Extreme poverty falling steadily – OWID

To track progress towards ending extreme poverty, the United Nations relies on World Bank estimates of the number of people living below a poverty threshold called the “International Poverty Line” (IPL), Our World in Data (OWID) reports.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ASIA BLOG: East Asia must steer clear of the Israel-Gaza conflict

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

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

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

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.