Thailand makes weight-loss pens prescription-only to counter glut of illegal medicines

South China Morning Post - Sep 18, 2026

Thailand has moved to make weight-loss pens prescription-only, as a glut of the GLP-1 medicines – which mimic the hormones released once someone is full – floods the black market and influencers swarm TikTok to extol the quick wins of the simple injections. The Southeast Asian nation, which is never far behind wellness or aesthetic trends and has a notorious black market in counterfeit drugs, has seen the uptake of GLP-1 medicines skyrocket, doctors say, including the market-leading Ozempic...

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Queen Suthida highlights Thai craftsmanship with distinctive outfits during Vietnam visit
Sep 18, 2026

Queen Suthida highlights Thai craftsmanship with distinctive outfits during Vietnam visit

Thai Queen Suthida highlighted traditional Thai culture and craftsmanship across five outfits worn during her recent state visit to Vietnam.

Pride or practicality? Indonesia receives first aircraft carrier amid fears of upkeep cost
Sep 18, 2026

Pride or practicality? Indonesia receives first aircraft carrier amid fears of upkeep cost

Indonesia welcomed its first aircraft carrier on Friday, a former Italian warship that the government says will strengthen the archipelago nation’s maritime security and disaster response capabilities. The 41-year-old former ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi, with capacity for short take-off and vertical landing aircraft and helicopters, was welcomed with a military ceremony upon its arrival at a naval base in North Jakarta’s Tanjung Priok seaport. Rome in March agreed to give the carrier, which was...

3 students killed in Philippine school shooting, including gunman
Sep 18, 2026

3 students killed in Philippine school shooting, including gunman

A 16-year-old student shot dead at least two fellow students and then killed himself at a school in the southern Philippines on Friday, provincial officials said. Eight others were injured, with four in critical condition. All the victims – Grade 9 students at Banga National High School – were aged 14 to 17, said Albert Palencia, mayor of Banga town in South Cotabato, where the shooting took place. The incident follows two fatal gun incidents since June at schools in the Philippines, where...

Vietnam to scrap IELTS bonus points in university admissions
Sep 18, 2026

Vietnam to scrap IELTS bonus points in university admissions

The Ministry of Education and Training has proposed eliminating university admission bonus points for IELTS certificates and excellent student awards starting next year.

SNAPSHOT | AirAsia sells off 6 new aircraft; Zamri 'welcomes' AGC decision not to review charge
Sep 18, 2026

SNAPSHOT | AirAsia sells off 6 new aircraft; Zamri 'welcomes' AGC decision not to review charge

What's going on in the news today, with updates at 9am, 2pm, 6pm, and 9pm.

Norwegian Seafood Council tells stories of salmon to appeal to Vietnamese consumers
Sep 18, 2026

Norwegian Seafood Council tells stories of salmon to appeal to Vietnamese consumers

The campaign brings together industry partners, nutrition experts, chefs, media and culinary enthusiasts to celebrate the story of Norwegian salmon in sushi and other Japanese dishes.

Najib gets house arrest - but how he'll be tracked remains unclear
Sep 18, 2026

Najib gets house arrest - but how he'll be tracked remains unclear

UPDATED 3.24PM | Ex-PM must pay RM50m fine, comply with all pardon-related conditions.

Torrential rain in Vietnam leaves 3 dead, 16,000 homes flooded
Sep 18, 2026

Torrential rain in Vietnam leaves 3 dead, 16,000 homes flooded

Heavy rains triggered flooding and landslides across northern Vietnam, killing three people and damaging thousands of homes as well as more than 22,000 hectares (54,000 acres) of crops. The northern region has experienced downpours since Monday, with some areas receiving as much as 653mm (26 inches) of rain, according to a statement on the government’s website. More than 16,000 houses have been inundated while rice and other crops have been damaged. National and provincial roads have been...

Thailand’s Muslim separatists vow to fight for independence ‘until the end of time’
Sep 18, 2026

Thailand’s Muslim separatists vow to fight for independence ‘until the end of time’

Two decades into an insurgency that has killed thousands in southern Thailand, a leader of the main Malay–Muslim separatist group has vowed to keep fighting until it achieves its goals. “This struggle will continue until the end of time,” Nikmatullah Seri, the spokesman for the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) peace negotiation delegation, said in a rare interview. “As long as our objectives remain unachieved, we will continue to fight.” Militants from BRN have fought for an independent Islamic...

Woman dies after South Korean hospital administers wrong blood type
Sep 18, 2026

Woman dies after South Korean hospital administers wrong blood type

South Korean prosecutors have ordered a reinvestigation into a case in which a type O patient at a Seoul university hospital was mistakenly given type A blood and died about a month later.

Chinese woman's search for American tutor rallies hundreds of his former students
Sep 18, 2026

Chinese woman's search for American tutor rallies hundreds of his former students

A Shanghai woman looking for the American teacher who tutored her free of charge two decades ago has found hundreds of his former students, but not him.

Malaysia’s Najib Razak allowed to serve rest of jail term under house arrest
Sep 18, 2026

Malaysia’s Najib Razak allowed to serve rest of jail term under house arrest

Malaysia’s Pardons Board on Friday agreed to allow disgraced former prime minister Najib Razak to serve out the remainder of his jail term under house arrest. King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar granted Najib a “conditional pardon”, where the former leader is required to settle his 50 million ringgit (US$12.3 million) fine before he can be transferred to his home to complete his sentence, due to end on August 23, 2028. “He must abide by these conditions, and should he fail to fulfil any of these...

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