#asia good news

[politijohn]

Source

Some good news!

#lgbt #lgbtq #japan #asia #current events #good news #news #lgbt rights #equality #pride month #gay rights #gay marriage #marriage equality #pride

[reasonsforhope]

"Lawmakers in Thailand’s lower house of Parliament overwhelmingly approved a marriage equality bill on Wednesday that would make the country the first in Southeast Asia to legalize equal rights for marriage partners of any gender.

The bill passed its final reading with the approval of 400 of the 415 members of the House of Representatives in attendance, with 10 voting against it, two abstaining and three not voting.

Thailand has a reputation for acceptance and inclusivity but has struggled for decades to pass a marriage equality law. Thai society largely holds conservative values, and members of the LGBTQ+ community say they face discrimination in everyday life. The government and state agencies are also historically conservative, and advocates for gender equality have had a hard time pushing lawmakers and civil servants to accept change.

[Note: As always, worth noting that all of those things can be said about the US and plenty of Western countries too. The West isn't magically non-homophobic.]

The bill now goes to the Senate, which rarely rejects any legislation that passes the lower house, and then to the king for royal endorsement. This would make Thailand the first country or region in Southeast Asia to pass such a law and the third in Asia, after Taiwan and Nepal.

The bill amends the Civil and Commercial Code to change the words “men and women” and “husband and wife” to “individuals” and “marriage partners.” It would open up access to full legal, financial and medical rights for LGBTQ+ couples...

The new government led by Pheu Thai, which took office last year, has made marriage equality one of its main goals."

-via AP News, March 27, 2024

#thailand #southeast asia #lgbtq #same sex marriage #queer community #lgbtq pride #queer pride #taiwan #nepal #gay marriage #gay rights #lgbt #marriage equality #good news #hope

[wachinyeya]

#good news #solar energy #asia #coal #science #solar power #climate crisis #fossil fuels

[canisalbus]

Whenever someone says "This would kill a Victorian child." Or "This would kill a medieval peasant." I have to think about Machete. Would he... would he survive eating a Dorito?

.

#I've never had doritos myself so I have no point of reference #I think they sell them here nowadays but it's a fairly new thing and I don't eat a lot of chips #they had spices in the past but they were extremely expensive #I think most of them had to be imported from South/Southeast Asia #India in particular #few could afford such luxury goods but if you could serve people spicy food it was a mark of wealth #so historically a lot of upper class dishes were extra flavorful #potentially to an overpowering degree maybe #it was a status thing #a dorito wouldn't kill him but I've mentioned he secretly tends to favor somewhat bland and unthreatening foods #that won't set off his sensory issues #he'll eat the various nutmeg cinnamon clove saffron ginger creations people serve to him because declining would be a massive faux pas #but it's not an enjoyable experience #answered #anonymous #give him some light broth and a little bit underseasoned chicken to eat with his watered down wine

[finexbright]

.

#okay look i love louis and i really don't want to cause any discourse but i suppose this is just me gathering my thoughts in one place #i think that this livestream event would've been so much better if a. it had a concert attached to it and b. it was cheaper #like i'm sorry but i already paid £18 to watch it in the cinemas i am not gonna pay £18 more just to get 10 mins of extra footage #and him and charlie talking about the same things again. like we aren't getting any new questions and thoughts #and he would've been way better off by putting it on a streaming platform instead where fans can have access to it anytime #and this coming right after the cancellation of asia leg with zero explanation and one half assed tweet? is just not louis vibes man :/ #i am NOT saying there's something going on bts or whatever i'm just saying that the fans deserve an explanation #for the cancellation of the tour dates #and like. sorry but this livestream is not accessible at all. i am not gonna spend £18 on this #and like. £18 is actually SO much in so many countries that i know at the end of it only usa + eu + uk #fans will be watching it so what even is the point #but yeah. one off livestream bad. online streaming platform good. explanation for cancellation required

[lookingforcactus]

“How do you supercharge vegetation growth for a reforestation project? Bring in the microorganisms.

That’s the finding from a new study, which shows that incorporating a microbial community of fungi, bacteria, algae and archaea into ecosystem restoration can accelerate plant biomass production by 64% on average.

Researchers say this application holds plenty of promise for restoration work in Southeast Asia, where large swaths of once-forested landscapes have been degraded for large-scale agriculture.

Soil microbiome like fungi carry out a critical task known as soil transplant, moving soil and associated microbial communities from one location to another. But they’re often overlooked in conservation and restoration efforts, said study lead author Colin Averill, a senior microbial and ecosystem scientist at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, or ETH Zürich.

“When we think to plant a tree, we never think to ‘plant’ the microbiome, right? But what if we did?” Averill told Mongabay.

To find out how big a role the microbiome plays in ecosystem restoration, Averill and colleagues from ETH Zürich, the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague and Vrije Universiteit in the Netherlands pored over the date from 27 restoration projects that incorporated microbial restoration.

Their study, published in the journal Nature Microbiology, found that across all the restoration works, there was an average of 64% increase of plant growth. In one case, plant growth was stimulated by 700%.

The study shows that incorporating the microbiome in managed landscapes like farmland and forestry concessions has the greatest potential. This is because managed landscapes account for the majority of human land use, covering half of the global habitable land surface.

But by introducing microbial communities, these agricultural and forestry plantations [and monocultures] that are currently devoid of biodiversity could become reservoirs of it, Averill said.

To increase biodiversity and enrich these managed landscapes, it’s important to avoid using single species or very low-diversity, non-native soil organisms at a large scale, Averill said.

The study notes an increasing number of microbial inoculant companies advocating for just this on the argument that it could improve crop yields. But the mass application of a single species could lead to a loss of genetic and ecological diversity, and is unlikely to account for ecosystem-specific requirements, the study says.

It instead recommends using locally sourced, native and biodiverse communities of soil organisms as these can promote biodiversity in managed landscapes without limiting crop yields.” -via Mongabay, 1/5/23

#mongabay #mongabay environmental news #environmental news #conservation news #fungi #microbiome #monoculture #agriculture #reforestation #forest restoration #southeast asia #good news #hope #microorganisms

[lollytea]

Yes it might have taken me an embarrassingly long time to really pay attention to it but in ASIAS, along with the 'half a witch' parallel, both Hunter and Willow are motivated by upholding the legacy of those who came before them. That picture of Gilbert and Harvey being flyer derby champions is just as significant to her as the Golden Guard sigil is to him.

#other miscellaneous ASIAS thoughts that are not worth their own post but i think about them often: #its an episode that asks ''but who are you outside of the roles this story uses to define you?'' #this is the only episode of the Hunter Makes Friends series where his actions are not motivated by Belos #and Willow is neither one of Luz's two best friends nor the estrangled acquaintance to Amity #both characters are unnattached to those influences here. And without those roles slotting them into predictable places #we're able to explore new nooks and crannies of their personalities #stuff that really hasnt been revealed before #the two of them are trying out something new and a little out of their comfort zone and it pulls new traits out of them #Hunter’s hexside infiltration reveals him to be WAY more socially awkward than previous eps have shown #and then after his flyer derby match it really brings out his excitement over having friends and the genuine affection he has for them #Meanwhile this is the ep that really establishes what an ambitous go getter Willow can be #Shes never been a leader before. Shes never been this direct or ruthless. But her dedication to this team really pulls it out of her #and these lesser known sides of themselves are the version the other meets #lastly it is a very good take on a Person Vs Society story #again Hunter's internal conflict in this episode has nothing to do with Belos. He literally never gave a fuck if Hunter had magic #But Hunter was still born and raised on the boiling isles and no matter how sheltered he is #the inherent prejudices of the place is gonna gnaw at his self confidence. hes gonna internalize this shit #so while every Hunter ep before this was about how Belos has manipulated his self of worth as a person #this time we are dealing with how hunter views himself as a WITCH #MEANWHILE Willow's struggles with have always been entirely focused on her insecurity as a witch #her terrible grades and her severed friendship has always been about her insufficient abilities with magic #but in this ep you learn that it goes deeper than that #she berates herself not because of her magical ability but because she believes that shes stupid #the half a witch thing has severely deteriorated her worth as a PERSON #their respective struggles go in different directions in this ep and their emotions are complicated #but they still overlap enough that they can understand what the other is feeling #OKAY AND LASTLY AGAIN. Forreal this time #that scene when Darius is about to attack the entrails and Willow throws her arms out to shield all three of them #and then Hunter proceeds to run in and shield HER #because SOMEONE had to shield her. they are instinctive protectors. they are the same

[fatuismooches]

I LOVE ROBIN MORE THAN WORDS CAN DESCRIBE AAAAA (yes im pulling for her AND il dan heng EEEE)

i havent finished penacony yet BUT i do think sunday is rllyyy pretty like his sister and hes giving me BIGGG ayato vibes KDKKFKFD i think i may grow to like him more once i finish penacony!!

I HOPE YOU GET BOTH OF THEM!! I LOVE HER TOO!! How are your savings looking like? (i don't even have 1 pull rn but im used to the broke life 💪)

Ayato vibes eh? I don't care much for him but i can see where you're coming from 🤔 he's very... idek how to explain it,, it's alot,,

#smooches talks #moots: fawn <3 #i also love ur new black swan theme #i am a proud black swan haver btw!! i love her sm!! #i also hope u enjoy penacony #the story is so good but also will have u like... ya #aww i wanted u add u but u only play on asia... cries 💔

[dreamings-free]

NME Asia 11th April 2023

Former One Direction member Louis Tomlinson has cancelled his upcoming Asia tour due to “unforeseen circumstances” and is offering full refunds to ticket-holders.

Announced today (April 11), the singer took to his official website to break the news. A written statement on his website notes: “DUE TO UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES AND REASONS BEYOND OUR CONTROL, UNFORTUNATELY THE APRIL 2023 TOUR OF ASIA WILL NO LONGER BE TAKING PLACE. FULL REFUND DETAILS ARE AVAILABLE FROM YOUR POINT OF PURCHASE.”

The singer also took to social media to add: “Absolutely gutted we couldn’t make it out to the shows this month. I’ll be back! I’m sorry from the bottom of my heart to anyone affected. Love you all!!”

The tour – first announced in February – would have seen the singer perform seven shows across Asia between April 17 and April 27. He was set to kick off the tour with three shows in Osaka, Nagoya and Tokyo before heading down to Bangkok, Thailand on April 22. He was then scheduled to perform in Taipei and Kuala Lumpur before closing out the tour at the Star Theatre in Singapore on April 27.

Full refunds are available to ticket-holders from the point of purchase.

Tomlinson’s Asian stops were supposed to be in support of ‘Faith In The Future’, his second album which dropped in late November last year, and comes after dozens of dates already announced across the US, UK and Europe.

#it was not announced 'today' but good job nme.. #louis #fitf tour #cancelled shows #07.04.23 #fitf tour asia #nme #nme asia #11.04.23 #news #touring #m

[andromedasummer]

one thing i love about my uni is even when the subject we are studying is about far away country or ultra specific phenomenon theres always a book in the syllabus, published by the university, by a member of that country and/or culture, by an expert on that special subject, who happened to attend my university too. who's lived in the same cities i have.

#i just really like reading books by new zealanders on international subjects #the current one is for my post-colonial lit course #the focus for this is specifically on post-colonial writings by koreans #and joanna cho is the author whose poetry book im reading right now. #shes south korean and a new zealander and has lived in both places #and her writing is good at focusing on comfortable moments in time #but also indecision and the fear of making the wrong choices #it also is very good at encapsulating the specific racism so many people from asia are subjected to hete #its very bad. anti-chinese and anti-indian sentiments are held by far too many people. and because of ignorance that gets directed towards #korean japanese filipino and any person who looks ''asian'' enough for someone to let out repugnantly casual racism towards #all in all this has been a good read so far im 1/3 through and i really enjoy her writing style #i think shes my favourite poet ive read in any of the poetry courses ive taken

[politijohn]

Source

#same sex marriage #lgbt #Lgbtq #lgbt rights #equality #news #current events #Asia #Nepal #good news #Lgbtq rights #government #the left

[reasonsforhope]

"Lead is a neurotoxin; it causes premature deaths and lifelong negative effects. It’s said “there is no safe level of lead exposure” — as far as we know, any lead causes damage, and it just gets worse the more exposure there is.

After a 20-year, worldwide campaign, in 2021 Algeria became the final country to end leaded gasoline in cars — something the US phased out in 1996. That should make a huge difference to environmental lead levels. But lots of sources remain, from car batteries to ceramics...

Bangladesh phased out leaded gasoline in the 1990s. But high blood lead levels have remained. Why? When researchers Stephen Luby and Jenny Forsyth, doing work in rural Bangladesh, tried to isolate the source, it turned out to be a surprising one: lead-adulterated turmeric.

Turmeric, a spice in common use for cooking in South Asia and beyond, is yellow, and adding a pigment made of lead chromate makes for bright, vibrant colors — and better sales. Buyers of the adulterated turmeric were slowly being poisoned...

But there’s also good news: A recent paper studying lead in turmeric in Bangladesh found that researchers and the Bangladeshi government appear to have driven lead out of the turmeric business in Bangladesh.

How Bangladesh got serious about lead poisoning

The researchers who’d isolated turmeric as the primary cause of high blood lead levels —working for the nonprofit International Center for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh — went to meet with government officials. They collected samples nationwide and published a 2019 follow-up paper on the extent of the problem. Bangladesh’s Food Safety Authority got involved.

They settled on a two-part approach, starting with an education campaign to warn people about the dangers of lead. Once people had been warned that lead adulteration was illegal, they followed up with raids to analyze turmeric and fine sellers who were selling adulterated products.

They posted tens of thousands of fliers informing people about the risks of lead. They got coverage in the news. And then they swept through the markets with X-ray fluorescence analyzers, which detect lead. They seized contaminated products and fined sellers.

According to the study released earlier this month, this worked spectacularly well. “The proportion of market turmeric samples containing detectable lead decreased from 47 percent pre-intervention in 2019 to 0 percent in 2021,” the study found. And the vanishing of lead from turmeric had an immediate and dramatic effect on blood lead levels in the affected populations, too: “Blood lead levels dropped a median of 30 percent.”

The researchers who helped make that result happen are gearing up for similar campaigns in other areas where spices are adulterated.

The power of problem-solving

...When the Food Safety Authority showed up at the market and started issuing fines for lead adulteration, it stopped being a savvy business move to add lead. Purchasers who were accustomed to unnatural lead-colored turmeric learned how to recognize non-adulterated turmeric. And so lead went from ubiquitous to nearly nonexistent in the space of just a few years.

That’s a better world for everyone, from turmeric wholesalers to vulnerable kids — all purchased at a shockingly low price. The paper published this month concludes, “with credible information, appropriate technology, and good enough governance, the adulteration of spices can be stopped.”

There’s still a lot more to be done. India, like Bangladesh, has widespread adulteration of turmeric. And safety testing will have to remain vigilant to prevent lead in Bangladesh from creeping back into the spice supply.

But for all those caveats, it’s rare to see such fast, decisive action on a major health problem — and impressive to see it immediately rewarded with such a dramatic improvement in blood lead levels and health outcomes. It’s a reminder that things can change, and can change very quickly, as long as people care, and as long as they act."

-via Vox, September 20, 2023

#lead #lead poisoning #turmeric #bangladesh #south asian food #south asia #public health #public safety #government #good news #hope

[welcometogrouchland]

Okay I think I actually love the Brazilian dub of toh (<- I do not speak Portuguese)

#ramblings of a lunatic #the owl house #i can't comment on how well things are translated BUT i do know that i love the voice acting for it #the only one I'd say is so-so so far is hunter (I'm just attached to Zeno. tho i do love his latin american VA patricio lago!) #but also i haven't heard much of him yet #BUT WILLOW LUZ AND GUS ARE ALL ON POINT??? not in terms of voice matching but in terms of character energy #lowkey appreciated them not going for as much of a generic high pitched mean girl voice for boscha #as much as i like eden reigel in the og version this version feels like a girl who is good at sports and bullies you abt it #haven't seen Darius' tho (I'm watch asias and switched dubs part way through) #watching in different dubs is fun though!!! it's not as fun as the spanish dub where I can actually catch every other word or two #but it's also more fun bc it makes the episode feel fresher for me. which is nice since I've seen this show like. 4 times lol #anyway! ya learn something new everyday #i think i might watch king's tide in the Japanese dub someday tho bc belos va reminds me of the fuckin. badguy in pretty cure #and that's so funny to me. that's so funny

[waugh-bao]

*

#the last two weeks have been mental #I passed in my last paper for this term on the 24th #which means I’m officially done with the first year of my PhD #and I got news yesterday that I got a high pass on my French translation exam #so I only have to take one more test (could be in Russian or Portuguese or Hebrew or Arabic. my choice based on what I already have) to #finish my language requirements #[which is one of those things that doesn’t seem like a big deal but you can’t go to prospectus defense without it done] #and to multiply the crazy #the Friday before last #I got news that a proposal is submitted to a call for chapters (which I 100% thought I would be turned down on) was accepted #so I’m going to have a whole 40-50 page research project brought out as a chapter in a book by a major U.S. university press #never mind that I’m leaving in 2 weeks #to travel around Europe and Asia for the next 3 months doing research work and visiting friends #I was at such a low point at the start of this term 2 or 3 months ago #burned out and not feeling good about my work and just generally having a time of it with everything #but it feels like everything has turned around so drastically in such a short amount of time #and pushing myself through the bad/hard parts was worth it to come out the other end #anyway I’m rambling #but it’s been amazing to get things to look forward to and move towards making real accomplishments #especially after not sleeping more than 5 hours a night for like 9 months #not the stones #me stuff

[sohyuki]

sumeru is so fucking BIG what even

#the music is great and the scenery is pretty #i am taking a TON of notes for facets #but the npcs...... tragic #also i'm dreading the exploration #if anyone wants to co-op i'm in NA and asia! #though only my NA has made it to sumeru; my asia is still stuck in inazuma #i'm staring at the map rn and crying on the inside #this would have been such a good update if not for the character designs #i sent hyv a very pointed message in the new survey about representation and their atrocious designs 👍

[sunbeamedskies]

European/Asian/elsewhere friends- how is 2023 so far?? Can you put in a good word for me???

#2023 #new years #nye #new years eve #new years day #New Years goals #please #good luck #help #thanks #thank you #Europe #Asia #Africa #Australia