Malaysia's boldest takes on news, entertainment and buzz.
Hundreds of Indonesian students have fallen ill from food poisoning linked to President Prabowo Subianto's free meals programme, compounding safety concerns despite a new leadership overhaul aimed at restoring public confidence.
The Pakatan Harapan government has approved RM328 million for healthcare development projects in Negeri Sembilan, including upgrades to 88 clinics, as part of broader efforts to strengthen public health services ahead of the state election.
Across Southeast Asia, governments grapple with interconnected challenges: Indonesia's environmental commitments face climate headwinds, the Philippines navigates labour disputes affecting competitiveness, and Singapore confronts public health concerns while advancing green building goals.
South Korea's southeastern region has shattered temperature records amid a severe heat wave, with Busan posting its highest reading in 120 years and Yangsan reaching 40.3°C. The extreme conditions are expected to persist.
A sixth fatality has been recorded in New York City's Legionnaires' disease outbreak affecting the Upper East Side, with health authorities reporting 90 confirmed cases and no new diagnoses since mid-July.
The Democratic Republic of Congo's Ebola outbreak has surpassed 3,000 confirmed cases with 1,354 deaths. Researchers are developing treatments and vaccines, with Oxford University launching the first human trial of an experimental vaccine.
Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye urges Malaysia to declare synthetic drug abuse a national priority, calling for coordinated action across government agencies, schools, and communities to prevent widespread harm to youth and the economy.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has documented 2,905 confirmed Ebola cases with 1,269 deaths as a newly developed vaccine moves into human trials. The surge partly reflects integration of previously uncounted cases from eastern provinces.
Malaysia's National Sports Day 2026 will target over 5.3 million participants across three days in October, incorporating digital technology and AI to modernise sports engagement and build momentum towards hosting the 2027 SEA Games.
Selangor has chosen Taman Medan as the main location for a new hospital in Petaling Jaya, with land acquisition underway. The project aims to enhance medical services for residents in high-density areas including Puchong and Subang.
The Dewan Rakyat convenes to examine the government's readiness for El Niño impacts on agriculture, investigate a grenade explosion during military exercises, and address the spread of deviant Islamic teachings nationwide.
Malaysia's Health Ministry is rolling out MediAsas, a new medical insurance scheme targeting middle-income earners, alongside existing programmes for lower-income groups to broaden healthcare coverage.
Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka has opened a technology-driven rehabilitation centre in Jasin featuring robotic assistance and exoskeleton systems to improve recovery outcomes for stroke and mobility-impaired patients.
Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail has highlighted the importance of healthy lifestyles for Malaysians as the country transitions toward an ageing population, emphasising independence and wellbeing in later years.
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The WHO has alerted Europe to an imminent severe heatwave building over the Atlantic, with temperatures expected to peak at 43°C in Portugal and southern Spain this week. The organisation stressed that fewer than half of European nations have comprehensive heat-health action plans in place.
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Malaysia's Parliament will scrutinise the proposed private partnership model for the East Coast Expressway Phase 3 and discuss stricter measures against illegal vaping syndicates targeting schoolchildren during its current 16-day sitting.
The World Health Organization warns heatwaves are now recurring crises, not rare events. While human bodies can adapt somewhat to heat, experts say adaptation has clear limits—especially as climate change accelerates temperature increases.
An eye specialist in Kuala Lumpur emphasises the importance of early vision screening across all ages, warning that untreated conditions like squinting and cataracts can cause permanent damage if left undetected.
Guinea-Bissau has recorded its first confirmed mpox case, triggering immediate activation of national health response protocols and enhanced surveillance measures across the West African nation.
The Ministry of Health is targeting over 500,000 Malaysians to benefit from services across 38 Wellness Hubs this year, building on strong evidence of success in disease prevention and lifestyle improvement programmes.
A farmer's wife in Yunnan province poisoned herself by sucking venom from her husband's cobra bite wound, a dangerous first-aid misconception perpetuated by television dramas. Both were hospitalized and treated with antivenom.
Sunway Medical Centre Velocity is deploying automated external defibrillators across Kuala Lumpur's high-traffic zones and training the public in emergency response, addressing Malaysia's critically low cardiac arrest survival rates.
Spain recorded 1,029 heat-related deaths in June 2026, the second-hottest June since records began in 1961. Nearly three-quarters of the population faced health risks from extreme temperatures during a brutal heat wave.
A consultant psychiatrist in Kota Kinabalu has raised alarm over an escalating number of young Malaysians experiencing depression and suicidal thoughts, signalling a deepening mental health crisis affecting the nation's youth.
An estimated one million cats are slaughtered annually in Vietnam as part of a persistent underground trade fuelled by superstitions linking the meat to good fortune and medicinal benefits, even as surveys show over 90 per cent of Vietnamese oppose the practice.
Malaysia recorded more than 141,000 synthetic drug abuse cases last year, with amphetamine-type stimulants accounting for roughly 70 per cent of all drug abuse incidents. The east coast region faces the most severe challenges.
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Malaysia's mental health crisis threatens to impose an economic burden of RM25.3 billion by 2030, with depression cases doubling among adults and affecting one million people, prompting parliament to debate urgent reform measures.
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The Democratic Republic of Congo's Ebola outbreak has surpassed 1,000 confirmed cases with 254 deaths since May 15, prompting intensified response efforts across affected provinces and raising regional disease control concerns.
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Police seizure data revealing 402 cases of vapes mixed with synthetic drugs has strengthened the government's case for banning the devices, Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad announced.
Singapore's emergency physicians are raising alarms about an escalating public health crisis involving drug-impaired driving, particularly the use of etomidate-laced vapes. Recent statistics reveal a troubling surge in accidents tied to substance abuse.
Thailand's cannabis framework faces mounting pressure as lawmakers debate whether to reclassify the drug as a narcotic pending new legislation, amid concerns over uncontrolled sales and legal gaps.
Survivors of Congo's 2018-2020 Ebola outbreak are urging authorities to learn from past failures as a new outbreak caused by Bundibugyo virus spreads, warning that community scepticism and misinformation could hamper the response.
Healthcare stakeholders and policymakers have called for Malaysia to establish systematic screening programmes for childhood iron deficiency anaemia, affecting approximately one in three children nationally.
Pahang's health department has initiated a formal investigation into reports that multiple visitors contracted foodborne illnesses following recreational activities at a river site near Bentong.
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The Pahang State Health Department has initiated a formal investigation into reports of diarrhoea and vomiting cases that residents have attributed to the Janda Baik river. Authorities are intensifying surveillance and sanitation checks in the area.