MANILA – A village in Mandaluyong City has raised a bounty for one of the biggest killers in the country: A peso for every mosquito or its larva, dead or alive. It was a “well-intentioned” initiative by Barangay Addition Hills in Mandaluyong, but for the Department of Health (DOH), there may be better and more effective ways to address the surge of dengue cases in the village and the entire country as well. Under the barangay’s “May Piso sa Mosquito,” villagers will be paid P1 for every mosquito or wriggler (“kiti-kiti”) brought to the barangay hall from 8 a.m. to…
Author: Asia News Network
JAKARTA – Dozens of students in South Sumatra and East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) fell ill on Tuesday after consuming meals provided by the government’s free meals program, marking the third and fourth food poisoning incidents in less than two months since the program’s launch. Eight students from SD 7 Tebing Tinggi State Elementary School in Empat Lawang Regency, South Sumatra, were taken to a healthcare facility after they showed symptoms of food poisoning after consuming their packaged meal. The third and fourth graders reportedly vomited and complained of epigastric pain, stomach discomfort, dizziness and shortness of breath. “The students were…
ASSAM – Bhutan has now access to its closest riverine trade hub with the inauguration of the Jogighopa Inland Water Transport (IWT) terminal on the Brahmaputra River in Assam, India—just 91 kilometres from Gelephu. The terminal, located in Bongaigaon district, is expected to transform regional trade, providing a more efficient, cost-effective route for Bhutanese exports to Bangladesh and India. The inaugural shipment, carrying 110 metric tonnes of coal and stone chips to Bangladesh, was flagged off on February 18 by Indian Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, and Bhutan’s Minister of Industry, Commerce, and Employment, Namgyal Dorji.…
BEIJING/SHENZHEN – Headhunter Jason Yang has been busy filling artificial intelligence (AI) jobs at top Chinese technology companies, from start-ups like DeepSeek to industry giants such as ByteDance. Speaking to The Straits Times at a crowded jobs fair in the southern tech hub of Shenzhen this week, the recruiter said that he has had to cast a wide net, as the demand for AI talent in China far outstrips the number of people who qualify for these jobs. To fill many of these positions, his company recruits top AI talent from overseas, including the US, Europe and Singapore, said the…
NEW DELHI – India is evolving in the field of medical technology, and the recent feat in the field of healthcare corroborates that. SSI Mantra, India’s first CDSCO-approved surgical robotic system for telesurgery, has made history in the world of global healthcare and medicine by conducting telerobotic-assisted Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) procedure by connecting SS Innovations’ headquarters in Gurugram with Manipal Hospital in Jaipur, Rajasthan, spanning a distance of 286 kilometres. A significant step towards India’s healthcare landscape, the surgery was completed successfully in just one hour and 10 minutes. SS Innovations, the visionary force behind the Made-in-India SSI…
HANOI – Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính has signed Decision No. 266/QĐ-TTg, approving the implementation plan for the Global Coal-to-Clean Energy Transition Statement. The plan aligns with Việt Nam’s commitment to low-carbon development and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. It aims to mobilise domestic and international resources for power sector development, adopt co-firing technology with clean fuels to gradually reduce emissions from coal-fired plants, phase out outdated and inefficient facilities, and accelerate renewable energy expansion to ensure stable and affordable electricity supply. By 2030, Việt Nam will pilot carbon capture systems at selected aging coal power plants and consider decommissioning…
KATHMANDU – With the rise in digital technology-driven crimes, the Nepal Police Crime Investigation Department (CID) is set to use Artificial Intelligence-based business intelligence tools for crime control. Though still in the preliminary phase, AI may significantly enhance the trend analysis of crime to simplify the prediction and investigation processes, officials say. At a press conference held at the Nepal Police Headquarters in Naxal on Monday, CID officials emphasised the need to use AI to control crime. Additional Inspector General of Police (AIGP) Kuber Kadayat, also the chief of the department, said AI technology will be used to analyse patterns…
SEOUL – South Korean middle and high schoolers spend an average of more than 11 hours a day sitting, a study showed Monday, raising alarms about their severe lack of physical activity. A report published by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs revealed that Korean adolescents aged 13 to 19 remained seated for an average of 11.02 hours a day on weekdays and 9.21 hours a day on weekends in 2023. In 2017, the figures were 10.19 hours on weekdays and 8.45 hours on weekends, indicating an upward trend in the amount of time Korean teenagers spent sitting…
Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said about his meeting with Liu Zhongyi, China’s Assistant Minister of Public Security, on February 19, 2025, following China’s proposal for Thailand to continue cutting electricity, internet, and fuel supplies to Myanmar. Meanwhile, Myanmar has requested the lifting of these measures, citing their impact on hospital medical services. Phumtham stated that Thailand has been coordinating with China for several months and engaging in ongoing discussions. He emphasised that Liu Zhongyi’s proposal was not a directive from China, as suggested by the opposition. He also reiterated that cracking down on call-centre gangs and sealing the border requires…
SEOUL – Preparations for the US and North Korea are “well underway” in Washington, according to Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Chung Dong-young on Monday. Chung, who was minister of unification in 2004-5 for late President Roh Moo-hyun, told The Korea Herald that after a series of meetings with mainly Republican figures, he was under the impression that talks between the US and North Korea “may materialize over this year.” Chung, as part of the bipartisan delegation of five lawmakers from the ruling and opposition parties, returned Sunday from Washington. Aside from Chung, the delegation included Democratic Party Reps. Wi…