MERS mask mania

The middle Eastern virus sparks mask rush in Asia, but are they effective? :

As South Korea scrambles to control an outbreak of the killer MERS virus, its fearful citizens have donned surgical masks en masse – but the jury is out on whether they actually protect against the invisible enemy lurking in the air. Across Asia, masks have long lost their stigma to become an everyday sight in the street or on the subway, despite some experts believing they do little more than provide psychological reassurance against diseases such as MERS, which has already left 23 people dead in South Korea.

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Asia's next geopolitical flash point

With Taiwan's pro-independence party tipped to win next year's presidential election, some analysts fear that could renew tensions in cross-strait relations and risk destabilizing Asia. "It is time to start worrying about Taiwan ... Old questions about Taiwan's longer-term future are re-emerging, and so are old fears that differences over Taiwan could rupture U.S.-China relations and drive Asia to a major crisis," said Hugh White, professor of strategic studies at the Australian National University.

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