New data released by Thailand shows that in some tributaries, arsenic concentrations caused by active mining operations exceed the limits set by guidelines. Civil society initiatives are calling for greater cooperation among the countries in the basin, as well as more concrete measures to halt the pollution.

Farmers are trying to harvest the grains, which are not yet fully ripe, so as not to lose everything in the country’s “food cupboard”, where boro rice is the only major crop of the year. Authorities are concerned about the impact on food security. But people are pointing the finger at poorly planned embankments and blocked drainage systems that exacerbate the effects of the weather.

Labour Day celebrations across Asia were dominated by the impact of the Gulf crisis on local economies. Prabowo also announced new regulations strengthening protections for delivery riders. In Singapore, Prime Minister Wong urged the public to prepare for prolonged economic hardship. In Sri Lanka, celebrations were organised by the Christian Workers’ Fellowship.

Today’s headlines: Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi is in Vietnam to strengthen economic and security cooperation; A Cambodian appeals court has upheld a 27-year sentence for opposition leader Kem Sokha on charges of “conspiring with foreign powers”; In Iran, Narghes Mohammadi has been transferred from prison to hospital after suffering two episodes of loss of consciousness; Controversy over stereotypes against Asians in the sequel to the film ‘The Devil Wears Prada’.

The Synod has elected the three candidates to succeed Ilia II, who had led the Georgian Church since 1977. The candidate with the most votes was the 57-year-old Metropolitan Shio, who had in fact already served as regent alongside the elderly patriarch for ten years. But this transition is extremely delicate, because in a deeply polarised country and against the backdrop of the clash between Moscow and Constantinople, the Georgian Orthodox Church is not merely choosing a person or a development programme for its future.

The announcement yesterday evening after initial reports of a reduction in her sentence, comes immediately after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to Yangon. There is no indication of her whereabouts. Her lawyers – who have been unable to meet her for years – have asked to speak to her directly. Her son Kim Aris said: “The image released dates back to 2022; until we can communicate with her, I won’t believe a word of it.”