Asian Pacific Countries

For the second time this decade, extreme winter conditions on the Mongolian steppe caused extensive die-offs of sheep, goats, cattle, and camels, animals that traditional herding communities rely on for their survival. This past January, temperatures on the steppe plunged to -58 degrees Fahrenheit—more than 10 degrees below average—and 700,000 animals perished as a result. Severe winters that kill large numbers of livestock are common enough in Mongolia that there is a local term for the phenomenon:  dzud . Now, the consensus among the nomads is that dzud has been occurring more frequently in recent years, and it seems to be getting worse. (Scientists have already shown that a  warming Arctic is making U.S. winters worse .) “We used to have four seasons, but now we only have three,” Batjargal told Nicholson. “Before, June, July, and August were warm and with rain. Different types of grass would grow, and the animals would get fat. Now, we have no rain and the wind ...

Hwa Chong Institution says it has adjusted its rules regarding mobile devices in order to create a better learning culture Hwa Chong Institution (HCI) has introduced new rules restricting smartphone use by its students this month.  Shin Min Daily News on Saturday (May 5) published a photo of a letter sent to parents and guardians by HCI's principal on April 30, informing them of the news. The letter, which is in Chinese, says the school has adjusted its rules regarding mobile devices in order to create a better learning culture. "From May 2, students are not allowed to use mobile devices for gaming or to view games between 7am and 2pm," says the letter. The Straits Times understands there is also a version in English. It noted that students often use their devices for such purposes before flag-raising and during recess.  The school has also discussed the dangers of smartphone addiction with students. In response to queries from The Straits Times, HCI's ...

The website of Myanmar National Television carried a surprising report: A mass prisoner amnesty the previous day, it said, had included seven members of the country’s military who were briefly jailed for a massacre of Rohingya Muslims. The report was quickly taken down and was strongly denied by a government spokesman, U Zaw Htay. “It’s not true, it’s false news,” and claimed that “They are still in prison.” The jailing of the seven, three officers and four soldiers, was announced only on April 10, a rare admission of guilt by armed forces accused by the international community of unleashing a scorched-earth campaign in northern Rakhine State last year that compelled around 700,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee Myanmar, a predominantly Buddhist country, for Bangladesh. The United Nations has called the military campaign “ethnic cleansing.” The seven men, whose identities have not been made public, were sentenced to 10 years in prison, for the extrajudicial killings in Sept...