Rappler's latest stories on Southeast Asia
PH exacts revenge on Vietnam to claim SEA Invitational Mobile Legends crown
The Philippines' Bren Esports stages a rousing come-from-behind win against Vietnam's Vec Fantasy Main in the do-or-die match to capture the title
PH tops Vietnam to snag SEA Invitational Dota 2 title
The Philippines' Neon Esports shows why it ended the earlier rounds unbeaten by crushing Vietnam's 496 Gaming in the winner-take-all match
PH sweeps Myanmar to reach SEA Invitational Mobile Legends grand finals
Relegated to the lower bracket, Bren Esports vents its ire on Yangon Galacticos with a sweep of their best-of-three series to clinch the last grand finals berth
Vietnam relegates PH to lower bracket of SEA Invitational Mobile Legends
Vec Fantasy Main dominates Bren Esports in a best-of-three series to punch its ticket to the grand finals
PH Mobile Legends team books SEA Invitational upper bracket finals spot
The Philippines and Vietnam arrange a best-of-three face-off to determine which team will advance to the grand finals
PH through to Mobile Legends playoffs of SEA Invitational
Bren Esports of the Philippines figures in ties with the Yangon Galacticos of Myanmar and Rimo Batara of Indonesia to end the elimination round
Rappler Talk: Bob Herrera-Lim on reopening Southeast Asia after lockdown
On Wednesday, June 10, Rappler editor-at-large Marites Vitug speaks to risk consultant Bob Herrera-Lim on how Southeast Asian countries are navigating the post-lockdown threats of the pandemic

[ANALYSIS] Why Facebook’s Oversight Board is not diverse enough
Where is Southeast Asia in the FOB?

Virus pushes Indonesia zoo animals to brink of starvation
'If a few more months pass and we don't get any aid from the government or other international organizations, then with a heavy heart we'll have to feed herbivores...to the carnivores.'

Southeast Asia finds ways to minimize waste during coronavirus outbreak
As demand for disposable face masks, disinfectant and protective equipment soars, innovative Southeast Asians have come up with ideas to curb single-use litter while shielding themselves and others from the virus

WHO says 'aggressive' action needed in Southeast Asia to stop virus
There are concerns that weaker public health care systems in many Southeast Asian countries will be unable to cope with a major outbreak

Nearly 900,000 pangolins trafficked in Southeast Asia – watchdog
Over 96,000 kilograms (210,000 pounds) of the creatures' scales were also seized in Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam between 2017 and 2019 alone, the report says

Global economy losing $8 billion daily to air pollution from fossil fuels – Greenpeace
In the Philippines, air pollution from fossil fuels – primarily coal, oil, and gas – is attributed to causing an estimated 27,000 premature deaths per year

Indonesia hit with $5.2 billion in forest fire losses – World Bank
The World Bank's cost estimate does not include longer-term effects of repeated exposure to haze, such acute respiratory illnesses, or lost school time after students and teachers were advised to stay home

Barack, Michelle, and Julia Roberts: This week’s outlook
There’s no breather in the newsroom this week. For one, the Obamas are in the neighborhood!


Esperon: China still has to persuade the region of its vision of global order
President Rodrigo Duterte's national security adviser says Southeast Asian countries should band together amid great power competition between the US and China

Southeast Asian leaders snub U.S. meeting after Trump skips ASEAN Summit
The sparsely attended address from National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien stood in contrast to earlier ASEAN meetings, which had all been attended by most heads of state

Huawei pushes 5G in Southeast Asia, brushing off 'tech war' with U.S.
Thailand and the Philippines have shrugged off cybersecurity warnings in a rush to exploit the ultra-fast 5G network promised by China's biggest smartphone maker, while Vietnam has edged away from Huawei

Property investors turn to Southeast Asia amid Hong Kong unrest
With protests showing no signs of slowing, Hong Kong's property sector is feeling the pain

Indonesia's toxic haze affecting Borneo's orangutans – rescuers
'The thick smoke does not only endanger the health of our staff... but also it affects the 355 orangutans we currently care for,' says the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation, referring to just once center in Kalimantan

Indonesia forest fires rage, stoking global warming fears
Indonesia's forest fires are an annual problem but have been worsened this year by particularly dry weather, and in recent days sent toxic smog floating over Malaysia

Malaysia piles pressure on Indonesia over smog-belching fires
An official in Sarawak state on Borneo – where air quality dropped to very unhealthy levels this week – demands Indonesia to send face masks and medical supplies to Malaysia for those affected by the pollution

Hundreds of schools shut as forest fire haze blankets Southeast Asia
Massive jungle areas in Sumatra and Borneo island are ablaze as thousands of personnel battle to quell the fires, frequently started to clear land for crop plantations

Indonesia to return 49 containers of waste to Europe, U.S.
Jakarta joins a chorus of Southeast Asian nations that are increasingly unhappy about being used as dumping grounds for trash from Western countries

World Cup in ASEAN's sights in '15 years' – Thai FM
Southeast Asian nations hope to bring for the first time in the region football's biggest spectacle by launching a joint bid to host the 2034 World Cup

Indonesia returns 5 containers of waste to the U.S.
Huge quantities of waste have since been redirected to Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines

[ANALYSIS] Huawei and the Shangri-La Dialogue
The Pentagon sets its eyes on Beijing in a new Indo-Pacific security strategy that is expected to be unveiled at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, which begins Friday, May 31

Attacks vs journalists, social media blocks in Indonesia amid election riots – IFJ
Media groups say at least 7 journalists were reportedly attacked while they were covering the protests, while social media platforms WhatsApp and Facebook were blocked

Russian Navy sees terrorism, piracy as top Asia-Pacific threats
When asked about freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, the visiting Russian Navy only says its objective in Manila is to enhance naval cooperation with the Philippines

[ANALYSIS] Goodbye to arms control regime
With India joining the 'space superpowers' club, the world appears headed for a heightened arms race
[ANALYSIS] The security challenge for PH and Vietnam
Better security relations with Vietnam will ultimately benefit us. Here's why.

'Zebra' tribal body paint cuts fly bites 10-fold – study
It is known that zebras get bitten far less than animals with a single fur color, so a team of researchers decided to see if the light stripes painted on humans would have a similar deterrent effect

Philippines deadliest country for journalists in Southeast Asia – IFJ
The International Federation of Journalists report celebrates the resilience of Filipino journalists, saying they 'remain just as jealously protective of their rights and freedoms'

Health advocates urge gov't to increase tobacco tax
'If we do not implement [higher] tax at this time, by the time President Duterte steps down, we will actually have one million new smokers,' says Dr Ulysses Dorotheo of the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance

Filipino, 2 others in ISIS beheading video blacklisted by U.S.
A US Treasury official says the June 2016 video was 'part of a propaganda campaign to attract radicals to join militant terrorist groups in Southeast Asia'

Developed and displaced in Southeast Asia
The examples of displacement and their continuing impacts are a reminder that Southeast Asia's model of development, anchored on physical infrastructure projects and the exploitation of natural resources, has not changed very much

Rappler Talk Investigative: Former ambassador Luis Cruz on U.S.-North Korea summit
Rappler's editor-at-large Marites Vitug speaks to former ambassador to South Korea Luis Cruz on the importance of the summit and what it means to Southeast Asia
Potential investors looking for 'stable legal system' in PH
While investors are not seen to pull out their investments in the near future, risk consultant Bob Herrera-Lim says the current political atmosphere may affect the decisions of those eyeing long-term business in the Philippines

Rappler Talk: What do the Indonesia terror attacks mean for Southeast Asia?
Rappler speaks to Southeast Asia terrorism expert Zachary Abuza about the Surabaya bombings

Media Freedom: Much more than just the media’s problem
From Cambodia and Myanmar to the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia, countries are facing challenges that are a mix of the usual ones such as hostile action from governments and the use of laws and the courts to limit space for media

Southeast Asia faces threats from ISIS, cyberattacks – ASEAN chair
At the opening of the 32nd ASEAN Summit, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong tells fellow leaders that ISIS continues to threaten the region

PUBG Southeast Asia Championship announced, starts on April 28
Participants in this regional tournament have a shot at entering the PUBG Global Invitational 2018 and vying for up to $2 million in prizes

At least 25% of jobs in Southeast Asia may be automated in next 2 decades – ILO
'Lower-skilled jobs in labor-intensive sectors will be increasingly displaced by technology that is cheaper and more accessible,' says the International Labour Organization

Cambridge Analytica’s parent firm claims it won 2010 election for PH president
EXCLUSIVE: Butch Abad, the campaign manager of former president Benigno Aquino III, denies any involvement with Strategic Communication Laboratories and says its claims may be 'total fabrication'
As Uber gives up Philippine operations to Grab, what now for commuters?
'Obviously, it is not good. From a duopoly, it becomes a monopoly,' warns an economist

Uber drivers in Southeast Asia moving to Grab in 2 weeks
(UPDATED) Uber's operations in Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, will only be available until April 8, following the sale to Grab

ASEAN leaders tackle Rohingya crisis, urge South China Sea calm
While it noted a resolve to 'protect human rights,' it failed to condemn member state Myanmar's treatment of the Muslim-minority Rohingya

'Governments crawling, ISIS sprinting on social media' – expert
'The Islamic State has shrunk in the physical space, but in the cyberspace, it is still very capable,' says terrorism analyst Rohan Gunaratna on Rappler Talk

Rappler Talk: Rohan Gunaratna on global security, threats in Southeast Asia
Maria Ressa talks to terrorism expert Rohan Gunaratna

Scientists, military officers to attend Benham Rise hearing at Senate
Senate Committee on Science and Technology Chairman Bam Aquino is set to lead the hearing
