Typhoon Kammuri killed at least two people in the Philippines on Tuesday as it tore roofs off houses and forced the international airport in Manila to shut down.The storm roared ashore late Monday and passed south of Manila - home to 13 million people - and thousands of athletes at the regional Southeast Asian Games.Just before it exited into the South China Sea, the typhoon killed two people in the central island of Mindoro, where one man was crushed by a falling tree and another killed by a

The media in Indonesia recently revealed that the Coalition for Safe Public Space (KRPA) had conducted a survey regarding women’s safety on public transportation in Indonesia. The results of the survey showed that public transportation could be considered a very dangerous public place for women, with the frequency of sexual harassment occurrences coming in second place.

In Southeast Asia, a number of endangered marine animals killed with large amounts of plastic in their stomachs have been reported by the media. In June last year, a Pilot whale was found beached in Songkhla, Southern Thailand, choked to death by 80 pieces of plastic rubbish weighing eight kilograms in its stomach. In the same month, a Green turtle was found dead in Chanthaburi, Thailand, with plastic shreds from fishing gear, rubber bands and other marine debris in its stomach.

Typhoon Kammuri on Tuesday lashed the Philippines with fierce winds and heavy rain, as hundreds of thousands took refuge in shelters and the capital Manila prepared to shut down its international airport over safety concerns.The powerful storm, which blew in windows and sheared off roofs, roared ashore late Monday and was due to pass south of Manila - home to some 13 million people - and thousands of athletes at the regional Southeast Asian Games.Forecasters said Kammuri remained strong, with

The University of Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC) recently revealed that the slowing economy has triggered a surge in household debt of 7.4 percent this year.

The Philippines has begun evacuating thousands of people, local officials said Sunday, as a powerful typhoon rumbling in from the Pacific forced Southeast Asian Games organisers to cancel or reschedule some events.The storm entered Philippine territory Saturday evening, shortly before President Rodrigo Duterte and boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao launched the Games with a colourful opening ceremony.Forecasters expect Typhoon Kammuri to make landfall Monday evening or Tuesday morning, packing g

Recently, on 28 November, Swedish veteran journalist and author Bertil Lintner warned a forum in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), India, that the rampant misinformation being spread on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter was having a negative effect on journalism in Myanmar, India and the region.Linter was speaking about the media at the two-day Kolkata Colloquium 2019 organised by Observer Research Foundation (ORF) under the title “Reimagining BIMSTEC”.The veteran journalist spoke o

Newly-hatched tortoises take their first steps at a Bangladesh conservation park, their feet barely visible under hard shells that carry the weight of the species on their backs.These tiny new-borns – 41 in all – belong to a species thought to have gone extinct in the country until seven years ago, when they were rediscovered by conservationists with the help of locals in the south-eastern Chittagong hills.Once abundant across dense tropical forests in Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Thailand, the p

It is going to take a flawless next couple of weeks for the Philippines’ bruised reputation to recover from all the negative press surrounding the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.While this year’s edition of the biennial meet is the biggest in terms of sports, events and number of medals, it will now also be remembered as the biggest failure to prepare.Scheduled to run until 11 December, the region’s largest multi-sport event officially kicks off today but has already been overwhelmed by a t

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte apologised and pledged a probe into the troubled run-up to Saturday's opening of the Southeast Asian Games after a rush of logistical problems and last-minute construction.Complaints over transport, accommodation and food stacked up as thousands of athletes have flooded into Manila for the biggest ever edition of the Games, which are also threatened by an approaching typhoon forecast to hit the northern Philippines early next week.Though initially con