Health & Environment
Is demand for millet in India proof of its superfood status or mere hype?
Nutritionists say millets could help alleviate Indians’ common health problems such as diabetes and undernourishment.
Philippines’ attractions at stake amid unclear eco-tourism project rules
Amid unclear guidelines on the protection of natural attractions in the country, activists fear more developers could gain approval to access protected sites.
China urged to save coral reefs in Asian waters amid huge demand for giant clams
The clams are highly sought after by China’s jewellery carving industry as a result of curbs on ivory trading.
13 years after Fukushima disaster, clean-up of nuclear plant still ongoing. Why?
The decontamination of the nuclear plant is expected to take around 30 to 40 years, based on past estimates.
Is Asia set for a green energy revolution powered by small solar panels and EVs?
One study shows distributed energy resources such as small solar panels could one day account for half of the region’s renewable energy output.
Japan braces for major quake ahead of 2011 Tohoku earthquake anniversary
Researchers warn of a more catastrophic quake, after 28 quakes were recorded since the start of March this year, with 30 similar tremors last month.
Will a UN biodiversity treaty stir more tension in the South China Sea?
The high seas pocket in the centre of the South China Sea would be good for setting up a marine protected area but could be difficult due to territorial claims.
Nepal’s poachers become protectors in drive to save ‘forgotten’ red pandas
Poaching and illegal trade are a threat to red pandas, but other risks include habitat loss from deforestation and climate change.
Why 2 environmental groups are at loggerheads over Philippine nature reserve
Despite the energy firm saying it holds the necessary permits, conservationists say some indigenous groups living in the area have no idea of the wind project.
Spring revival: Nepal’s communities lead efforts to preserve water source
Infrastructure development, earthquakes and climate change are among key causes of springs drying up, with communities displaced due to water scarcity.
Nepal’s 2021 floods show need for early warning systems in Himalayas
Nepal’s twin flood disasters in 2021 are examples of the havoc that climate change will increasingly wreak and highlight the need for early warning systems.
‘Internal Google maps are messed up’: Japan’s whale deaths stump experts
Marine biologists are trying to determine why sperm whales have strayed into the shallow and congested waters of Osaka Bay, with three having died in consecutive years.
More Japanese want nuclear plants to reopen ahead of 2011 Fukushima anniversary
A new poll shows that half of Japanese favour restarting dozens of reactors in the country, compared with 30 per cent in previous surveys.
Can Singapore’s first man-made oyster reef shore up marine biodiversity?
Man-made oyster reefs have popped up across Australia, Europe and the US but remains a relatively new concept in Southeast Asia.
India’s HIV-infected children live at haven thanks to a man’s ‘happy’ mission
Ravi Kant Bapatle was inspired to set up Happy Indian Village after he witnessed the death of a young HIV-positive orphan.
Indian farmers ‘won’t give up’ protest despite heavy-handed police tactics
PM Narendra Modi has decided to defy protesters’ demands amid inflation fears, even as the protest threatens to sway the vote in an agriculture-dependent nation, analysts say.
Is Nepal at risk of ‘environmental crimes’ over big projects in protected areas?
The new procedural document could give businesses a “free pass” to exploit Nepal’s land and natural resources in protected areas.
Thailand could face class-action suits over weed U-turn: ‘lawyers are ready’
Entrepreneurs, producers and cannabis advocates say a rollback of the laws would be ‘unfair’, hurt tourism and force businesses to go back underground.
Indian police say snake venom being smuggled for use in Chinese medicine
Indian police say increasing amounts of the toxin have been seized at the Bangladesh border en route to China for use in traditional medicines – and as a rave drug – but venom experts aren’t so sure.
Japan holds breath as killer whales trapped in drift ice may have ‘escaped’
The last time a pod of whales got trapped in the ice off Hokkaido was in 2005 and ended with all nine dying.