This Week in Asia /

Health & Environment

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Coronavirus pandemic
Climate change
Wellness
Tourists walking on Bangla Road in Patong in the southern Thai island of Phuket. Photo: AFP
Thailand

Thai restaurant owner calls for more public toilets after defecation issues

Pannatat Asawapitakchon says he saw a female tourist defecating behind the Buddha statues outside his restaurant.

Japan

Japan reschedules iconic summer festivals to avoid increasingly extreme heat

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Thailand

Thai river turns orange as dangerous toxins from Myanmar mines flush downstream

Asean

South China Sea tensions ‘won’t stop’ Asean’s blue economy growth: official

Despite a senior Asean official’s confidence, observers warn ongoing disputes could impede sustainable growth and vital marine conservation.

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Filipino fishermen aboard their wooden boats pass a Chinese coastguard ship near the China-controlled Scarborough Shoal, in disputed waters of the South China Sea, in February 2024. Photo: AFP
Filipino fishermen aboard their wooden boats pass a Chinese coastguard ship near the China-controlled Scarborough Shoal, in disputed waters of the South China Sea, in February 2024. Photo: AFP
Australia

What’s in the air? Australian state reels from deluge of dust

New South Wales is grappling with a widespread dust storm days after record flooding that killed five and displaced 50,000 people.

Japan

Plague of flying pests adds to Osaka World Expo’s woes in Japan

Though the ‘chironomids’ do not bite or suck blood, they may cause asthma or allergic reactions, experts warn.

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The Philippines

Removal of Philippines’ beloved ‘sherpa cat’ Pugal sparks heated debate

Online users berate officials who extracted the animal from popular hiking trail over predatory concerns.

Pugal the cat has gained online fame in the Philippines. Photo: Facebook/furventloveanimal
Pugal the cat has gained online fame in the Philippines. Photo: Facebook/furventloveanimal
India

‘Very painful’: Indian mob kills and mutilates endangered Bengal tiger

This is the third recorded tiger death in as many months in Assam, which is home to only 227 of the big cats.

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Indonesia

Indonesia’s Bali bans small plastic bottles: bold move or industry killer?

Bali’s governor has banned small plastic bottles to combat waste, sparking debate on environmental impact versus industry concerns.

The Philippines

Philippines to deploy Korean-speaking police in response to crime wave

Language-trained officers aim to better protect South Korean nationals in the Philippines from a recent spate of thefts, killings and scams.

South Koreans living in the Philippines put on headbands with the South Korean national flag during an event in 2010. Photo: AFP
Indonesia

Indonesia’s online porn crackdown nets 380,000 content removals

Authorities have also blocked dozens of social media groups and accounts, including some promoting incest and child porn.

Children in Jakarta use digital devices to browse the internet earlier this month. Photo: AFP
Children in Jakarta use digital devices to browse the internet earlier this month. Photo: AFP
Japan

Fatal crash spotlights Japan military’s ageing aircraft, recruitment struggles

Safety concerns are mounting following another fatal military aircraft crash, amid warnings it could worsen a long-standing manpower shortage.

Japan

‘Definitely an issue’: in Japan, 6 in 10 admit being addicted to their phones

A new survey reveals a surge in smartphone addiction in Japan post-pandemic, undermining well-being – especially among the young.

Thailand

‘Never seen anything like this’: lizard found eating abandoned baby near Bangkok

Horrified residents near Bangkok found a monitor lizard eating a newborn’s remains. Police are trying to find the mother to determine if the baby was alive.

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In Thailand, a monitor lizard was found with the body of a baby in its mouth. Photo: Facebook/Nakon45
Indonesia

Is Indonesia a ‘guinea pig’ in Bill Gates-backed TB vaccine trial?

The controversy began after President Prabowo Subianto said that Bill Gates was developing a tuberculosis vaccine to be tested in Indonesia.

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Bill Gates speaks at a Save the Children event on vaccine equity in Germany last year. Photo: AP
Bill Gates speaks at a Save the Children event on vaccine equity in Germany last year. Photo: AP
Malaysia

Malaysia grapples with human-nature conflict after elephant calf’s road death

Eight elephants have been killed in traffic collisions in Peninsular Malaysia over the past five years, three of them in this year alone.

Malaysia

Mother’s Day heartbreak for Malaysian elephant mourning calf in viral video

Distressing footage shows the mother desperately trying to move the lorry that crushed her baby on a Malaysian highway.

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Japan

3 Chinese men arrested in Japan after thousands of hermit crabs found in bags

The protected crustaceans are popular as pets in China, leading to an increase in smugglers trying to capitalise on the trend.

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In Japan, each hermit crab can sell for up to US$137. Photo: Antony Dickson
In Japan, each hermit crab can sell for up to US$137. Photo: Antony Dickson
Indonesia

Indonesian governor’s vasectomy plan sparks debate on poverty, ‘body politics’

West Java Governor’s suggested sterilisation for poor men to access social welfare criticised as coercive and discriminatory.

South Korea

South Korea’s sinkhole cases spark fears over safety of underground malls

In Seoul alone, more than 63 sinkholes have been reported across the city since March 2022, according to a newspaper.

Japan

Will Japan’s scorching summers put an end to outdoor youth sports?

A study warns that youth sports may become unsafe due to heat unless greenhouse gases are reduced. Japan has seen 100 heat-related child deaths in the past 20 years.

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Children play with water in Tajimi, Gifu Prefecture, central Japan, amid scorching summer heat. Rising temperatures in Japan may halt outdoor children’s sports by 2060, experts say. Photo: Kyodo
Malaysia

Mistrust of Malaysian healthcare by Orang Asli minority grows after leprosy death

The Orang Asli community is seeking answers after a teenager’s preventable leprosy-related death.

Close up of a person suffering from leprosy. Photo: Shutterstock
Close up of a person suffering from leprosy. Photo: Shutterstock
Thailand

Thai taxi driver filmed blocking ambulance before patient’s death sparks outrage

Dashcam footage of the incident in Phuket has reignited public anger over drivers ignoring emergency sirens.

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Thailand

‘Life worth living’: an Irish man’s mission to save Thailand’s stray dogs

Niall Harbison aims to reduce Thailand’s street dog population through sterilisation and care, gaining global attention and celebrity support.

Thailand

‘Is this the Thailand we want?’ Brutal murder exposes tourist boom’s dark side

Police say a Chinese national confessed to the horrific killing of a transgender woman in Pattaya, fuelling concerns about visitor screening.

The body of Woranun Pannacha, 25, was discovered early on Saturday in a rented room in Pattaya. Photo: Handout
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