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Asian shares decline and oil prices up more than $1 after US strikes on Iran
Shares are mostly lower in Asia after the U.S. conducted what the military said were defensive strikes against Iran.
How AHN is addressing heart health in South Asian patient populations
We sat down with Dr. Mahathi Indaram, a board-certified cardiologist and one of the physician leaders of Allegheny Health Network’s (AHN) new South Asian Heart Clinic, to discuss this innovative resource. Q: What is the South Asian Heart Clinic, and why was it created? Dr. Indaram: The South Asian Heart
WATCH: Asian-owned business celebrates 50 years in Tempe
Little Szechuan started out as the Szechuan Inn in 1976. Five decades later, its food, small business atmosphere and owners still bring the community together.
Portland clinic helps Asian immigrants navigate life and mental health amid immigration enforcement fears
Founded in 1983, the Asian Health and Service Center in Southeast Portland provides mental health counseling and other support services, as providers say immigration crackdowns have heightened fear and worsened mental health challenges among some immigrant patients.
Asian American Women Are Starting Businesses Faster Than Almost Anyone
Women own 40% of U.S. businesses but generate 4.6% of revenue. One nonprofit is closing that gap—one bootstrapped founder at a time.
Advancing high-threat pathogen preparedness in WHO South-East Asia Region: 2025 in review
Effective preparedness for high-threat pathogens demands more than technical tools — it requires a coherent strategy, sustained country engagement, and the institutional infrastructure to translate evidence into action. In 2025, the Pandemic and Epidemic Management (PEM) Unit advanced all three, working across the full spectrum of high threat pathogen (HTP) preparedness: from methodology development and evidence generation to country-level technical support, emergency response, and regional workforce strengthening.At the core of the PEM unit's work is building the regional evidence and policy architecture needed to prioritize and respond to HTPs systematically. A major milestone was the development of the HTP Prioritization Methodology — a structured, multi-criteria approach to ranking pathogens by epidemic potential, severity, and national context — and its national pilot in Bangladesh, where SARS-CoV-2, Nipah, dengue, and cholera emerged as the highest-priority threats, informing the PEM unit's contribution to 2026–27 biennium prioritization and workplan development (Access link here).Underpinning this work, the PEM unit advanced the peer-reviewed evidence base for HTP preparedness in the South-East Asia Region (SEAR), with three publications in international journals in 2025: Development of a zoonotic influenza distribution assessment and ranking system (ZIDAR): Technical application in Nepal to support cross-sectoral risk-based surveillance in One Health; Implications for influenza A virus surveillance in Southeast Asian Region countries: a scoping review of approaches for the surveillance of swine influenza viruses at human-swine interfaces in BMJ Public Health; and Operationalizing multisector partnerships: a Theory of Action and Reflection tool for zoonotic influenzas in Health Policy and Planning. Together, these contributions move the Region’s HTP preparedness agenda from practice to science — generating the transferable methodological foundations that will inform evidence-based capacity strengthening in Member States.Country-level engagement in 2025 reflected the breadth of contexts in which HTP preparedness must function. Technical support was provided for Mpox and cholera events across the Region, including coordination of cholera and acute watery diarrhea prevention and control in Myanmar in the wake of the March 2025 earthquake. In Myanmar, the PEM unit contributed technical leadership to the earthquake emergency response — one of the most complex humanitarian emergencies in the SEAR — as Health Operations and Technical Support lead within the Incident Management Support Team. This included strengthening emergency response planning, supporting operational and after-action reviews, and providing monitoring and evaluation support for both acute and protracted crisis response. The breadth of HTP support provided to emergency operations across the SEAR was documented in the PEM unit’s contribution to the regional report for the Health Security Interface Technical Advisory Group.In Sri Lanka, technical collaboration with the WHO Country Office and the Ministry of Health laid the groundwork for the National Steering Committee's 2026 annual meeting, development of Standard Operating Procedures for specialized emergency response, and a national training programme — all structured around evidence-based risk assessment for specialized hazards including HTPs.Across the SEAR, the unit contributed to strengthening the workforce architecture that underpins HTP response. Technical inputs shaped the WHO South-East Asia Regional Health Emergency Workforce Strategy 2025–2030, and the PEM unit supported conceptual development of the health emergency workforce framework for the Pandemic Fund Round 3 proposal.Alongside this, the unit's sustained engagement on the meningitis agenda culminated in the launch of the Regional Implementation Framework to Defeat Meningitis in South-East Asia by 2030 at the Seventy-eighth Session of the Regional Committee, ensuring the Region's priorities were reflected in the Global Technical Task Force and expanding the unit's HTP engagement beyond outbreak-prone zoonotic pathogens (Regional Implementation Framework to Defeat Meningitis in South-East Asia by 2030).Taken together, 2025 demonstrated that meaningful HTP preparedness is built incrementally — through methodology, engagement, and the steady accumulation of institutional capacity across Member States.Bangladesh piloted the HTP Prioritization Methodology and identified the highest-priority pathogens in the country context (Photo credit: WHO Country Office, Bangladesh).
North Korean side wins final in South Korea
North Korean team Naegohyang, who made history by crossing the border into South Korea, win the Asian Women's Champions League final.
The Asian workers keeping Greenland in business
Marinel Garciano dislikes winter, and that's tough when it lasts nine months in Ilulissat, Greenland.But behind the glass there was no greenery -- just the pristine white of a blizzard enveloping the ...
AANHPI Local Business Spotlight
To celebrate AANHPI month, Utah Royals FC players surprised some of their favorite Asian owned businesses with free ticket vouchers to Utah Royals games that customers can claim when they visit. The Japanese quartet of Mina Tanaka, Aria Nagai, Narumi and Miyabi visited Koyote (551 W 400 N, SLC, UT),
CelebrAsian returns to Des Moines with two days of food and culture
Summer festival season kicks off in Des Moines with a festival for AAPI Heritage Month. Here's where to park and what to do at CelebrAsian 2026.
SC Asian American and Pacific Islander Business Day proclamation
The sixth annual South Carolina Asian American Pacific Islander Business Day proclamation was held in West Columbia.
Nvidia beats Wall Street expectations amid AI chip boom, Asian tech stocks surge
Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news
Big Europe and Asian private equity health funds merge to defy AI disruption
Global Healthcare Opportunities and CBC Group say $21bn investment manager will be world’s largest in sector
Students With Chronic Illness Shouldn’t Have To Choose Between Health And Education
Autoimmune conditions like lupus are more prevalent among Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and Asian populations
Australian medical college leader suspended from position over alleged health and safety breach
Dr Sharmila Chandran suspended until 20 September as Royal Australasian College of Physicians agrees to work with regulator to meet its obligations
Asian Night Markets Jacksonville shares tradition, food and entertainment with First Coast
Now What? With Carbon Pricing Eroded and Pipeline Politics Advancing, Here Are the Pathways for Climate Success
At the end of a whirlwind week of news on carbon pricing and electricity strategy, capping a madcap year of pretty much non-stop, dramatic change, the word across much of Canada’s climate and energy transition community is that climate policy in this country has been shredded. Eviscerated. Hit with a sledgehammer by policy rollbacks that have pushed the country’s 2050 net zero target “well out of reach”. That means it’s never been more important to look for the rays of hope and glimmers of possibility. To glimpse the seeds of the next set of strategies to get Canada’s climate pollution under control and the country into the accelerating global dash away from fossil fuels. And then, once we’ve spotted those possibilities, get on with the hard, day-to-day slog of trying to make them a reality. Nothing takes away from the frustration and the deep disappointment so many climate and energy hawks are expressing, the sense of betrayal by the author of Value(s) and the former UN special envoy for climate action and finance. But we knew two things as the week drew to a close. We’re looking at the world as it most definitely is. And we don’t get to give up finding the pathways to confront climate change and deliver faster, deeper carbon cuts that leave no one else behind. So really, the first question we all have to ask ourselves is: What’s next? Subscribe All the Oxygen in the Room The outpouring of anger and grief over the carbon pricing deal between Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has been absolutely understandable. So much of the climate community poured years, more than a decade, into dragging the current federal pricing regime across the finish line, then defending it from a deluge of three-syllable rhymes after the Trudeau government proved utterly incapable of delivering its own message. The policy foisted on us by neo-classical economists took up all the oxygen in the room, burned through years of climate response time that we won’t get back, while cornering climate hawks into the position that the best response to the crisis of our lifetimes is a new tax…in an era of historic anti-tax sentiment. I mean, really—what could possibly have gone wrong? Against that history, let’s appreciate columnist Max Fawcett’s point that even a modest carbon pricing agreement with a government as off-the-wall libertarian/conspiracist as Danielle Smith’s—those adjectives are mine, not Max’s—is a win worth savouring (as long as Smith keeps her promises for a change). But part of living in the world as it is (no, I’m not letting that go) is to be clear-headed about what we can and can’t control. And one thing we get to decide, after seeing this week’s carbon price festivities take up all the oxygen yet again, is whether we want to keep letting that happen. Particularly when success down that road depends on a factor that no one with a climate agenda can control or influence—a provincial carbon pricing mechanism that has been manipulated and eroded beyond its lowest possible denominator. Thankfully, that’s not the way it has to go. Not when we have so many other powerful, practical tools at our disposal, including the ones still available to us through this abominable Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Canada and Alberta. Tools In Our Toolbox When I started roughing out this list, I didn’t expect it to grow to nearly a dozen bullet points. It’s probably still incomplete. Some of the greatest hits in today’s climate solutions toolbox include: • No Carbon Capture, No Pipeline: On Friday, Prime Minister Mark Carney explicitly stated that there’s been no change to the MOU provision that there will be no West Coast pipeline without an industry commitment to build its massive, $16.5-billion carbon capture and storage (CCUS) hub in Northern Alberta, and vice versa. The two megaprojects were joined at the hip when the MOU was signed Nov. 27, and the implementation agreement this week affirmed that they still are. A parade of independent analysts have spent years pointing to the economic and technical flaws in CCUS, while the industry kept postponing its investment decision until it could arm-twist the government for more “clarity” (by which it meant even more lavish taxpayer subsidies) on the project. Now the industry itself is running away from the CCUS hub and insisting the pipeline should proceed without it, but Carney doesn’t seem to be budging from a central tenet of the MOU to which Smith has signed on. • No Subsidies, No Investors: Climate analysts and advocates have quite rightly been hammering away at Carney and his team, insisting that any new capacity the industry wants to build must proceed without new subsidies. The government has responded with a growing collection of funding and financing mechanisms for the very wide menu of industrial development and nation-building projects they say they want to take on, and that menu always includes fossil fuel infrastructure. But it’s hard to see how even the combined fiscal clout of the federal and supportive provincial governments will deliver the financial backing private investors would need when the business case for new fossil fuel development is evaporating before their eyes. Particularly when… • No Market, No Demand, No Investors: As our friend Markham Hislop at Energi Media (our apparently sleepless friend, given the massive volume of great material he’s been churning out) points out this morning, the biggest vulnerability in any pipeline deal is the assumption that Asian buyers will want the oil or liquefied natural ga that our fossil industry is so keen to send them. Hislop writes in part: Ottawa and Alberta are effectively betting that countries like China and India will continue increasing oil imports for decades as their economies grow and energy consumption rises. That assumption underpins the entire economic rationale for expanding oil sands production and building billions of dollars in new export infrastructure. But Asian energy systems are changing rapidly… China, India, South Korea, and other major hydrocarbon importers are now investing hundreds of billions of dollars into electricity systems built around wind, solar, batteries, nuclear, hydro, and expanded transmission infrastructure. Domestic “energy sovereignty” is increasingly replacing the old energy-security model based on stable oil and gas imports. Those investments are expected to sharply slow oil demand growth and eventually reverse it, even as overall energy consumption continues rising. There are also refining constraints. Many Asian refineries and petrochemical complexes are already optimized to process discounted heavy crude from the Middle East and Latin America. That raises serious questions about how much additional Canadian bitumen Asian markets can absorb at profitable prices. Small wonder that there’s still no private sector investor for the project, despite Smith’s government desperately beating the bushes to put together a deal. For now, Alberta is acting as proponent and covering early start-up costs for a pitch to the federal Major Projects Office, which could actually turn into the next tough hurdle for Smith and her pipeline to jump. • Canada Day Looms: How ironic that Canada’s birthday this year could become a major chokepoint for the provincial premier who’s been working so diligently to tear the country apart! The July 1 target date for Alberta’s pipeline proposal is baked into the MOU, was reaffirmed by the implementation plan, but it hadn’t dawned on me that it cuts both ways. As one very smart colleague wrote in an email yesterday, “they’ve thrown the ball into Alberta’s court to get the project proposal on the table really quickly and to have to do a whole pile of work to put together a massive, complicated project that would typically take years to assemble, and they’ve given them weeks to do it.” That makes July 1 a looming deadline that Smith won’t be able to run away from politically, especially with the separatists in her party and her caucus breathing down her neck. (See previous ref to off-the-wall.) But if Alberta comes in with a sloppy, incomplete submission, even after Carney bent over backwards to simplify the application process and the rules that govern it, it may be harder for the province or the industry to blame Ottawa and insist on the faster process they claim their investors are demanding. (Oh, wait—which investors would those be??) • We’ll See You In Court (Then We’ll See You Again): If Carney did cave, that would be just one more reason for Indigenous and other affected communities to take the government and the process to court—Just as Alberta First Nations did, successfully, in response to Smith’s half-baked separation referendum. Veterans of the Harper era have been warning that a shoddy process around fossil fuel infrastructure or other major projects will be a recipe for the very delays that process seeks to avoid. And now more than ever, with renewable energy and energy storage eating fossil fuels’ lunch in import markets around the world, a delayed pipeline or LNG terminal may be as good as a cancelled one. • Charged Up, Ready to Go: With its goal of doubling Canada’s electricity supply to meet a doubling of demand by 2050, the national electricity strategy that Carney unveiled Thursday has a lot to like. With its explicit language about speeding the shift from fuels to more efficient and affordable electricity, global investment and deployment patterns that already favour that shift, an emerging bidirectional power grid, the role of front-line options like rooftop solar and heat pumps, the emergence of electric vehicles as behind-the-meter energy storage, and the domestic jobs and manufacturing to make it all happen, the document doubles down on the essential cornerstone of a faster shift off fossil fuels. The strategy envisions a more prominent role for gas and nuclear power. But some of those provisions were already in the Clean Electricity Regulations that climate hawks are now fighting so hard to defend, inserted as a compromise in a futile attempt to mollify the industry and its political representatives in Alberta and Saskatchewan. But once again, gas will be a tougher sell when it’s more expensive and now so much more unpredictable than the clean alternatives. The new nuclear technologies are still speculative and deeply vulnerable to cost overruns. Increasingly, utilities, developers, and investors know it. Carney declared Thursday that “it doesn’t do us good to be sitting in court all the time with provinces. It doesn’t do us good to be talking past each other. What does do us good is to come together with specific projects.” There are no guarantees, but so much of the language and narrative-building in the electricity strategy suggests the lion’s share of those projects will be renewable. • The Party Has Already Started: The electricity strategy only rarely digs down to specific projects, but provinces representing three-quarters of Canada’s population are already embracing a faster transition. Hydro-Québec is working on a 10-year, $185-billion renewable energy and grid buildout by 2035. Ontario recently brought 10 provinces and territories together in a National Energy Corridor Agreement to boost interprovincial and -territorial transmission infrastructure. And the MOU implementation agreement commits Alberta to facilitate investment in renewable energy projects, a big step back from its continuing, punitive restrictions on renewables development. The electricity strategy envisions much of the financing and infrastructure that will be needed to pull those advances together into an integrated whole. • Delivering on Affordability: The MOU implementation plan has little or nothing to say about affordability (are you surprised?), but the electricity strategy does, with a top-line pledge to reduce home energy costs for seven out of 10 Canadian households by 2050, a total saving of $15 billion across the board. It’s just a start, but it puts affordability on the government’s narrative map. If they’re serious and deliberate about patching together a least-cost energy strategy, it’ll have little if any room for oil, gas, or nuclear—not with powerful evidence, for example, that electricity prices are higher when those prices are set by gas. • Smith Proves that Canada Works: By signing a deal that makes it harder to claim the federal government is blocking a new pipeline, Smith has helped prove Carney’s constant anti-separatist refrain that “Canada works”—incurring the rage, no doubt, of her own political base. Canada also needs to work for anyone who depends on a clean environment, healthy and thriving ecosystems, and safe, stable climate. But with Smith and her separatist constituents setting up as a fifth column for annexation by Donald Trump’s United States, let’s set aside any notion that 51st state status for Canada is a recipe for anything other than climate disaster (and so much else). Resisting and withstanding Trump (just 170 more sleeps until mid-term elections, which is a damn sight better than the 730 we started with) doesn’t mean a free pass for a pipeline, but we can still appreciate it that keeping Canada whole and sovereign is still Carney’s Job One. • The Words Not Spoken: Apart from a commitment to export a million barrels of “low-emission” Alberta bitumen per day (memo to Smith and Carney: You realize that that’s less than the industry is already exporting??), the MOU implementation plan says nothing about the international trade and economic sovereignty deals that Carney has been travelling the world to negotiate. It didn’t have to. Carney doesn’t need permission from Danielle Smith, her American enablers, or her separatist allies to continue building the alliances that will ratchet down our economic dependency on our unstable, unreliable neighbour to the south. But every connection he builds with countries outside North America helps align our economy and our future with a faster shift off fossil fuels. Little if any of this was on our bingo cards a year or two ago. But it’s the pathway that has opened up to us. And if it gives Canada any climate or energy gains at all in an era still dominated by Trump and his increasingly ridiculous tariffs, his loutish trade negotiations and his continuing annexation threats, we have to take the wins. Not least because they’ll be the point of departure for what we can achieve in 2027, 2029, and beyond, as Trump’s grip and this era begin to loosen and then fade. What is Carney Doing? If this line of thought is right—and it’s a possibility, not a prediction—it means that Carney’s actions and decisions are largely about buying time. Time for Trump’s power to wane. Time for Alberta’s separatist/conspiracist virus to spread, mutate, die out, or at least die back, with help from a vaccine of federal steadiness and calm (appropriate enough, for a movement populated largely by vaccine deniers) that no conspiracy theory can dismiss. And time for the government’s trade and investment agenda to deliver results—even knowing that some of those results will bring impacts that front-line communities will not and should not accept. In the immediate moment, none of this changes the way the wider climate community has to respond, from campaigners to investors to front-line practitioners. All of our voices are still essential. But those voices will be stronger and more confident if we have a clearer sense of the brutal game we’ve been pulled into, and a plausible path (or two it three) for playing it to the win we need. This conversation also underscores our biggest task for the remaining years of what was supposed to be the “decisive” decade for climate response: if we can shift the energy narrative in Canada, make it a mainstream view that the country’s preoccupation with oil and gas has us falling farther behind a changing world, we’ll see far better results in the 2030s and beyond. For many veteran climate advocates, taking on that part of the fight will begin with recognizing that most of our friends and family, neighbours and colleagues already understand that climate change is real and right in front of us: they’re looking away and staying silent because they don’t have what climate communicator Katharine Hayhoe calls “efficacy”. As Hayhoe recently pointed out in a feature interview with The Energy Mix, it amounts to science denial to keep hammering away at the dire news about global warming without also helping audiences understand what they can do about it, with multiple studies telling us why that won’t work. Far better to open those conversations with the dominant crises like energy security, food security, emergency preparedness and business continuity, affordability, and financial security that have knocked climate change far lower on the list of public priorities, and will likely keep it there. We Knew This Would Happen Climate hawks have always known this day would come. For decades, we warned that everyone had to pay attention to climate change right now, because it would be much tougher to respond once the crisis itself started affecting our daily lives. We were right, and here we are. But now, thanks to decades of hard work, communities and countries have an alternative to doubling down on fossil fuels. “In 10 years everyone will have ‘always known’ that solar and batteries were going to win,” Morgan Solar Executive Chair Mike Andrade writes on LinkedIn. With the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz roiling energy priorities around the world, Canada and the United States are among the shrinking number of countries that are still very keen on fossil fuel development. Understanding that gap is a first, essential step in spotting the opportunities ahead, and averting the deep economic as well as environmental and social risk we face if we don’t seize them. Thanks for reading The Energy Mix Weekender! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work. Subscribe Mitchell Beer traces his background in renewable energy and energy efficiency back to 1977, in climate change to 1997. Now he and the rest of the Energy Mix team scan 1,200 news headlines a week to pull together The Energy Mix and The Energy Mix Weekender. Chart of the Week BYD Eyes 20 Dealership Locations After Canada Greenlights Chinese EV Imports ‘Sledgehammer’ Carbon Price Deal Boosts Emissions by 230Mt, Aims for Fall 2027 Pipeline Approval ‘Worse Than Harper’: Regulatory Rollback Would Stop Canada from Assessing Project Impacts, Critics Warn Electricity Strategy Aims for Doubling by 2050, Allows ‘Flexibility’ for Gas Power Plants Opposition Mounts as O’Leary’s Data Centre Approved in Drought-Stricken Utah Diluted Carbon Price Misses ‘Reality of the World We’re In’, Could Impede Diversified Trade: Climate Institute $200B in Clean Energy Investment Will Need On-Time Delivery, Reliable Policies, Trade Association Says ‘Sovereign Pipeline’: CEO Pitches to Keep Trans Mountain in Government Hands What a Supercharged El Niño Could Mean for Canada Canada’s future is electric, and here’s how a power grid superhighway would get us there (Toronto Star) The Perilous Waters of Hecate Strait (Globe and Mail) Saudi Aramco profits jump despite conflict in Middle East (The Guardian) Farmers confront rising cost of fertilizer and fuel as spring seeding under way (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) Clarkson forecasts 24% decline in offshore oil, gas capital expenditures (Oil & Gas Journal) Pipe Dreams: How Oil and Gas Fail to Deliver Economic Development in Africa (Oil Change International) Developing countries must hold the pen to script the fossil fuel transition (Climate Home News) Iran war threatens the dream of a post-oil economy in the Gulf (Washington Post) U.S. Oil, Gas Work Force Hits Lowest Level Since 2022 (Rigzone) Why Polestar Is Doubling Down on Net Zero as Rivals Pull Back on EVs (Bloomberg) Why this Michigan utility plans to sell its hydro dams for $13 (E&E News/Politico) Levees can no longer save New Orleans (Vox)
Asian festival going all out to showcase food, entertainment
Over 130 vendors will take part in the 17th annual Cleveland Asian Festival.
Asian festival going all out to showcase food, entertainment
Over 130 vendors will take part in the 17th annual Cleveland Asian Festival.
Sindhu, Lakshya, Satwik-Chirag in Thailand Open quarterfinals; ISL, IFL, Asian Weightlifting C'ships continue: Indian Sports LIVE, May 15
Here are all the updates from Indian sports on May 15, 2026.
Sandra Oh, Kumail Nanjiani and Bowen Yang are in a HBO doc on being Asian American, Pacific Islander
Timed for release during AAPI Heritage Month, “The A List: 15 Stories from Asian and Pacific Diasporas” has dropped on HBO Max | Newsradio 1140 WRVA
Sandra Oh, Kumail Nanjiani and Bowen Yang are in a HBO doc on being Asian American, Pacific Islander
Timed for release during AAPI Heritage Month, “The A List: 15 Stories from Asian and Pacific Diasporas” has dropped on HBO Max | WBBM Newsradio 780 AM & 105.9 FM
Sandra Oh, Kumail Nanjiani and Bowen Yang are in a HBO doc on being Asian American, Pacific Islander
Timed for release during AAPI Heritage Month, “The A List: 15 Stories from Asian and Pacific Diasporas” has dropped on HBO Max | WBEN
Sandra Oh, Kumail Nanjiani and Bowen Yang are in a HBO doc on being Asian American, Pacific Islander
Timed for release during AAPI Heritage Month, “The A List: 15 Stories from Asian and Pacific Diasporas” has dropped on HBO Max | 830 WCCO
WEBTOON Entertainment Inc. to Participate in Upcoming Investor Conferences
LOS ANGELES, May 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WEBTOON Entertainment Inc. (Nasdaq: WBTN) (“WEBTOON Entertainment” or “the Company”), a leading global entertainment company and home to some of the world’s largest storytelling platforms, today announced it will participate in the following upcoming investor conferences: J.P. Morgan 2026 Global Technology, Media and Communications ConferenceMay 20, 2026Presentation Time: 10:40 am ETLocation: Boston, MA UBS Asian Investment Conference 2026May 28, 202
Meet Sam Houston, the new baby Asian elephant
The 285-pound pachyderm was up and running right after birth. Yee-haw!
India vs China in AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup Quarterfinal; East Bengal vs Punjab in ISL: Indian Sports LIVE, May 10
Here are all the updates from Indian sports on May 11, 2026.
CAPE Announces 2026 New Writers Fellowship Class (EXCLUSIVE)
The Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment has announced the emerging screenwriters selected for its 2026 News Writers Fellowship class.
Gukesh in Grand Chess Tour; Delhi vs Odisha in ISL; India vs Lebanon in U17 Women's Asian Cup: Indian Sports LIVE, May 8
Here are all the updates from Indian sports on May 8, 2026.
New Nielsen Report Shows The Profound Impact of Asian Influence on Sports and Pop Culture
Alysa Liu and Shohei Ohtani Help Drive Viewership as 91 of the Top 100 Broadcast Programs for Asian American...
Changing This One Marketing Question Helped Her Build a Business That's Thrived for Over Three Decades
Julia Huang is the founder and CEO Intertrend Communications, which prides itself on being "the Most Award-Winning Result Driven Asian American
AAPI athletes honor origins, find identity through sport
Asian American and Pacific Islander athletes across different ASU sports reflect on what it means to honor their heritage and origins while pushing toward greatness.
Chicago kicks off AANHPI Heritage Month with major business expo
Anne Shaw of the Asian American Coalition of Chicago shares how this year’s expo will spotlight legal resources, community impact, and a vibrant lineup of food and cultural performances.
How the Voting Rights Act Helped Latinos in California
The federal law had been a “game changer” for Latino voters, but Wednesday’s ruling could weaken Asian Americans’ political power in the state.
Greater OKC Asian Chamber to host Limitless Business Conference
Conference to bring business owners, community leaders together
Move over, K-pop? The hottest new Asian group could be from Indonesia
A new girl group from Asia has social media turning its head. But this time, they’re not from South Korea – they’re from Indonesia.
DNA study of nearly 200 Indigenous genomes reveals unknown Asian 'ghost' population contributed to American ancestry
New genetic results reveal a previously unknown wave of people settled in South America 1,300 years ago and that Indigenous Americans carry remnants of a "ghost lineage."
Trump Reposts Anti-Immigrant Tirade Calling China and India ‘Hellhole’ Places
The president touched off a furor with his post sharing a podcast episode in which the host referred to China and India as “hellhole” places.
Plano delegation in Asia makes pitch for bringing business to Texas
Plano officials traveled to Japan, Korea and Taiwan to tell business leaders the “Plano story” and why several Asian corporations have chosen to grow in the Collin County city.
Asian Food Fest 2026: Food vendors, entertainment lineup, road closures and more
Asian Food Fest is returning to downtown Cincinnati this weekend to celebrate its 15th year with more than 50 food vendors and more than 100 entertainment performances.
Top 10 things to do this weekend, festival season kickoff edition
Find the best places to be this weekend in Cincinnati, from Asian Food Fest to Jane Austen Festival to belated Earth Day celebrations.
Shooting Jr. World Cup continues; Asian Beach Games begin: Indian Sports LIVE, April 22
Here are all the updates from Indian sports on April 22, 2026.
US crude futures fall as investors reassess US-Iran risks ahead of ceasefire deadline
U.S. crude futures fell nearly 2% in early Asian trade on Tuesday as investors reassessed supply risk, with uncertainty over U.S.–Iran peace talks persisting ahead of a key ceasefire deadline.
George Ariyoshi, 100, America’s First Governor of Asian Descent, Dies
A Democrat, he served three terms as Hawaii’s governor (1974-86), rising out of a tough district of Honolulu. He tried to diversify an economy heavily dependent on tourism.
Things to do in Cincinnati this week, April 20-26
If you're looking for the best events happening in Cincinnati, you're at the right place. Find your next concert, game, festival or family event.
Jade Market launches incubator for Asian retailers amid vision to build cultural, business hub in KC
A small group of Asian entrepreneurs leading product-based businesses are getting an opportunity to brush up on their retail readiness in Hella Good Deeds’ inaugural Jade Market Cohort.
West Eugene break-in latest in Asian business owner burglaries
Eugene police are investigating a new break-in targeting an Asian American business owner, part of an ongoing pattern of similar crimes in the Eugene-Springfield area, with authorities urging increased vigilance
Cleveland’s Asian Festival returns with more food, vendors and entertainment
Cleveland Asian Festival returns May 16–17 with its largest footprint yet, featuring 35+ food vendors, live performances, cultural showcases, and fan-favorite contests in Asiatown.
Japan Pledges $10 Billion to Help Countries Cope With Oil Prices
With supply chains at risk, the aid to Southeast Asian nations is aimed at securing the availability of oil-based products, including medical equipment.
Asian shares mostly rise after Wall Street rallies on lower oil prices
Asian shares are mostly rising, echoing the rally on Wall Street that came as oil prices eased on hopes the United States and Iran may try again on talks to end their war.
Asian carp politics, teen takeover solutions | The Chicago Report
The Trump administration and Illinois continue their back-and-forth over the vital Asian carp Great Lakes project. A child psychologist discusses the rise in viral teen takeovers. And we hear from Yusef Jackson as he takes over his father's organization, Rainbow PUSH.
Philippine president does jumping jacks to disprove health rumors
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., 68, said the impromptu workout was meant to ease worries about his health as the Southeast Asian nation struggles with fallout from the Iran war.
US crude futures fall over $1 as traders weigh supply risks
U.S. crude futures fell more than $1 in early Asian trade on Tuesday as traders balanced heightened supply risks linked to a U.S. blockade of Iranian shipping in the Strait of Hormuz with reports that Washington and Tehran were still open to talks after a tense meeting in Islamabad.
Oil rises and Asian stocks fall amid worries over ‘fragile’ ceasefire deal in Middle East
Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news
Asian benchmarks jump after oil prices sink in response to the Iran ceasefire
Asian shares are surging as oil prices plunged after the U.S. and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire that includes the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Indians in action at badminton, boxing, wrestling Asian C'ships; shooting WC, chess Candidates continue: Indian Sports LIVE, April 8
Here are all the updates from Indian sports on April 8, 2026.
Indians in action at badminton, boxing, wrestling Asian C'ships; shooting WC, chess Candidates continue: Indian Sports LIVE, April 8
Here are all the updates from Indian sports on April 8, 2026.
GRATON RESORT & CASINO ANNOUNCES APRIL PROMOTIONS, ENTERTAINMENT, AND MAY 4 EXPANSION OPENING
This spring marks the start of a new era at Graton Resort & Casino. On May 4, the resort will unveil the next phase of its expansion, introducing new dining, entertainment, and gaming experiences. At the heart of the expansion is a new 144,000-square-foot, fully smoke-free gaming floor, creating a more spacious and comfortable environment for guests while expanding Graton’s…
Badminton Asia C'ship, Billie Jean Cup ties begin; medal chances at boxing, wrestling Asian C'ship; Candidates continues: Indian Sports LIVE, April 7
Here are all the updates from Indian sports on April 7, 2026.
Nikhat, Lovlina in Asian Boxing Championships semifinals; Asian Wrestling Championships begin; IFL continues: Indian Sports LIVE, April 6
Here are all the updates from Indian sports on April 6, 2026.
Nikhat, Lovlina in Asian Boxing Championships semifinals; Asian Wrestling Championships begin; IFL continues: Indian Sports LIVE, April 6
Here are all the updates from Indian sports on April 6, 2026.
Asian shares mostly gain while oil prices keep rising
Asian markets that are open for trading are mostly rising as investors continue to closely watch the war in Iran, soaring oil prices and what President Donald Trump might say next
Asian shares mostly gain while oil prices keep rising
Asian markets that are open for trading are mostly rising as investors continue to closely watch the war in Iran, soaring oil prices and what President Donald Trump might say next.
Punjab face Mohammedan in ISL; Indians at Asian Boxing Championships: Indian Sports LIVE, April 3
Here are all the updates from Indian sports on April 3, 2026.
Santa Clara businesses sue over shopping center displacement
A once-busy Santa Clara shopping center home to Asian-owned businesses is now nearly empty — and multiple tenants are taking their former landlord to court as the property moves toward redevelopment.
Saving biodiversity: Can innovation stop extinction?
Nearly a third of all species are at risk. New tools—from biodiversity credits to AI like BirdNET and measures against the Asian tiger mosquito—aim to protect ecosystems and human health.
Member of burglary ring targeting Asian business owners in Oregon pleads guilty
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon said conspirators ransacked homes in cities including Gresham and Salem.
Eurovision Song Contest is expanding with an Asian edition later this year
i e israel-hamas-war music entertainment eurovision-song-contest world-news general-news | Newsradio 1140 WRVA
Eurovision Song Contest is expanding with an Asian edition later this year
i e israel-hamas-war music entertainment eurovision-song-contest world-news general-news | Newsradio 1140 WRVA
Eurovision Song Contest is expanding with an Asian edition later this year
i e israel-hamas-war music entertainment eurovision-song-contest world-news general-news | KCBS All News 106.9FM and 740AM
Eurovision, the glitzy contest where music meets politics, is adding an Asian edition
The Eurovision Song Contest Asia will be held in Bangkok on Nov. 14, with 10 countries competing so far.
Brent Crude rises after Trump says he wants to ‘take the oil’ in Iran; Starmer to gather business leaders to discuss emergency measures
Asian stocks fall and Brent rises to over $115 a barrel; Trump says US could seize Iran’s export hub on Kharg Island
Asian Shares Decline as Oil Prices Soar Amid the War in Iran, Echoing Last Week's Wall Street Drop
TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares mostly dipped in Monday morning trading as worries continued about soaring oil prices and the potential for further escalation in the U.S. war with Iran. The drops in Asia follow the deep declines on Wall Street last Friday that finished off a fifth straight losing week,
Bayern honour Asian Cup champion Tanikawa
Newly crowned Asian Cup winner Momoko Tanikawa was honoured for her achievement by FC Bayern Women director Bianca Rech ahead of the team’s Bundesliga game at home to Nürnberg on Saturday. The Baye...
Eurozone, Asian Business Activity Slows as Iran War Ramps Up Uncertainty
The war has driven up energy prices and uncertainty, while a cooling of new orders points to longer-lasting harm if the conflict continues or escalates.
Grab Strikes $600 Million Deal for Foodpanda Taiwan Business
Grab Holdings Ltd. agreed to buy Delivery Hero SE’s Foodpanda operations in Taiwan for $600 million, a deal that marks its first foray outside of its Southeast Asian home market.
LIVE: Japan vs Australia – Women’s Asian Cup 2026 final
Follow our live build-up, with team news, ahead of our text commentary stream of the Women's Asian Cup final.
InSo brings fine dining, nightlife entertainment to Las Colinas
InSo is an upscale Southeast Asian fusion restaurant that turns into a lively nightspot.
Forum on harnessing Artificial Intelligence for health equity
Register to this forumOver the past decade, artificial intelligence (AI) has significantly evolved in complexity, performance, and utility. Its integration across a wide range of industrial sectors has accelerated, with healthcare emerging as one of the most transformative sectors. In this sector, AI has enabled high-impact applications – from enhancing the speed and accuracy of disease diagnosis and supporting clinical decision-making, to strengthening public health initiatives such as disease surveillance and workforce optimization. Moreover, AI holds immense potential to empower individuals, enabling them to take greater control of their personal health and well-being. Yet the central question remains: Who benefits, who is at risk, and do these innovations close or widen health inequities? While the potential of AI-enabled applications is substantial, many countries have approached their adoption with caution. This hesitancy stems from concerns about risks and benefits, including model bias, data breaches, privacy violations, and the erosion of professional skills due to over-reliance on AI. Additional barriers include inadequate data infrastructure and a lack of robust evidence on the most effective forms and interfaces of AI to enhance service delivery and system performance. Moreover, the rapid rise of Generative AI has introduced a heightened urgency for the development of comprehensive governance and ethical frameworks. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) Health Practice Team and Digital Sector, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Western Pacific, are convening the Forum on Harnessing AI for Health Equity on 25–26 March at ADB Headquarters. Senior health officials from 16 developing member countries (DMCs), alongside leading researchers, innovators, and policymakers from across Asia and the Pacific, will engage in discussions on how AI can be governed, financed, and scaled to deliver healthier lives for all. The forum is funded through the High-Level Technology Fund with support from the Government of Japan. Objectives The two-day forum aims to:Identify high-impact, evidence-based health AI use cases suitable for resource-constrained settings and map out a pipeline for potential supportIntroduce and validate the WHO's policy guidance on minimum necessary ecosystem for countries and institutions to self-assess readiness for AI adoptionObtain initial commitment from participating stakeholders to join a pilot regional initiative focused on data/model sharing for a priority health challengeEndorse a prioritized set of actionable policy recommendations focusing on governance, regulation, and sustainable financing necessary to scale high-impact health AI use cases in resource-constrained settings Target participants The forum will convene participants from 16 ADB DMCs including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Mongolia, Nepal, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Uzbekistan, and Viet Nam. In addition, health system leaders and practitioners, private sector technologists, academic experts, representatives from civil society organizations, development partners, and philanthropic institutions engaged in AI for Health from Australia, the People’s Republic of China, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the Republic of Korea will also be invited. SessionsDay 1 (25 March)Session 1: AI Use Cases for the Care Continuum: Improving Access and QualitySession 2: Adopting a risk-based approach for AI use case prioritizationSession 3: Establishing the Minimum Ecosystem for Implementation Risk ManagementSession 4: Future-Ready Health Workforce: Building Competency for Human-AI CollaborationDay 2 (26 March)Session 5: The Political Economy of AI in Health: Understanding Stakeholder Interests and their Impact on EquitySession 6: AI and Health Financing: Supporting Fair Coverage and ProtectionSession 7: AI Regulation and Oversight: Pathways for Different RealitiesSession 8: The Way Forward – Building Alliances and Regional Partnership How to registerThe forum will be held in a hybrid format. In-person attendance is by invitation only, while livestreaming of the forum will be available to the public. To register, please complete this form on or before 24 March 2026.Event organizers / partnersAsian Development Bank (ADB)WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific High-Level Technology Fund (HLTF)ContactAkihito WatabeHealth Specialist, SD3-HSDawatabe@adb.org Jae Kyoun KimHealth Specialist, SD3-HSDjkkim@adb.org
Southeast Asian Fuel Prices Destabilize Politics
Indonesia, for one, has a bloody history of fuel-related riots.
Iran cannot participate in the FIFA World Cup, sports minister says
Iran says 'under no circumstances' will it participate following the US-Israeli attacks that killed its supreme leader.
Oil prices retreat, Asian shares rise after report of planned IEA oil reserve release
International Energy Agency reportedly proposed argest release of oil reserves in its history to bring down crude prices
Politics meets football as China, Taiwan face off at Asian Cup
China and Taiwan will clash this week in a politically tinged Women's Asian Cup quarter-final while Australia hope that a bumper home crowd can help drag them through against a dangerous North Korea.
India face Chinese Taipei in women's Asian Cup: Indian Sports LIVE, March 10
Here are all the updates from Indian sports on March 10, 2026.
Variety and Gold House to Spotlight Asian Pacific Creatives in Entertainment With Third Annual 8 Up Next List
Variety will publish its third 8 Asian Pacifics Up Next in Entertainment list on May 6. Once again, Variety will work with a team at Gold House to select the eight Asian Pacifics making an impact acro...
Stocks Tank in Asia as Oil Price Surges
Asian markets tumbled on Monday as Middle East tensions and spiking oil prices sparked a mass exit from the region’s previously booming stocks.
Dallas business tycoon Anurag Jain weighs in on the World Cup (No, not that one).
There's a push, along with other several notable South Asian immigrant business leaders, to grow cricket’s U.S. presence and transform Texas into the sport’s...
Taiwan beats Vietnam 1-0 in Women's Asian Cup match
Taiwan defeated Vietnam 1-0 on Saturday to move into second place in Group C at the Women’s Asian Cup with one match remaining. Su Yu-hsuan scored the decisive goal in the 26th minute after Saki Matsunaga’s shot hit the crossbar, leaving Su to nod the rebound into an empty net for the team which won the last of its three Asian Cup titles in 1981. It was a deserved victory for Taiwan, 2-0 losers to Japan on Wednesday, which created several chances to extend its lead.
Iranian women’s soccer team forced to sing national anthem ahead of Asian Cup match, sources tell CNN
The Iran women’s national soccer team was forced to salute and sing its anthem on Thursday ahead of its Women’s Asian Cup group stage match against host Australia, sources close to the team tell CNN Sports, just days after the squad refused to do so in its tournament opener.
Iran’s place in World Cup 2026 in doubt amid conflict, Trump’s dismissal
With Donald Trump saying he doesn't care if Iran participates, the country may be left with no choice but to pull out.
NovaBridge to Host Business Update Call to Review Phase 2a Data for VIS-101 in Wet AMD on Monday, March 9, 2026
VIS-101, purpose-designed to be a best-in-class dual VEGF-A/ANG-2 inhibitor, has the potential to provide more effective and durable treatment than the current standard of care for patients with wet AMD, DME and RVO Visara, a NovaBridge Majority-Owned Subsidiary, Holds Global Rights to VIS-101 Outside of Greater China and Certain Asian Territories ROCKVILLE, Md., March 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NovaBridge Biosciences (Nasdaq: NBP) (NovaBridge or the Company) a global biotechnology platform co
How South Asians are growing political power in Central Texas
As of 2021, the U.S. Census estimated more than 450,000 Indian Americans in Texas — almost double from 2010.
Bangladesh tackle gender barriers to reach Women's Asian Cup
Bangladesh's national football team face daunting odds at their first-ever Women's Asian Cup, but have already scored a major victory by qualifying."We didn't even have a national women's team before 2008," said Mahfuza Akter Kiron, 59, head of the BFF women's wing.
Popular brain supplement linked to shorter lifespan in men
A massive study of more than 270,000 people has uncovered a surprising link between a common amino acid and how long men live. Researchers found that higher levels of tyrosine—an amino acid found in protein-rich foods and often marketed as a focus-boosting supplement—were associated with shorter life expectancy in men, potentially trimming nearly a year off lifespan.
Little Rock's Star of India named Arkansas Asian Business of the Year for 2026
Some journeys begin with a recipe and a dream, restaurant Star of India said after they were named the 2026 Arkansas Asian Business of the Year.
PRET for impact: Advancing pandemic preparedness in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
IN THE SPOTLIGHT PRET for impact: Advancing pandemic preparedness in the Democratic People’s Republic of KoreaThe Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPR Korea) is making significant progress in strengthening pandemic preparedness, with dedicated support from the WHO South‑East Asia Regional Office (SEARO) and the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Partnership Contribution (PC).Aligned with the WHO Global Influenza Strategy and the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Framework Partnership Contribution High‑Level Implementation Plan III (2024–2030), the country is strengthening its capacity to prepare for and respond to influenza and other respiratory threats. In early 2025, a core team from the Ministry of Public Health of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) participated in a two‑day virtual workshop, which included a mini‑simulation exercise. The workshop was organized by WHO SEARO in collaboration with the Preparedness and Resilience for Emerging Threats (PRET) Secretariat at WHO headquarters and the WHO Country Office for the DPRK. Read more A REGIONAL CONSULTATION GUIDES WHO SEARO IN DEVELOPING A ROADMAP FOR IMPLEMENTING THE PREPPAREDNESS AND RESILIENCE FOR EMERGING THREATS (PRET) INITIATIVE BASED RESPIRATORY PATHOGEN PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESSInfluenza and other respiratory pathogens with pandemic potential continue to pose major public health risks globally. To strengthen regional preparedness and response, Member States of the WHO South‑East Asia Region (SEAR) convened in Colombo, Sri Lanka, to review and provide input on the draft Roadmap and Action Framework for Broad Respiratory Pathogen Pandemic Planning (2026–2031). Supported through the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Partnership Contribution (PC) funds, the proposed roadmap aims to advance robust, integrated preparedness and response capacities for influenza and other respiratory threats across SEAR. This work is aligned with the Preparedness and Resilience for Emerging Threats (PRET) initiative and the SEAR Strategic Roadmap on Health Security and Health System Resilience for Emergencies Read moreSRI LANKA’S USE OF ANTIVIRALS TO REDUCE THE SEASONAL INFLUENZA BURDEN Sri Lanka is strengthening its influenza response by placing greater emphasis on rapid testing, timely treatment, and integration with maternal health services. With support from WHO, the country is building a stronger evidence base on the burden of influenza and the value of vaccination, advancing a holistic approach to protect vulnerable populations and enhance pandemic preparedness. To reduce hospitalizations and deaths from seasonal influenza, Sri Lanka is taking proactive steps to expand access to rapid diagnostic testing and ensure prompt initiation of treatment. National clinical guidelines recommend the use of oseltamivir for individuals at high risk of complications, helping prevent severe illness and shorten the duration of infection. This strategy not only saves lives but also supports local pharmaceutical production, contributing to a reliable supply of antivirals for both seasonal outbreaks and future pandemics.Read moreBHUTAN BOOSTS PANDEMIC INFLUENZA READINESS WITH PANDEMIC INFLUENZA PREPAREDNESS FRAMEWORK PARTNERSHIP CONTRIBUTION SUPPORTED TRAINING AND SIMULATIONSOriginally developed in 2012, the National Influenza Pandemic Preparedness and Response Plan (NIPPRP) has long served as Bhutan’s central framework for managing influenza threats. In 2024, the plan underwent a comprehensive update to reflect evolving global and regional guidance, lessons learned from the COVID‑19 pandemic, and new capacities developed under the PIP Framework. The revised NIPPRP is now more clearly aligned with Bhutan’s broader emergency and disaster risk management structures, ensuring a coordinated, whole‑of‑government approach to pandemic response. As part of efforts to strengthen national pandemic preparedness, Bhutan conducted three national‑level training sessions followed by simulation exercises on influenza pandemic preparedness and response at five sentinel hospitals between April and May 2025, with support from the PIP Partnership Contribution (PC). These activities brought together more than 140 health professionals and key partners from across the country, with a focus on operationalizing the updated NIPPRP and enhancing readiness at key frontline facilities. Read moreSTRENGTHENING INFLUENZA SURVEILLANCE: WHO BRINGS TOGETHER INFLUENZA EXPERTS FROM SOUTH-EAST ASIA AND WESTERN PACIFIC REGIONSThe World Health Organization (WHO) convened the 18th Bi‑regional Meeting of National Influenza Centres (NICs) and Influenza Surveillance for the WHO South‑East Asia and Western Pacific Regions from 9–11 September 2025. Hosted by the WHO South‑East Asia Regional Office (SEARO), the meeting brought together representatives from Member States, Territories, and Areas across both regions, alongside experts from the WHO Collaborating Centres for Reference and Research on Influenza in Australia and Japan, the WHO Collaborating Centre for Studies on the Ecology of Influenza in Animals in the United States, quadripartite partners (WOAH and FAO), and other technical counterparts. The consultation provided a platform to review progress, share experiences, and outline priorities for strengthening influenza and respiratory pathogen surveillance across the two WHO regions.Read moreNETWORKS AND TECHNICAL PARTNERSHIPSSTRENGTHENING PANDEMIC READINES: SOUTH-EAST ASIA ADVANCES UNITY STUDIES UNDER THE PANDEMIC INFLUENZA PREPAREDNESS INITIATIVEThe WHO Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS) Investigations & Studies initiative, also known as Unity Studies, provides a standardized, globally coordinated framework to support these efforts. Originally developed for influenza and adapted during COVID-19, Unity Studies enable countries to conduct rapid, nationally led investigations and studies to assess transmissibility, severity, susceptibility, and intervention effectiveness. To better prepare for future influenza pandemics, WHO has recently launched a network of sites which will be ready to conduct these investigations and studies rapidly in the event of a pandemic, or epidemic of an emerging or re-emerging respiratory pathogen. The WHO South-East Asia Region now hosts six sites of WHO GISRS Unity Studies across the five countries including Sri Lanka, strengthening regional capacity for early pandemic investigations. From 13–16 July 2025 in Colombo, the Global Public Health Summit offered an opportunity to advance this agenda. Read moreSTRENGTHENING PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS THROUGH UNITY STUDIES: REAL-WORLD APPLICATIONS FROM INDIA IN WHO’S SOUTH-EAST ASIA REGION As countries continue to strengthen their pandemic preparedness through investments in resilient health systems during the interpandemic period, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS) Investigations & Studies Global Initiative, Global Initiative, commonly known as Unity Studies, remains a vital framework for respiratory pathogen pandemic preparedness. These standardized epidemiological protocols enable countries to rapidly generate high‑quality data on transmissibility, infection severity, population immunity, and the effectiveness of public health interventions. To highlight how Unity Studies protocols are being adapted and applied in national settings, WHO Headquarters, together with WHO Regional Offices, including the WHO South‑East Asia Regional Office (SEARO), hosted a global webinar. The session showcased case studies from India and the United Kingdom (UK), demonstrating innovative approaches to respiratory virus surveillance and pandemic readiness. Read moreSTRENGTHENING REGIONAL INFLUENZA SURVEILLANCE AND PREPAREDNESS: WHO SEARO HOSTS HIGH-LEVEL WEBINAR AMID RISING H5 THREATS In response to the increasing detection of avian influenza A(H5) cases in humans globally and within the WHO South‑East Asia Region, the WHO Regional Office for South‑East Asia (SEARO) convened a regional webinar on 25 July 2025 to review preparedness mechanisms, strengthen surveillance pathways, and promote timely reporting of unusual respiratory events. The virtual session brought together more than 50 participants from Ministries of Health, National Influenza Centres (NICs), National IHR Focal Points (NFPs), WHO Headquarters, WHO Country Offices across the Region, and WHO Collaborating Centres (CCs) for influenza. The webinar provided an opportunity to share situational updates, discuss surveillance gaps, and reinforce coordination mechanisms critical for early detection and rapid response to avian influenza threats. Read moreOther Key PIP Updates (July-December 2025)MEMBER STATES:Bangladesh drafted and conducted a series of Core Group Meetings in 2025 to review and update the National Pandemic Preparedness and Response Plan for Respiratory Pathogens. In addition, the country carried out Rapid Response Team (RRT) trainings on seasonal and avian influenza and other re‑emerging infectious diseases. Bangladesh also updated its epidemiological data‑training programme for physicians at sentinel surveillance sites, using a revised epidemiological data‑collection tool.Bhutan revised and updated its National Influenza Pandemic Preparedness and Response Plan (NIPPRP) in 2025 and developed a national Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for influenza outbreak management. DPR Korea conducted a nationwide simulation exercise in July 2025 to support the update of its National Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Plan (2019). This followed a PRET‑based virtual orientation and mini‑simulation exercise held in May 2025 by SEARO and the WHO PRET Secretariat. The comprehensive exercise, conducted across central and provincial levels, assessed strengths and gaps in pandemic influenza preparedness and response. The feedback gathered has been incorporated into the revised draft plan to address identified weaknesses and strengthen overall readiness.India conducted a targeted nationwide online re‑orientation training on review and updates to the influenza portal for all State Surveillance Officers (SSOs) and relevant officials using the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP). The training emphasized correct marking and reporting of influenza samples as “unsubtypable” or “not subtyped” where applicable, to ensure accurate national surveillance.Maldives conducted simulation exercises in three atolls based on its existing National Pandemic Preparedness and Response Plan (NPPRP). The country plans to conduct similar exercises in three additional atolls after updating the NPPRP in 2026. In addition, Maldives conducted training on FluID and FluMart as part of a broader data‑management training package for Ministry of Health and Health Protection Agency officials, aimed at improving routine reporting to WHO platforms and the DHIS2 system.In Myanmar, technical support was provided to the National Influenza Centre (NIC) through dedicated human‑resource support (January–December 2025) to sustain data management and laboratory detection capacity for influenza and other emerging and re‑emerging respiratory viruses. This support also included strengthening genomic sequencing capacity.Nepal conducted a consultative workshop on the National Pandemic Preparedness and Response Plan (NPPRP) in July 2025. The workshop engaged key stakeholders from multiple sectors to review lessons from past pandemic responses, assess current mechanisms, and gather critical inputs for strengthening national preparedness. Key recommendations included revising the 2019 NPPRP and developing an updated Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Plan aligned with emerging risks, national priorities, and relevant international frameworks. Nepal also held a two day workshop dedicated to advancing the National Action Plan for Genomic Surveillance, aimed at reinforcing the country’s capacities for early detection and monitoring of emerging respiratory pathogens.Sri Lanka received the final report from WHO on the feasibility assessment for conducting an Influenza Burden of Disease (BoD) study in the country. The assessment, conducted from 28 April to 9 May 2025, included a desk review of existing data sources, document review, visits to sentinel surveillance sites, and key informant interviews. The study identified critical data sources required for a future BoD assessment, as well as their availability and quality. Officials from the Epidemiology Unit, the National Influenza Centre (NIC), and SARI/ILI sentinel hospitals across the country participated in the assessment.Timor Leste conducted on‑the‑job training and monitoring activities at two sentinel surveillance sites to strengthen surveillance and laboratory capacity for the detection of SARI, ILI, ARI, and other respiratory infections. REGIONAL OFFICE:SEARO conducted a Member States Consultation on the first draft of the Regional Roadmap and Strategic Action Framework for implementing WHO’s PRET‑based broad respiratory pathogen pandemic planning for 2026–2031. The consultation took place on 29–30 October 2025 during the final two days of the Regional PIP PC Annual Review and PRET Meeting in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Participants included representatives from Member States, WHO Country Offices, WHO SEARO, WHO Headquarters, partner agencies, and invited multidisciplinary technical experts. They reviewed the draft and provided detailed feedback, which has since been incorporated into a revised version. The consultation helped shape a shared regional vision for robust, PRET‑aligned pandemic preparedness, building on country‑level progress, addressing existing gaps and challenges, and aligning with global and regional health security frameworks. The publication is planned for release during the SEAR regional committee in 2026.SEARO documented the evolution of the National Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Planning process in the Region, tracing its development from its origins as a planning tool for responding to avian influenza outbreaks in 2006, through the experiences of the 2009 and 2019 pandemics, to the current status. The document outlines the way forward for respiratory pathogen pandemic planning across all 10 SEAR countries, aligning future national plans with WHO’s PRET Framework for broad respiratory pathogen pandemic preparedness.The Infectious Hazard Management (IHM) Unit has drafted the WHO South‑East Asia Regional Guidance on Influenza Prevention and Control, aligned with the Global Influenza Strategy and other regional initiatives. The draft is currently under review. Although this technical product was developed in response to a request from the Ministry of Public Health of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (MoPH‑DPRK), SEARO is finalizing it for use not only in DPRK but also across all Member States in the Region.The Immunization and Vaccine Development (IVD) Unit, in collaboration with WHE/SEARO, completed a regional landscape analysis on key barriers, challenges, and opportunities for the introduction of seasonal influenza vaccination in WHO South‑East Asia Regional (SEAR) countries.Additionally, the Immunization and Vaccine Development (IVD) Unit has completed a regional landscape analysis of influenza vaccine procurement systems across the WHO South‑East Asia Region (SEAR).KEY MEETINGS AND PUBLICATIONSMEETINGS:Six-month progress review of the implementation of the PIP-PC workplans in SEAR, focusing on Outputs 1 and 2 for the period January to June 2025, and held virtually across three sessions on 4, 8, and 10 July 2025. Read moreAnnual Regional Meeting (Hybrid) on Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Partnership Contribution (PC) and WHO’s Preparedness and Resilience for Emerging Threats (PRET) Implementation in SEAR in Colombo, Sri Lanka, 27 to 30 October 2025. Read more18th Bi-regional Meeting (Virtual) of National Influenza Centres (NICs) and influenza surveillance in WHO South-East Asia and Western Pacific Regions from 9 to 11 September 2025. Read morePUBLICATIONSImplications of influenza A virus surveillance in Southeast Asian Region countries: a scoping review of approaches for the surveillance of swine influenza viruses at human-swine interfaces. Read moreAnnual South-East Asia regional meeting on operational planning for implementation of global influenza strategy and preparedness for respiratory viruses in 2025 Report on annual review meeting of implementation of pandemic influenza preparedness (PIP) partnership Contribution (PC) Fund in South-East Asia Region and the simulation exercise on PRET Status of influenza in who south-East Asia Region