Empowering Women Farmers: The Key to Asia-Pacific Food Security in 2026

April 22, 2026 6:17 PM

Empowering Women Farmers: The Key to Asia-Pacific Food Security in 2026

Walk through any rice paddy in Southeast Asia, any market in the Pacific Islands, or any fishing village along the Bay of Bengal, and you will find women at work—planting, harvesting, processing, and selling. Nearly 58 percent of employed women across Asia and the Pacific work in agriculture. They form the backbone of how this region feeds itself. Yet, despite their tireless labor, women farmers face persistent systemic barriers. Only 10 to 20 percent hold land tenure rights in the region. Wi...

CMFRI breakthrough revives hope for mangrove clam restoration

February 9, 2026 2:53 PM

CMFRI breakthrough revives hope for mangrove clam restoration

In a significant boost to efforts aimed at restoring a rapidly declining estuarine resource, the ICAR–Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI)ICAR–Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) has successfully achieved induced breeding of the mangrove clam (Geloina erosa) under captive conditions. The scientific breakthrough is expected to mark a major milestone in the development of community-managed estuarine aquaculture models closely integrated with mangrove conservatio...

Tropical storm deaths top 600 in Southeast Asia, over 4 million affected

November 30, 2025 4:23 PM

Tropical storm deaths top 600 in Southeast Asia, over 4 million affected

The death toll mounted to over 600 from floods and landslides caused by torrential rains across three countries in Southeast Asia, officials said on Sunday, as relief efforts for tens of thousands of displaced people continued over the weekend. Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand faced large-scale devastation after a rare tropical storm formed in the Malacca Strait fuelling heavy rains and wind gusts for a week. There were 435 dead in Indonesia, 170 in Thailand, and three deaths reported in Malays...

As Typhoon Kalmaegi wreaks havoc in Southeast Asia, scientists say rising temperatures are to blame

November 10, 2025 11:09 AM

As Typhoon Kalmaegi wreaks havoc in Southeast Asia, scientists say rising temperatures are to blame

As the year's deadliest typhoon sweeps into Vietnam after wreaking havoc in the Philippines earlier this week, scientists warn such extreme events can only become more frequent as global temperatures rise. Typhoon Kalmaegi killed at least 188 people across the Philippines and caused untold damage to infrastructure and farmland across the archipelago. The storm then destroyed homes and uprooted trees after landing in central Vietnam late on Thursday, killing at least five people. Kalmaegi's pat...

Australia lifts foreign student cap to 295,000 and prioritises Southeast Asia

August 4, 2025 2:16 PM

Australia lifts foreign student cap to 295,000 and prioritises Southeast Asia

Australia will raise its cap on foreign students by 9% to 295,000 next year and prioritise applicants from Southeast Asia, the government said on Monday. Limits on places were announced last year as a way to rein in record migration that had contributed to a surge in housing prices, with 270,000 places made available for 2025. An additional 25,000 places were being granted in 2026 as the policy was successfully bringing down “out of control” international student numbe...

China eyes plan to connect Southeast Asian rail links

June 19, 2024 5:34 PM

China eyes plan to connect Southeast Asian rail links

China said it was willing to study a plan to connect Malaysia's $10-billion East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) to other China-backed railway projects in Laos and Thailand, potentially expanding Beijing's Belt and Road initiative across Southeast Asia. Chinese Premier Li Qiang, who is on a three-day visit to Malaysia, said on Wednesday the proposal would make the central line of a proposed Pan-Asia Railway, running from Kunming in China to Singapore, a reality. "This will better promote the constructi...

Thailand targets tourism boost with longer stays for visitors, students, ‘digital nomads’

May 28, 2024 10:59 PM

Thailand targets tourism boost with longer stays for visitors, students, ‘digital nomads’

Thailand's government said on Tuesday it had approved longer visa stay periods for tourists, postgraduate students and remote workers, and better visa conditions for retirees, in a move to boost its crucial tourism sector as its economy stutters. Starting in June, Thailand will allow travelers from 93 countries to stay for periods of 60 days, up from the current 57 nations, while more will also be eligible for visas on arrival, government spokesperson Chai Wacharonke told reporters. Foreign st...