Nov
1
2014
While nations with sophisticated health networks debate the merits of mandatory quarantine and whether to place a temporary ban on passengers flying in from West Africa, Asian nations are bracing for the worst, with some experts saying an outbreak of Ebola in the region is almost inevitable.
Oct
8
2014
Once a formidable statement of colonial justice, the faded red former High Court building in downtown Yangon has seen better days. Greenery sprouts from the domed clock tower and weeds have taken root along the cream-coloured lintels. A guard waves interested tourists away. Ripe for preservation and conservation, the huge edifice is sadly dilapidated, like …read more
Oct
4
2014
Hot, tired and emotional, Kit Wong couldn’t control his tears. Awake all night, watching television footage of Hong Kong’s riot police launching tear gas and pepper spray against young democracy protesters sheltering behind flimsy umbrellas, the 26-year-old travel agent was appalled.
Oct
3
2014
Weary protesters tried to force a showdown with the Hong Kong government last night, warning they would occupy various government buildings if their demands were not met. Yet the government refused to negotiate and police refrained from forcing thousands of protesters to vacate the three key protest sites they have occupied since Sunday.
Oct
2
2014
Protests in Hong Kong continued to grow yesterday while the authorities adopted a less confrontational strategy towards the demonstrating crowds who have brought parts of the city to a standstill since the weekend.
Oct
1
2014
Crowds at the main protest site in Hong Kong built quickly yesterday, with many thousands of pro-democracy protesters determined to crash or crash through today’s significant date – the 65th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China.
Sep
30
2014
Hong Kong was braced for more thousands-strong protests last night, following a weekend of chaos with police repeatedly launching tear-gas attacks to push back crowds of passionate pro-democracy demonstrators.
Sep
25
2014
The commercial roll-out of the world’s first dengue vaccine is in sight, but tropical disease experts are already questioning the breakthrough vaccine’s drawbacks. Often known as “breakbone fever”, with symptoms of excruciating joint pain, high fevers, and, in severe cases, internal bleeding – dengue is carried by mosquitos.
Sep
20
2014
Scott Neeson frowns as he reads the message on his computer screen. Another child has been beaten and raped. “Oh, it’s Siem Reap again,” he says grimly, referring to the town in Cambodia’s north, near the wildly popular Angkor Wat temples. He reads on, noting that the child has been airlifted to a hospital in …read more
Sep
5
2014
The current outbreak of dengue fever in central Tokyo underscores recent World Health Organisation warnings that climate change is increasingly extending the range of potentially fatal tropical diseases like malaria and dengue. Dr Rabindra Abeyasinghe, a World Health Organisation entomologist based in the Philippines, told the Nikkei Asian Review that global warming is continuing to …read more