Malaysians struggling to make ends meet during a worsening coronavirus outbreak have hoisted white flags outside their homes in a desperate plea for help that has swept the country.Authorities imposed a second strict nationwide lockdown last month in response to a surge in COVID cases, and many low-income workers who live hand-to-mouth have lost their jobs again after a ban on non-essential businesses. The flags – often little more than strips of cotton or T-shirts – have sprung up o

President Joe Biden celebrated United States (US) Independence Day on Sunday with an upbeat assessment of a country he said is roaring back to post-pandemic life, even if COVID-19 has yet to be fully "vanquished."Speaking before a festive crowd of 1,000 guests on the White House South Lawn, Biden drew a comparison between the declaration of independence from the British Empire in 1776 and today's rapid recovery from the coronavirus."Two hundred and forty-five years ago, we

As ordinary Malaysians struggle to make ends meet as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of empty shop lots continue to grow all over the capital city of Kuala Lumpur displaying signs that say “available for rent”. With the growing importance of food self-sufficiency, now is the time for Malaysia to turn empty spaces into urban farms – tackling food security related issues besides making good use of the existing space.Urban farming is the practice of cultivating, processing

It is already apparent that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will be uneven, with poorer countries bearing the brunt of the fallout. This includes the 1.2 million children in Bangladesh who are engaged in the harshest forms of child labour. In such uncertain times, these children – and millions of others elsewhere – are even more vulnerable to exploitative and hazardous work. The reason is simple.

A recent index by Kisi, a cloud-based security developer titled, “Cities With the Best Work-Life Balance 2020,” ranks cities from around the world which offer the best work-life balance to their people by comparing data on work intensity, legislation and liveability.The index assesses each city’s overall work-life score based on measures such as the amount of time a person dedicates to their job including total working hours, percentage of the overworked population, commuting times a

Indonesia made history just two years ago by reaching the milestone of a single-digit poverty rate for the first time since its independence in 1945. The percentage of those below the poverty line – with incomes of less than US$2.50 per day – fell below 10 percent (9.82 percent) at the national level for the first time in March 2018. Following the COVID pandemic, there is concern that poverty could once again rise and reverse years of positive work.

There is a downward trend in the number of women participating in the workforce as they go up the career ladder. Women may make up half of all the entry-level positions in companies, but at middle management, that number drops.

Decimated fish, scarred coffee plants and vanished tourists: the Taal volcano eruption in the Philippines has inflicted significant damage on the livelihoods of tens of thousands and is expected to cause more.When Taal exploded to life last Sunday it spewed towering columns of fine grey ash, which officials said destroyed crops and killed off potentially tonnes of fish raised in the lake that rings the volcano."We lost a lot of money because all our fish are gone," said Cesario Rodr

Picture this: You spend years studying for a degree. After graduating, naturally, you start looking for a job so you can be your own person and not have to rely on your parents anymore. There aren’t many jobs available at the moment but you apply for the ones that are and that suit you – a graduate – and your newly acquired qualifications. Months pass and you still find yourself unemployed, not earning a salary.

Cambodia boasts one of the lowest unemployment rates in Southeast Asia. According to research platform for investors, Macrotrends, this number stood at 1.05 percent in 2018, putting its unemployment rate only higher than Thailand’s (0.67 percent) and Lao PDR’s (0.61 percent) when compared to other ASEAN countries.The idea that Cambodia has such a low unemployment rate may seem like good news for Cambodians at first glance.