Asia

China: Bird Flu Claims Two Victims in a Month

Date: January 25th, 2012 |

Following multiple deaths in Vietnam and Cambodia, China has reported its second bird flu death in a month. While the flu was highly pathogenic, it was not confirmed to be the infamous H5N1 strain. The most recent victim was a 39-year-old male who reportedly had no contact with poultry. The World Health Organization says that [read more]

Philippines: Government says Country Safe for Tourists

Date: January 11th, 2012 |

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Despite a recent travel warning from the U.S. State Department, the Philippine government insists that the country is safe for tourists. In fact, the travel warning was released on the same day that the Philippine Department of Tourism revealed its new slogan: “It’s more fun in the Philippines.” Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said that [read more]

Japan: Fukushima Finally Stable

Date: December 17th, 2011 |

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Nearly ten months after the earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan and caused the worst nuclear disaster in the world since Chernobyl, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda announced that the Fukushima plant has been stabilized. The government acknowledged that it will take decades to completely dismantle the plant, but this is good news for a [read more]

Philippines: Deadly Flash Floods Kill Hundreds, Leave Region in Disrepair

Date: December 17th, 2011 |

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Flash floods in the southern Philippines killed at least 500 people and left thousands stranded. Washi, the tropical storm that set off the floods, hit the region Dec. 16. The storm was the 19th to hit the country this year, a stark reminder of the South Pacific’s unpredictable weather patterns during cyclone season, which runs [read more]

Philippines: Hotel Bombed in Turbulent South

Date: November 30th, 2011 |

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Islamic militants are believed to be behind a hotel bomb that killed 3 and left 27 injured in Zamboanga City in the troubled southern region of Mindanao. Many of the victims were guests of a wedding set to be held Nov. 28. The group responsible is believed to be the al-Qaida linked Abu Sayyaff militants [read more]

China: Spring Festival Travel to Test Transportation Capabilities

Date: January 11th, 2012 |

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The Spring Festival travel rush is considered the world’s largest annual human migration. The festival, which begins Sunday and runs through Feb. 16, is expected to tax the country’s transportation system—a system recently plagued by a series of notable train accidents. Many of the Chinese are rushing home ahead of the fast-approaching Lunar New Year, [read more]

Philippines: Damaged Infrastructure Prompts Travel Alert

Date: December 28th, 2011 |

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The U.S. State Department has issued a travel alert regarding the recent flash flooding that has occurred in the Philippines. Traveling through or residing in the southern portions of the Philippines, particularly Misamis Oriental and Lanao del Norte provinces, will prove difficult due to the immense amounts of damage sustained during the flooding. While floodwaters [read more]

Korean Peninsula: Kim Jong Il’s Death Leaves Region on Edge

Date: December 17th, 2011 |

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The death of North Korea’s enigmatic leader, Kim Jong Il, leaves in his place his youngest son, Kim Jong Un, a fair amount of uncertainty and a peninsula on high alert. As North Koreans adjust to their leader’s death, the South Korean government has put its military on high alert while simultaneously instructing citizens to [read more]

Japan: Radioactive Cesium found in Powdered Baby Mild

Date: December 10th, 2011 |

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Though it has been nine months since the initial disaster at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, new concerns have arisen about radioactive fallout. Most recently, radioactive cesium was found in cans of powdered baby milk, adding to fears that some of Japan’s food sources have been tainted and contaminated with radioactive material from Fukushima. Though [read more]

China: Air Pollution a major Problem in Beijing

Date: November 7th, 2011 |

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After three days of heavy smog in Beijing, the U.S. Embassy rated the air pollution Oct. 31 as “hazardous,” the worst on its six-point scale, which indicates the entire population is likely to be affected. The embassy rated Beijing’s air quality “hazardous” several times in October, and even rated it “beyond index” Oct. 9, meaning [read more]

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