Typhoon Phanfone smashed into the central Philippines on Tuesday, leaving thousands of people unable to get home for the Christmas holidays and forcing many others to evacuate in the face of the onslaught.The tropical storm was upgraded to a typhoon shortly before it made landfall on Christmas Eve in the mainly Catholic nation, but early reports indicate there had been no casualties so far.It struck the southern tip of the impoverished island of Samar in the afternoon with gusts of up to 150

While its economic benefits and geopolitical implications are often splashed across the front pages of national newspapers worldwide, the impact of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) on the environment receives much less attention.An ambitious plan unveiled by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013 to boost connectivity in over 70 countries, the world’s largest ever infrastructure project includes the financing and building of everything from roads to airports and is estimated to cost anywh

A Vietnamese tanker captain has been jailed in Singapore for his part in a scheme that saw about US$150 million worth of oil stolen from energy giant Shell's largest refinery, authorities said Friday.The theft took place over several years from a huge industrial site in the city-state, described by the Anglo-Dutch firm as one of its most important production centres in the world.Police put an end to the scheme, which saw oil siphoned from the refinery and sold below market rates, in 2018

Separated from their mothers, jabbed with metal hooks, and sometimes deprived of food - many Thai elephants are tamed by force before being sold to lucrative tourism sites increasingly advertised as 'sanctuaries' to cruelty-conscious travellers.Balanced precariously on hind legs, two-year-old Ploy holds a ball in her trunk and flings it towards a hoop, one of many tricks she is learning in Ban Ta Klang, a traditional training village in the east.Here young elephants are "broken

By now many people around the world would have heard of the tragic fate of Franco-Irish teenager Nora Anne Quoirin who went vacationing with her family to the Southeast Asian country of Malaysia.

The Philippines said Friday it has detained hundreds of Chinese workers in a continuing crackdown against unlicensed online gaming businesses catering to mainland customers.So-called Philippine offshore gaming operators, or POGOs, are the country's fastest-growing industry.

A brief kiss between two women in the new "Star Wars" movie was cut from the version released in Singapore, local media said."The Rise of Skywalker", the conclusion to the nine "Star Wars" films that stars Daisy Ridley, was released in the Asian city-state on Thursday.The film contains a brief scene where two minor female characters share a kiss – but the moment is omitted in the version screened in Singapore, according to Yahoo Lifestyle SEA.The news site report

In April 2017, the European Parliament passed a resolution restricting the import of uncertified palm oil.

We’ve written about it time and time again. While it is undeniably exciting that the world is witnessing technological advancements at a rate never before seen in the past, there are real dangers associated to these developments as well.

Tourism is a powerful tool for development. It represents 10 percent of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP) and provides 10 percent of jobs globally. The industry is also interlinked with every other sector in the economy.