The presidential front runner denied making a ‘very cruel’ comment on voters’ intelligence, as he fended off questions about women’s rights and his multibillion-dollar plan to provide free meals.

Rural Rising aims to revitalise the Philippines’ dismal agricultural sector through fair trade by weeding out unscrupulous middlemen.

Vicky Sharma and his team of volunteers help provide blankets to those who are homeless in the Indian capital, transport people to hospitals - and collect the bodies of the dead.

The Department of Trade and Industry recently approved requests by manufacturers to reduce the size of products while keeping retail prices the same.

The self-proclaimed ‘anarcho-capitalist’ president is making hist first overseas tour, even as he battles a major economic crisis at home.

Papua New Guinea’s PM James Marape has cancelled a trip to Davos as he fends off calls to resign while trying to defuse the national crisis sparked by a police pay dispute.

The move comes after the island nation was rocked by two nights of riots and looting, triggered by a sudden police walkout over a pay dispute.

Drug convict Mary Jane Veloso has been on death row in Indonesia since 2010. Her parents hope President Joko Widodo will grant her freedom as he visits Manila.

Israel is recruiting at least 40,000 Indian workers to plug the labour shortage in its construction sector as a result of the Gaza war. Some say they are ‘willing to take the risk’.

Rohingya refugees like Nur Azizah reach Indonesia after perilous boat journeys, but are unable to work and have to rely on support from international organisations.

Survivor Muhammad Jubair, of another refugee boat, says the ailing vessel disappeared from view after a storm destroyed the engine on Jubair’s vessel and severed the ropes between the two boats.

The 4,700-square-foot venue on Fuk Wah Street in Sham Shui Po provides extra space for people and families to do homework, shower, cook and eat.

Deteriorating conditions in Myanmar and at Bangladesh’s refugee camps are driving scores of underage Rohingya girls to Malaysia for arranged marriages.

Malaysia has enough laws to deal with illegal renovations and partitions done by building owners but enforcement of these laws remains a major issue.

For a country like India, crowdsourcing is an effective way to collect speech and language data, an expert says.

More than 270 Rohingya Muslims have been detained indefinitely by Indian authorities in Jammu since March 2021, despite holding official refugee status.

Renowned doctor Denis Mukwege also told supporters he would fight corruption and end famine in the richly endowed but impoverished country battling high rates of poverty and hunger.

Critics say the Malaysian prime minister hasn’t made any meaningful progress on a host of goals, including tackling corruption, cutting red tape and addressing the rising costs of living.

Sri Lanka, desperate for dollars and remittances, plans to send some 20,000 workers to Israel starting early next month to work in the farm and construction sectors.

Recommendations include securing land rights for women, promoting women’s cooperatives and encouraging women to lead in developing climate policy.

In a symbolic milestone ahead of COP28 that may help unlock more of the trillions of dollars needed, developed countries provided US$89.6 billion in 2021 to their poorer counterparts, with the US$100 billion goal likely met last year.

Amid concerns about trafficking and a lack of resources to help the persecuted minority who have been fleeing Myanmar, Aceh villagers gave out supplies and repaired the group’s boat after desperate passengers tried to sink it.

Five-member jury returns unanimous verdict of death by suicide in the case of Le Van Muoi.

India faces the challenge of harnessing the potential of millions of youth, in hopes of building a US$1 trillion digital economy, but failure could trigger social unrest.

Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim’s ardent pro-Palestinian campaign could pose risks to his domestic agenda including policy enactment and stabilising his coalition.

Vietnam’s economic gains are rarely felt among many of the young and poorly paid Vietnamese employed outside tech and manufacturing sectors.