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This Week in Asia /

Health & Environment

Related Topics:
Coronavirus pandemic
Climate change
Wellness
A man runs on a treadmill with a view of Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Photo: Shutterstock
Malaysia

Malaysia slashes gym licence fees by 80% to fight urban obesity

Faced with some of Southeast Asia’s highest obesity rates, officials are dangling a regulatory ‘carrot’ to gym operators – but will it work?

Singapore

Singapore’s ban on caged lorries revives debate over migrant worker transport

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Indonesia

Indonesia to ban under-16s from ‘high-risk’ social media platforms

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Japan

Muslims in Japan were falsely blamed for illegal buildings. Then came the fires

It started with social media posts falsely blaming Muslims for building violations. Then came the fires.

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The aftermath of a fire on Saturday at Ebetsu Masjid, a mosque in the city of Ebetsu, central Hokkaido, Japan. Photo: Facebook/Kamran Khan
The aftermath of a fire on Saturday at Ebetsu Masjid, a mosque in the city of Ebetsu, central Hokkaido, Japan. Photo: Facebook/Kamran Khan
Malaysia

Viral clip of Malaysian man clinging to ex-wife’s moving car leads to arrest

Police said the man clung to the car for around 2km and that he tested positive for ketamine use.

Japan

Japan on track for hottest summer ever as ocean temperatures surge

Various regions across Japan are expected to register above-normal temperatures between June and August, the weather agency says.

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Thailand

Thailand’s captive tiger industry faces backlash after 72 big cats die

‘By the time we realised they were sick, it was too late,’ said an official, as welfare groups decry a life of misery and confinement.

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A tiger chained to be photographed by tourists is seen at a tiger park in Pattaya, Thailand. Photo: AFP
A tiger chained to be photographed by tourists is seen at a tiger park in Pattaya, Thailand. Photo: AFP
Malaysia

‘Just ask for it’: Malaysia’s vape crackdown fails to break the habit

An estimated 1.4 million Malaysian adults vape, despite existing curbs. Many say new laws will simply push them back to cigarettes.

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

Extreme heat, floods, pollution, congested traffic and a tough job market are some of the major challenges faced by the city’s residents.

A view of traffic during evening rush hours in the business district in Jakarta, Indonesia, on February 3. Photo: Reuters
New Zealand

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

Opposition parties accuse the ruling coalition of keeping voters in the dark, fearing a fast track to environmental damage.

Mining machinery in Greymouth, New Zealand. The South Pacific nation has reserves of 37 critical minerals key to clean energy development and advanced technology manufacturing, according to official assessments. Photo: AFP
Mining machinery in Greymouth, New Zealand. The South Pacific nation has reserves of 37 critical minerals key to clean energy development and advanced technology manufacturing, according to official assessments. Photo: AFP
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.

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.

Handprints with sharpened fingertips on a cave wall in the Maros region of Sulawesi, Indonesia. Photo: Ahdi Agus Oktaviana/Maxime Aubert/AP
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
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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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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Birds perch on pails of used plates at Seah Im Food Centre in Singapore. Photo: Kolette Lim
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
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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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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Japanese women in Okinawa show off vegetables freshly picked from their garden. Photo: Getty Images
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