Philippines

US EPA’s controversial Climate Crisis report is full of lies and mistakes

Ben Aris in Berlin August 25, 2025

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a controversial report in July claiming the effects of the Climate Crisis were overblown. A fact check by Carbon Brief found it is full of lies and errors.

Mapping global drought risk - Statista

Anna Fleck for Statista August 24, 2025

By 2050, more than 1.6bn people, including almost 20% of the African population, will be exposed to severe and extreme droughts, if a pessimistic scenario plays out, according to a report by INFORM Climate Change.

Forest carbon credits are facing a reckoning over albedo risks

bne IntelliNews August 24, 2025

Planting trees should reduce the amount of CO₂ in the atmosphere right? Well, its not so easy as that. Trees also provide shade and prevent sunlight from reaching the ground that could reflect it back into space, cooling the plant.

Philippines halts rice imports for 60 days hurting Thai exports

bno - Phnom Penh Office August 21, 2025

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has ordered a 60-day suspension of rice imports, from September 1 to October 30, in an attempt to stabilise prices during the domestic harvest.

The Philippines pushes back against Chinese aggression in the South China Sea

bno - Taipei Office August 20, 2025

Recent incidents, from naval collisions to dangerous aerial interceptions, illustrate the fraught nature of the region, and reveal the Philippines’ evolving strategy to defend its maritime rights.

ASEAN observers monitor Thailand–Cambodia border following ceasefire pact

bno - Surabaya Office August 20, 2025

Malaysia’s Defence Attaché to Thailand, Brigadier General Samsul Rizal Musa, led an ASEAN Interim Observer Team in a three-day inspection of the Thailand–Cambodia border to oversee the ceasefire’s implementation

Jimmy Lai becomes a symbol of hope and despair in fallen Hong Kong

bno - Taipei Office August 14, 2025

Hong Kong is gone. Taiwan and the South China Sea must not, at any cost, follow suit.

ASEAN is going nuclear – it's just a matter of time

bno - Ho Chi Minh Office August 13, 2025

Across the ASEAN bloc, energy security, surging data-centre demand and net-zero pledges are nudging governments to revisit their nuclear options.

Philippines growth holds steady as rate cuts remain in view

bno - Jakarta Office August 13, 2025

The Philippine economy recorded stronger growth in the second quarter of 2025 compared with the first, primarily due to a spike in goods exports ahead of impending tariffs.

US DoE muddies the ClimateCrisis waters with report downplaying the emissions problem

Ben Aris in Berlin August 2, 2025

As part of the Trump administration’s attempts to take the Climate Crisis off the agenda, the US Department of Energy has released a report downplaying the impact of fossil fuels on global warming.

Sinkholes on the rise across Asia: a growing danger beneath the surface

bno - Taipei Office August 1, 2025

The dramatic rescue of a motorist from a sinkhole on a busy Singapore road has cast new light on an alarming trend across Asia – the increasing frequency and severity of sinkholes swallowing roads, vehicles, and in some cases entire buildings.

IMF corrects growth forecast upwards – Statista

Katharina Buchholz for Statista July 31, 2025

Despite uncertain market conditions amid the Trump administration's tariff regime and major global conflicts, the International Monetary Fund has upped its global economic growth forecasts for 2025 and 2026 slightly, Statista reported on July 30.

The Asian take on recognition of a Palestinian State

bno - Ho Chi Minh Office July 31, 2025

Muslim-majority nations or those seeking to expand their influence in the Middle East will support or reaffirm recognition. Meanwhile, countries embedded in US frameworks or enjoying ties with Israel are are expected to remain cautious.

The top three ‘megatrends’ set to transform the Asia Pacific region

bno - Taipei Office July 30, 2025

The rapid development of technologies such as generative AI and the metaverse is already changing how people in Asia Pacific live, work, socialise and shop.

Trump Administration's trade deals so far - Statista

Katharina Buchholz for Statista July 29, 2025

On July 27, the United States and the European Union agreed on a trade deal that is lowering tariffs of 30% on European goods threatened by August to 15%, including on cars.

Recent floods across Asia kill hundreds, leave devastation in their wake

bno - Taipei Office July 29, 2025

From South and Southeast Asia to Central and East Asia, communities have been grappling with flash floods, landslides and glacial lake outbursts as warming temperatures and shifting monsoon dynamics fuel increasingly erratic weather.

IPCC releases dire sixth climate update in run-up to COP30

Ben Aris in Berlin July 25, 2025

“Any further delay in global action to slow climate change and adapt to its impacts will miss a brief and rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all”.

ASIA BLOG: If the Thailand-Cambodia conflict escalates, Vietnam won’t stand idle – nor will the US and China

bno - Ho Chi Minh Office July 25, 2025

The current flare-up between Thailand and Cambodia feels different from previous disputes. What initially appeared to be a limited skirmish over disputed borderland and nationalist rhetoric now carries the faint, unmistakable whiff of escalation.

ICJ declares healthy environment is a human right in landmark climate ruling

Ben Aris in Berlin July 24, 2025

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has issued a historic advisory opinion recognising a clean and sustainable environment as a human right, declaring that states which fail to curb emissions may be in violation of international law.

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