2019 saw a record number of wildlife seizures in Southeast Asia and China, both regions are primarily wildlife trafficking transit points.
Towards the end of 2018, Indonesian actress Ussy Sulistiawati filed reports against several Instagram users for having posted insults aimed at her children’s physical appearances.
A medical clinic in Bangkok opened Monday offering free cannabis oil to hundreds of Thais seeking relief from cancer, insomnia and muscle pain as the government drives home the economic and health benefits of their gamble of marijuana. Thailand in 2018 became the first country in Southeast Asia to legalise medical marijuana, although many Thais have long used the herb in traditional medicine.The government is eager to harvest the multi-billion-dollar potential of weed, investing in t
The fugitive Malaysian financier at the centre of a multi-billion-dollar corruption scandal insisted he had not led the plundering of the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) fund, a report said Monday.Low Taek Jho - commonly known as Jho Low - has been charged in Malaysia and the US for allegedly playing a major role in the theft of billions of dollars from sovereign wealth fund 1MDB.Looted money was used to buy everything from a super-yacht to art, in a fraud that allegedly involved former l
In 2016, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) reported that women made up half of all documented migrant workers in ASEAN. These women are normally employed in the care industry and most often are underpaid and certainly undervalued. The World Economic Forum (WEF) reported that one of the significant reasons why the gender gap remains large is because care in most countries almost always fall on the woman. It does not however, mention the perceived i
The search for victims in the rubble of a collapsed building in southern Cambodia drew to a close Sunday with the final death toll at 36 - the latest tragedy in a string of deadly construction accidents. Cambodia Prime Minister Hun Sen, said 23 people had been pulled alive from the rubble of the seven-storey hotel, which crumpled to the ground in seaside Kep on Friday afternoon.On Sunday rescuers also managed to free a dog trapped in the debris."This is yet another tragedy,"
A Bangkok cafe drew the wrath of thousands of fans of K-pop girl group Blackpink, following "inappropriate" comments posted by the owner about a visit from Thai superstar member Lalisa Manoban.Referred to as "Lisa" by fans, the Thai member of South Korean pop group Blackpink shared pictures on Instagram from a photoshoot at MQQN Cafe in Bangkok on Thursday to her more than 28.1 million followers. Her post, which showed her posing on the yellow seats of the retro-t
Earlier this week, Thailand’s Transport Ministry revealed that only two days after Thais began their New Year holiday on 27 December, there had already been 974 road accidents. This is just another story highlighting country’s deadly roads.The 974 road accidents led to 109 deaths and 993 injured.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) reported that over 800,000 people commit suicide every year. For every suicide there are many more who attempt suicide as well. A life lost to suicide is always tragic and affects everyone in the community.Earlier this year, Malaysia was shocked by news of a teen who committed suicide after reaching out in desperation to strangers on Instagram for help, but was unfortunately encouraged by them to take her life instead.
There is a growing trend in ASEAN that is not so welcomed – obesity. The prevalence of obesity and being overweight among ASEAN’s citizens is increasing due to rising incomes, and urbanisation. It is also placing a strain on the region’s healthcare systems and government budgets.An obese person can be measured by his or her Body Mass Index (BMI) which measures a person’s weight in relation to their height.
Four people were killed and more than a dozen injured when a seven-storey building under construction collapsed in southern Cambodia on Friday trapping workers under the rubble, an official said, as the search for more victims went into the night.The building in coastal Kep province was meant to be a hotel but crumpled at around 4:30pm yesterday, with photos showing concrete floors sandwiched together as heavy machinery moved in to help clear the wreckage. Cambodian leader Hun Sen sa
Thai shoppers grabbed baskets, buckets and even a wheelbarrow to skirt a new ban on single-use plastic bags at big retailers, with many posting images of their efforts online.The restriction, introduced at the start of the new year by several major mall operators and the ubiquitous 7-Eleven convenience stores, was a victory for environmental campaigners in a country where individuals use an average of eight plastic bags a day.Customers can now pay a small fee for reusables but budget-consciou
