Thailand warns of heat stroke risk as country enters hot season

Thailand Braces for Intensifying Heat: A Growing Public Health Concern Thailand’s Department of Disease Control (DDC) has issued a stark warning as the country enters its hot season, typically lasting from late February to mid-May. The alert comes after a concerning number of heat-related illnesses and deaths were recorded in 2025, signaling a potential for … Read more

Cash, cuckoo clocks and confusion with Sweden – Switzerland as seen abroad 

Beyond Chocolate and Clocks: The Evolving Image of Switzerland For many, Switzerland conjures images of pristine Alpine landscapes, precision engineering, and, let’s be honest, a hefty price tag. But as the world becomes more interconnected, and as a growing number of Swiss citizens live abroad, the stereotypes surrounding the country are facing a reckoning. Recent … Read more

Courageous women leaders: The Jakarta Post

The Evolving Battle for Women’s Rights: From Physical Violence to Digital Threats Despite advancements in women’s representation in leadership roles – including national governments, businesses, and even monarchies – the fight for gender equality remains far from over. A significant, and increasingly concerning, dimension of this struggle is the rise of online harassment and exploitation, … Read more

Microscopic observation: The breakthrough that could swing the fight against motor neurone disease

The Fight Against “The Beast”: New Research Offers Hope in Motor Neurone Disease Battle For Mike O’Hehir, a former marathon runner and Sydney father, initial symptoms of motor neurone disease (MND) – sudden weakness, muscle cramps, and twitches in his arms – were initially dismissed as complications from an old surfing injury. This misdiagnosis highlights … Read more

Modern slavery: Beyond the myth of chains and shackles

The Rising Tide of Corporate Accountability: Modern Slavery in Global Supply Chains For too long, the term “modern slavery” conjured images of historical perbudakan – outright ownership of people. Today, the reality is far more insidious: a lack of genuine choice for workers, driven by threats, coercion, deception, or crippling debt. This evolving understanding is … Read more

Lost in transit? Enthusiast creates wayfinding signs in service of commuters in Singapore

The Rise of Citizen Wayfinding: How Singapore’s “Guerrilla Wayfinder” Signals a Global Trend For Vareck Ng, a 23-year-old musician and self-described transit enthusiast in Singapore, a simple walk isn’t just about reaching a destination. It’s about observing how people navigate, identifying points of confusion, and, trying to fix them. Since 2020, Ng has been quietly … Read more

Living with the strain: Why Jakarta is still home

Jakarta’s Endurance: Navigating Megacity Challenges and the Future of Urban Life Jakarta, recently surpassed as the world’s most populous urban agglomeration by Tokyo, continues to grapple with the pressures of rapid growth. While the Indonesian government pushes forward with the relocation of the capital to Nusantara, the ‘Big Durian’ remains a powerful draw for millions … Read more

ACS150 JACS Symposium kicks off in Zurich

The Future is Nano: How a Global Chemistry Series Signals a Revolution in Science A recent gathering in Zurich, bringing together luminaries like Nobel laureate Moungi Bawendi, wasn’t just a celebration of the American Chemical Society’s 150th anniversary. It was a powerful signal – a glimpse into the future of chemistry and materials science. This … Read more

Beyond cleanup: A Sunday with Trash Hero Jakarta

A Sunday cleanup in Jakarta’s Lapangan Banteng park reveals a growing movement to address Indonesia’s mounting waste crisis, but also highlights the limitations of relying solely on cleanup efforts. The Last Line of Defense Volunteers with Trash Hero Jakarta, a network originating in Switzerland in 2013 and now operating in 15 countries, gather weekly to … Read more

Mongolia’s influenza season now longer and cases higher over the past three years

Mongolia’s Flu Season: A Glimpse into the Future of Respiratory Illness Recent reports from Mongolia indicate a concerning trend: influenza seasons are lengthening and intensifying. Over the past three years, the duration has doubled, with case numbers increasing by 50-100%. This isn’t an isolated incident. Globally, we’re seeing shifts in respiratory virus patterns, and Mongolia’s … Read more