Asia Weekly

China: a sickening scandal

It's no surprise that local officials in Hebei province didn't act sooner when they discovered that the chemical melamine was in Sanlu milk powder, since found to have sickened over 6,000 infants, says Jeremy Goldkorn on Danwei.org. "Can you imagine the dilemma faced by the Hebei officials who knew about the milk problems as they emerged in the run-up and during the Olympic Games?" What were they supposed to do: deal with the problem and cause a food scandal during the Games, or "hush it up and hope for the best? Of course, a hush up was the chosen answer.

New fish in Pacific dives

Marine biologists have dredged up 13 types of fish that were previously unknown to science from the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, says the BBC. The new species, which include a stunning blue damselfish, were sourced from a depth of between 60 and 120 metres, along with 15 other possibly new discoveries that require further study.

Snail-paced recovery

A rogue freshwater snail likely washed up in the tidal surge following Cyclone Nargis is "devastating" rice fields in Burma, reports IRIN News. Experts believe the miscreant to be the Golden Apple Snail, which is ranked in the top 100 of the world's most invasive species. In the absence of international assistance, farmers have "resorted to pesticide" to kill the snails, only to have the chemicals further decimate their crops and fish supplies.

Planets spell doom for Jakarta

Sea levels around low-lying Jakarta rose 2.2 metres last week after a tidal wave struck, the result of an astronomical cycle that occurs once every 18.6 years, flooding parts of the Indonesian capital and forcing people from their homes. It’s all due to the government and its “disastrous lack of attention to planning and infrastructure,” says Lisa Murray for Asia Sentinel.

Dead man stalking

The existence of the Mongolian death worm, said to be a one-metre-long snake-like creature that inhabits the wastes of the Gobi desert, is tenuous at best, but this hasn't stopped "self-made cryptozoologist" Ivan Mackerle from stepping into the sands in search of proof of its existence, says Environmentalgraffiti.com.  The task seems a dangerous one, as descriptions of the creatu

Opting for nuclear

Malaysia will start using nuclear power to generate electricity within 15 years, says Sarban Singh in The Star. Energy, Water and Communications Minister Shaziman Abu Mansor cited the rising price of fossil fuels and the anticipation of future price hikes as the reason Malaysia would look to go nuclear.

Oldest man spurns booze, butts

He doesn't drink. He doesn't smoke. And he doesn't eat much meat. Japanese farmer Tomoji Tanabe turned 113 last week, becoming the world's oldest man, according to the Guinness Book of Records, says Peter Alford in The Australian.

Global garden warming

The failure of the Kyoto Protocol to tackle global warming has had the unforeseen consequence of "eating away" at Zen gardens in the former Japanese capital, says Richard Lloyd Parry in the Times.

China sprints to space walk