This Week in Asia /

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A patient consults a medical specialist at a hospital. Malaysia’s government has set aside 45.3 billion ringgit for healthcare under its 2025 budget. Photo: Shutterstock

Malaysia urged to boost health funding to ease burden on patient care

Lack of funding, chronic manpower shortages in government hospitals leave public dependent on private healthcare sector, civil society groups say.

3 hours ago

As smog shrouds Thailand, Bangkok tackles toxic air with remote work

13 Jan 2025 - 3:43PMvideocam

Sri Lanka’s children suffer amid climate change-fuelled floods and disease

13 Jan 2025 - 3:06PM

Ecstasy and agony: Malaysia’s festival drug deaths spur calls for testing kits

Experts say the risks are heightened by a lack of harm-reduction infrastructure to help festival attendees make informed choices.

11 Jan 2025 - 5:30PMvideocam

Revellers at Selangor’s Pinkfish Festival on December 31. Photo: Instagram / pinkfishfestival

Bali to curb HMPV cases, steps up checks on visitors from China and Malaysia

The Indonesian government says HMPV is not a deadly virus and advises locals to maintain good hygiene.

8 Jan 2025 - 4:24PM

Japan’s hottest year: record breaking temperatures threaten rice supply

With scorching summers, sweltering autumns and a steady rise in sea temperatures, Japan’s climate crisis deepened in 2024.

8 Jan 2025 - 9:30AM

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The Philippines

As energy costs soar, the Philippines eyes a nuclear revival

Reviving a decades-old mothballed plant at Bataan would fast track adoption of nuclear, but concerns about safety and corruption persist.

6 Jan 2025 - 8:00AM

The Bataan Nuclear Power Plant in the Philippines. Photo: Reuters

The Philippines

Forgotten no more: the abandoned Filipino children using DNA to find their fathers

An Australian charity is using DNA to track down fathers of children abandoned by sex tourists in Angeles City, offering hope amid dire conditions.

6 Jan 2025 - 9:43AM

An ‘ageing’ Japanese town’s fight against nuclear waste amid population decline

Residents of Suttsu worry that, despite potential economic benefits, a nuclear waste facility will harm the community and leave a legacy of radioactive waste.

29 Dec 2024 - 3:00PMvideocam

Revolution, elections and a baby hippo, this was the year in Asia

From climate change to political storms and a Taylor Swift world tour, Asia in 2024 was characterised by turbulence and surprises.

24 Dec 2024 - 9:30AMvideocam

Students and other activists carry Bangladesh’s national flag during a protest march to mark one month since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stepped down after a mass uprising, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on September 5. Photo: AP

In southern India, the push for home births carries health concerns

While some women advocate for natural childbirth, the lack of skilled care and potential for complications during home deliveries poses significant risks.

21 Dec 2024 - 3:00PMvideocam

Home births are rising in India due to high healthcare costs and forced C-sections, but experts warn of increased maternal deaths and medical risks. Photo: Shutterstock

‘Lives at stake’: will Singapore ban moving workers on lorries after fatal crash?

Singapore is at a stalemate over the practice of transporting migrant workers on lorries, despite fatal accidents and public outcry.

20 Dec 2024 - 5:48PMvideocam

Indonesia’s ‘eternal snow’ on Puncak Jaya may melt away before 2026

The loss of Puncak Jaya’s glaciers will be an immeasurable loss to the area’s ecosystem and local tribes, scientists say.

18 Dec 2024 - 3:47PMvideocam

In Japan, a protein pioneer’s edible insect experiment fails to fly

The founder of Gryllus Inc, which has filed for bankruptcy, maintains that his company’s insect-based food was ahead of its time.

18 Dec 2024 - 12:00PMvideocam

While crickets are traditionally consumed as snacks in rural Japan, Gryllus Inc. aimed to elevate their status as a viable food source. Photo: Shutterstock

Malaysian hospital accused of refusing to return baby’s body over unpaid bill

In a statement defending its actions, Razif Maternity Hospital alleged the dead child’s parents were unmarried – igniting further outrage.

16 Dec 2024 - 11:25AM

The case centres around a baby born with a severe congenital condition who died shortly after delivery. Photo: Shutterstock

Can Singapore’s green energy push be powered with Malaysia’s help?

Singapore has begun low-carbon electricity imports from Malaysia – but regional cooperation and cost-sharing are still an issue.

16 Dec 2024 - 10:09AMvideocam

‘Families are very stressed’: what’s driving Japan’s murder-suicides?

Compounding the financial and other pressures driving the crisis is Japan’s deep-rooted stigma surrounding mental healthcare, experts say.

16 Dec 2024 - 9:02AMvideocam

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‘It was hell’: is India losing its fight against eradicating TB by 2025?

India’s anti-tuberculosis drive has been slowed by social stigma, superstition, poor public awareness and widespread tobacco use.

14 Dec 2024 - 3:00PM

A doctor checks a tuberculosis patient’s chest X-rays at a clinic in Mumbai. Photo: AFP

Japan faces ‘slapped-cheek syndrome’ outbreak, as experts warn of reduced immunity

Japan is facing a significant outbreak of parvovirus B19 due to reduced post-pandemic immunity, posing significant risks to pregnant women and children.

14 Dec 2024 - 9:32AM

‘Unbelievable’: Malaysia’s space defence plan sparks outrage in flood aftermath

The system would eventually also incorporate rocket and missile capabilities operated out of space for defence.

13 Dec 2024 - 8:51PMvideocam

Death of Thai singer, 20, sparks warnings about ‘neck-twisting’ massages

Thai doctors have been highlighting the risks of untrained masseuses following Chayada Prao-hom’s death.

9 Dec 2024 - 8:12PM

Left: Thai singer Chayada Prao-hom, who died on Sunday. Right: An x-ray image posted by Chayada to social media. Photos: Facebook / Chayada Prao-hom

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