Chinese EVs win over some in South Korea, but Japan is proving to be a rougher road

Kim Min-seon bought an electric vehicle from China’s BYD in July. “Everyone reacted like, ‘Why did you buy a Chinese car? Are you trying to get yourself killed?’” the 48-year-old Seoul ​resident said. Her purchase would have been unthinkable just a few years ago in South Korea, where Chinese cars have been long dismissed as shoddy. At around $18,500, the Dolphin compact…

High levels of mercury, lead found in Davao City street food, study reveals

Popular street food staples, including isaw, kwek-kwek, and siomai sold at open-air markets in Davao City, were found to contain elevated levels of toxic heavy metals, potentially posing health risks to consumers, particularly young children. The peer-reviewed study, published in the journal Food Science and Preservation on June 2026, examined heavy metal contamination in street-vended foods collected from major night markets in…

Climate change must be declared ‘global health emergency’— study

Climate change must be declared a “global health emergency” to shape governments’ policies after heat caused three million deaths between 2016 and 2023, a report in The Lancet said Wednesday. Published by the British medical journal ahead of the COP 31 climate summit in November, the 10th edition of the report brought together 146 researchers from 30 countries to assess the impact…

Is intermittent fasting actually effective for weight loss?

Intermittent fasting is an eating plan that focuses on when you eat rather than what or how much you eat, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine, which unites physicians and scientists from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine with The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System. Johns Hopkins Medicine neuroscientist Mark Mattson, who has studied intermittent fasting for 25 years, said the…

The Iran war is showing why the Philippines can’t afford to neglect its farmers

A war thousands of kilometers away is beginning to ripple through something as basic as the Filipino dining table. The conflict involving Iran has pushed oil prices higher, disrupted key shipping routes, and strained global supply chains—especially for fertilizer, a critical input for food production. Farmers are already feeling the pressure. Fertilizer prices have surged by as much as 30% to 40%,…

Malacañang under fire as fallout grows over removal of career DOH officials

With the perceived ouster of career health officials, Malacañang now stands accused of putting institutional stability and expert leadership at risk for political convenience. The uproar follows the exit of Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Singh-Vergeire and other veteran DOH officials in what appears to be a politically motivated shake-up. About 55 professional medical groups signed a joint statement expressing concerns of what…

SPECIAL REPORT: Laguna Lake on the verge of becoming the Philippines’ largest septic tank

The Laguna Lake is fast deteriorating into the country’s “biggest septic tank,” Biñan City Rep. Walfredo “Arman” Dimaguila Jr. warned on Saturday, August 2. In an interview on DZRH News’ Special on Saturday, Rep. Dimaguila urged the Marcos Jr. administration to take urgent and science-based action to rehabilitate the vital water body affecting millions across Southern Luzon and Metro Manila. “Magkakaroon na…

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