Thailand bans imports of plastic waste from January 1

The ban on imports will help stimulate plastic recycling, ensuring more efficient resource usage and reducing the amount of unused plastic waste, says Arada Fuangtong, the Department of Foreign Trade's director-general.

New target set to curb China’s HIV rate by 2030

Since around 2012, the country has effectively halted HIV transmission through blood transfusions, reduced mother-to-child transmission and curbed the virus's spread via injection drug use, the State Council General Office said in a plan released Wednesday.

Japan to actively recruit nursing care staff from overseas

About one in five people in Japan will be aged 75 or over next year. There are currently about 2.15 million nursing care workers, but there will be an estimated shortage of about 250,000 workers in fiscal 2026 and about 570,000 in fiscal 2040.

Indonesia mulling social media ban for children

The Southeast Asian archipelago could become the next country to legislate a ban on social media use for minors, following rising concerns regarding the technology's impact on children's mental health.

Philippines expected to import record rice volume

Despite record production and ample stocks, the Philippines is expected to import a record volume of rice in the 2024-25 crop year, according to a report from the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the US Department of Agriculture.

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