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This Week in Asia /

Health & Environment

Related Topics:
Coronavirus pandemic
Climate change
Wellness
Shoppers look at beauty products at a store in Bangkok. Photo: AFP
Thailand

Face forward: why Thailand is the next big thing in beauty trends

The T-beauty industry is growing by 5 per cent each year and is estimated to be worth over US$10 billion by 2030.

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Thailand

Thai researchers make huge discovery with Southeast Asia’s largest dinosaur

Britain

Turning over a new leaf: why UK’s green mandate is a win for Asia

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Climate change

‘Godzilla El Nino’: Southeast Asia warned of punishing climate whiplash

Experts warn the heat could increase the risk of localised flooding, put pressure on drainage systems and threaten agricultural production.

A man shields his face from the sunlight as he leaves a train station in Bangkok, Thailand, on April 29. Photo: AFP
A man shields his face from the sunlight as he leaves a train station in Bangkok, Thailand, on April 29. Photo: AFP
South Korea

‘She was just a human’: the world forgot K-pop’s suicides. These fans never did

Years after three high-profile K-pop suicides shook South Korea’s idol machine, the grief – and guilt – remains.

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India

Can India’s rice farmers reap from US$30 million Amazon carbon credit deal?

The pact promises green farming and methane emission cuts, but raises questions over payouts and corporate climate accountability.

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Singapore

Asia faces low hantavirus risk as Singapore isolates 2 from cruise over cases

Eight hantavirus cases linked to the cruise have been reported so far, including three deaths, the WHO says.

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A boat heading towards the port on Wednesday from the hantavirus-hit cruise ship MV Hondius, which is stationary off the port of Praia, Cape Verde. Photo: TNS
A boat heading towards the port on Wednesday from the hantavirus-hit cruise ship MV Hondius, which is stationary off the port of Praia, Cape Verde. Photo: TNS
Singapore

Knives out: sea robbery fears stalk Southeast Asia’s busiest straits

Opportunistic nighttime raids in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore are testing security in a vital maritime chokepoint.

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Malaysia

Malaysia warns of health risks from heatwave, 2 deaths recorded this year

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has ordered cloud-seeding operations to be carried out in the worst-affected states.

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South Korea

South Korean team behind new stroke research, treatment cites Chinese interest

Animals given an experimental drug have shown significant improvement in motor function, with their brain damage reduced.

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A South Korean team has published a new study that could potentially lead to the treatment of stroke and other neurodegenerative diseases. Photo: Shutterstock
Japan

Rapidly ageing Japan’s ‘macho carers’ lend muscles to benefit elderly, disabled

Japan’s care industry is facing a shortage of workers, and one company is plugging the gap by deploying ‘cool’ and well-toned staff.

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Care worker and bodybuilder Takuya Usui (right) chats with Madoka Yamaguchi as he helps her sit on a bed at a care home for people with disabilities operated by Visionary in Ichinomiya, Aichi prefecture. Photo: AFP
Care worker and bodybuilder Takuya Usui (right) chats with Madoka Yamaguchi as he helps her sit on a bed at a care home for people with disabilities operated by Visionary in Ichinomiya, Aichi prefecture. Photo: AFP
Malaysia

Elephants never forget? Malaysians demand Japan return ‘homesick’ trio

One video shows Dara, Amoi and Kelat responding to their names in Malay while another reportedly reveals one of the elephants ‘weeping’.

Japan

Japan survey finds sexual abuse at 15% of hospitals. Is the true scale higher?

Under-reporting is a concern as children and severely disabled patients may not know how to voice their complaints.

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Japan

Japan aims to build world’s largest wind farm. Can it power on by 2035?

The plan calls for wind turbines to supply power to the Izu Islands and Tokyo, with an eventual capacity of 1 gigawatt.

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A wind turbine electric generator for renewable energy in Sakata town, Japan. Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto
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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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
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
Vietnam

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

The Asian pangolin has been hunted for its meat and scales to the point of extinction, causing poachers to turn to its African cousins.

US, Israel war on Iran

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

The war-driven hike in fossil fuel prices is narrowing the cost gap, making the clean energy alternative look like a good option.

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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
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.

Smoke rising from a hillside wildfire in Chiang Mai, Thailand, earlier this month. Photo: AFP
Smoke rising from a hillside wildfire in Chiang Mai, Thailand, earlier this month. Photo: AFP
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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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
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