitors during the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign. Photo: AFP
Tourists take pictures with Malaysia’s Petronas Twin Towers in the background in Kuala Lumpur. The country aims to attract 47 million international visitors during the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign. Photo: AFP
India

In India, New Delhi’s smog crisis exposes the high price of clean air

The winter smog has widened the affordability gap among residents, with many lower-income families lacking the means to buy an air purifier.

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Extreme weather

Asia’s year of costly climate disasters spurs calls for ‘decisive action’

With Asia accounting for four of the world’s six costliest weather disasters in 2025, experts urge investment in climate resilience.

Japan

‘Built on tofu’: safety fears as Japan prepares to restart nuclear plant

While Fukushima operator Tepco says it is ‘committed to safety’ at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, critics believe it is a disaster waiting to happen.

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The No 5, 6 and 7 reactors at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear complex operated by Tepco. Photo: Kyodo
Indonesia

Power, protests and policy shake-ups shape Indonesia’s 2025

President Prabowo Subianto asserts his authority as he navigates the global stage and domestic challenges in his first full year in office.

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Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto closed the year on firm footing despite challenges in his first full year in office. Photo: Reuters
Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto closed the year on firm footing despite challenges in his first full year in office. Photo: Reuters
Indonesia

Seeking climate justice: Indonesian fishermen’s case against Holcim to proceed

The lawsuit states that Holcim has ‘significantly contributed to climate change with its massive CO2 emissions’.

2025 Cambodia-Thailand conflict

Thai marines rescue starving lions, bears from Cambodian border casino

Officials say the two lions, two Asiatic black bears and one sun bear suffered from underfeeding and prolonged neglect at Thmor Dar Casino.

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Indonesia

‘Worse than the tsunami’ – Indonesia’s Aceh residents traumatised by flooding

A month after the disaster, residents are still struggling to recover as anger against Jakarta’s slow rescue response mounts.

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A staff member works to clean a submerged medical equipment after a flash flood at a hospital in Aceh Tamiang, northern Sumatra, on December 16. Photo: AFP
A staff member works to clean a submerged medical equipment after a flash flood at a hospital in Aceh Tamiang, northern Sumatra, on December 16. Photo: AFP
Indonesia

Rafflesia flower rediscovery in Indonesia revives push to drop colonial name

The giant flower find has renewed calls among researchers to rename its genus, which honours British colonial official Thomas Raffles.

Nepal

Nepal’s plan to tackle uphill task on Mount Everest: clean up waste

Over the years, the authorities have removed a mountain pile of trash and the bodies of climbers on the world’s highest peak.

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Asean

Southeast Asian floods set to threaten more wildlife due to climate change

Environmental crimes and poor oversight are also worsening the risks faced by animals and trees.

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An elephant clearing logs and debris on December 8 in a village affected by flooding in Pidie Jaya, Aceh province, Indonesia. Photo: AP
Malaysia

‘We just want to live’: fear grips Malaysia’s LGBTQ community

With drag clubs closed and spas raided, the shrinking space for queer life in Malaysia leaves a community with nowhere left to turn.

“Anti-LGBT” and “nation destroyer” stickers are seen plastered outside the entrance of a men’s only spa in Chow Kit, Kuala Lumpur, by a Malay nationalist group after the venue was raided by police in November. Photo: Facebook/pekidamalaysiarasmi
“Anti-LGBT” and “nation destroyer” stickers are seen plastered outside the entrance of a men’s only spa in Chow Kit, Kuala Lumpur, by a Malay nationalist group after the venue was raided by police in November. Photo: Facebook/pekidamalaysiarasmi
The Philippines

‘Medical pork’ row exposes political grip over Philippine health assistance

Doctors and health groups say the system allows politicians to influence who receives state medical aid, undermining universal care.

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Indonesia

Indonesian elephants tasked to help in flood recovery spur conservation debate

The four elephants deployed to lift debris in Aceh last week after flooding were also involved in the 2004 post-tsunami recovery efforts.

Indonesia

Don’t build on ‘active zones’, experts warn Indonesia as Sumatra recovery begins

Jakarta has pledged US$3.6 billion and a special agency to help restore homes and public facilities destroyed in last month’s cyclone.

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A fallen tree spray painted with “Help” lies among debris in Aceh Tamiang, northern Sumatra, on Tuesday in the aftermath of last month’s flash floods. Photo: AFP
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