This Week in Asia /

Health & Environment

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

Indonesia

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

Malaysia

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

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.

A still from a video circulated on social media shows the mother elephant trying to free her calf after it was hit by a lorry on Malaysia’s East-West Highway on Sunday. Photo: Facebook
A still from a video circulated on social media shows the mother elephant trying to free her calf after it was hit by a lorry on Malaysia’s East-West Highway on Sunday. Photo: Facebook
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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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.

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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.

Firefighters in Seoul prepare to remove a car from a sinkhole in August last year. Photo: EPA-EFE
Firefighters in Seoul prepare to remove a car from a sinkhole in August last year. Photo: EPA-EFE
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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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.

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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Screenshot from dashcam footage showing the taxi driver in Phuket blocking the ambulance. Photo: Facebook / อสมท ภูเก็ต
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.

Niall Harbison is seen with a pair of pups. Harbison aims to reduce Thailand’s street dog population through sterilisation and care. Photo: Naruemon Chaingam
Niall Harbison is seen with a pair of pups. Harbison aims to reduce Thailand’s street dog population through sterilisation and care. Photo: Naruemon Chaingam
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.

Indonesia

Bali renews rabies warnings for tourists visiting monkey parks

Despite there being no cases of visitors contracting rabies from monkeys at the parks, officials still advise caution against getting close.

Trade

Asia’s clean energy aim at risk as nations mull US gas deals amid tariff fears

The sector can weather the impact of Trump’s tariffs through regional cooperation and finding trade routes outside the US, experts suggest.

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A liquefied natural gas tanker is tugged towards a thermal power station in Futtsu, east of Tokyo, Japan. Photo: Reuters
Japan

Japanese police warn of lethal Chinese-made toy guns sold online

Authorities say 16 models marketed as toys are capable of firing live ammunition with deadly force like real handguns.

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A handout from Japan’s National Police Agency showing the different models of guns being marketed as toys online that are capable of firing live ammunition with lethal force. Photo: National Police Agency
A handout from Japan’s National Police Agency showing the different models of guns being marketed as toys online that are capable of firing live ammunition with lethal force. Photo: National Police Agency
Malaysia

1 in 3 Malaysian children are overweight as nation’s sugar addiction worsens

A new health ministry survey shows that one third of Malaysians aged 5 to 19 are overweight, with high-sugar diets blamed.

India

Indian man mistakenly operated on, hospital investigated for mix-up

The elderly man unknowingly raised his hand when staff called out for a patient with a similar name and was taken into the operating theatre.

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Malaysia

Malaysian teen’s seizure after vaping reignites debate on device ban

Only two states have imposed a blanket ban on e-cigarettes and vapes so far, as the health ministry flip-flops on a decision.

Usage of e-cigarettes and vapes is a growing concern in Malaysia. Photo: Dickson Lee
Usage of e-cigarettes and vapes is a growing concern in Malaysia. Photo: Dickson Lee
The Philippines

‘Fly high, Riley’: Philippine eaglet dies 3 months after birth

Riley’s ‘unassisted natural hatching’ was hailed as a win for the Philippines’ efforts in protecting its natural heritage.

Malaysia

Iran’s meth cartels target Australia via Malaysia’s Port Klang

Experts say crime syndicates from Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan are using Malaysia as a transshipment hub for drugs destined for Australia.

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Singapore

‘I caught the baby’: migrant heroes hailed after Singapore shophouse fire rescue

Risking their lives and without safety gear, construction workers scaled a burning building to save children trapped on a third-storey ledge.

A still from a social media video shows migrant workers coming to the rescue of children trapped on the window ledge of a burning shophouse in River Valley, Singapore, on Tuesday. Photo: Handout
Singapore

Myanmar earthquake: Singapore deploys cyborg cockroaches in rescue efforts

The insect-robot hybrids are fitted with tiny ‘backpacks’ containing infrared cameras and sensors to detect human heat signatures.

Singapore deployed cyborg cockroaches to help look for victims of the Myanmar earthquake. Photo: HTX
Singapore deployed cyborg cockroaches to help look for victims of the Myanmar earthquake. Photo: HTX
Renewable energy

Asia’s green energy appetite fuels the Gulf’s renewables revolution

As the world transitions, the Gulf’s growing renewable-energy ties with China and Southeast Asia are poised to reshape global power dynamics.

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Malaysia

Second pygmy elephant corpse find in Malaysia raises fears of ivory poaching

The practice of giving tusks as dowry in neighbouring Indonesia may be behind the killings, conservationists say.

Myanmar

Myanmar junta leader visits quake epicentre – 10 days after disaster

Min Aung Hlaing’s visit reportedly hints at prioritisation of relief to religious institutions in Sagaing, where aid workers say supplies have been blocked.

Myanmar’s junta leader Min Aung Hlaing (left, front) visits the camp of Chinese rescue teams in Mandalay on Sunday, following the 7.7-magnitude earthquake. Photo: Xinhua
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