Five Yay Ma Hsay - or 'unwashed' as the jade miners of northern Myanmar are known - arrived early Thursday at the pit to scrape out a living on a scraggy hillside, lured by the prospect of finding a stone that could transform their lives. But only three would return, the others victims of Myanmar's worst-ever mine disaster after a landslide in heavy rains entombed at least 174 people, with scores more feared missing. Sai Ko, 22, survived the spin-dryer of rock

In Southeast Asia, long hair is esteemed as a mark of beauty with deep religious and social meaning.Hair extensions have become an essential segment in the multi-billion-dollar hair industry, with estimated annual sales ranging in value from US$250 million to over US$1 billion.

The battered bodies of more than 160 jade miners were pulled from a sea of mud after a landslide in northern Myanmar on Thursday, after one of the worst-ever accidents to hit the treacherous industry.Scores die each year while working in the country's lucrative but poorly regulated jade trade, which uses low-paid migrant workers to scrape out a gem highly coveted in China.The disaster struck after heavy rainfall pounded the open-cast mines, close to the Chinese border in Kachin state, wh

Much has happened this year. From 2019-2020 Australian bushfires – also known as the Black Summer – to intense heat with severe drought conditions developing in multiple Asian countries and of course, the COVID-19 pandemic which has taken over half a million lives worldwide. Conspiracy theorists citing the Mayan calendar and even the Bible claim that the end of the world is upon us.

The coronavirus crisis has severely affected livelihoods, local industries and the economy in general. It has also disrupted world trade, supply chains and also the production of food and agricultural products and commodities. According to Samarendu Mohanty, Asia Regional Director at the International Potato Center, the production of wheat and rice in Asia would be heavily impacted if lockdowns to curb the pandemic and virus restrictions continue to be enforced.

The coronavirus crisis has caused millions to lose their jobs and sources of income. Reports of shuttered businesses and a global recession have headlined the news since the virus first appeared in Wuhan, China. The World Bank has predicted that 24 million fewer people will escape poverty in Southeast Asia this year as a result of the pandemic.

The coronavirus pandemic does not discriminate. The deadly COVID-19 virus infects anyone exposed it regardless of age, ethnicity, gender or living conditions. When it comes to the impacts of the crisis - livelihoods, local industries, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and even large corporations are severely affected.

Nearly 260 million children had no access to schooling in 2018, a United Nations agency said in a report Tuesday that blamed poverty and discrimination for educational inequalities that are being exacerbated by the coronavirus outbreak.Children from poorer communities as well as girls, the disabled, immigrants and ethnic minorities were at a distinct educational disadvantage in many countries, the UN's Paris-based education body UNESCO said.In 2018, "258 million children and youth w

In a matter of months, the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the world almost beyond recognition. And yet the international cooperation that is so essential to confront a shared threat has been nowhere to be found.

According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), about 122 million children aged between five- and 14-years old work for their survival in Asia. Some surveys estimate that there are around 152 to 168 million child labourers across the world. The actual figure is unclear given the variations in the definition of child labour in different countries including variations in age of employability and nature of employment.