{
  "id": 16706631,
  "title": "Why paper straws are worse than plastic; Japan’s ‘silver divorce’ rise: 7 Asia highlights",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/27/why-paper-straws-are-worse-than-plastic-japans-silver-divorce-rise-7",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-27T04:30:07.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3372227/why-paper-straws-are-worse-plastic-japans-silver-divorce-rise-7-asia-highlights"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "1. A recent South Korean government-commissioned study has revealed that paper straws may have a more significant environmental impact than traditional plastic straws. Despite being marketed as an eco-friendly alternative, the research suggests that paper straws could potentially contribute to greater waste accumulation. This finding has reignited the conversation surrounding the true environmental benefits of switching materials in the pursuit of waste reduction.\n\n2. In a surprising turn of events in Malaysia, a 16-year-old student has been arrested for live-streaming an axe attack on a teacher during a class at a private school in Kuching, the capital of Sarawak state. The incident has raised concerns about cyberbullying, student safety, and the consequences of live-streaming harmful actions on social media platforms.",
  "summary": "We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage of Asia over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Filipinos split on Marcos’ sea handling amid row over Chinese envoy’s remarks Filipinos are almost evenly divided over the Marcos administration’s handling of the…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "Japan's September corporate services prices rise 3.7% yr/yr",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/27/japans-september-corporate-services-prices-rise-3-7-yr-yr",
        "published": "2026-10-27T00:27:15.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}