Southeast Asia is in the grip of one of its wettest, most punishing monsoon seasons, with homes evacuated and disaster zones declared. Streets in Hatyai are submerged, landslides have swept through Indonesia, and rescue efforts are crippled by cut‑off roads and communications. We discuss how systems are straining and why climate-adaptive design is critical to survival.

• Homeless man hosed and kicked: The incident outside of an AmBank centre has sparked public outrage. While AmBank has apologised, critics say their response falls short. We speak to Shyam Priah Marimuthu, CEO from Yellow House KL about the incident, as well as the treatment of homeless people in the country.

• The race to find the next UN Secretary‑General: Latin America is in line to nominate candidates, and for the first time, there’s growing pressure to break precedent and consider a woman for the role, after decades of male leadership. We discuss the process, contenders and what this moment says about power, gender, and global diplomacy.

• Domestic migrant worker rescued: The woman had allegedly been trafficked and exploited as a domestic helper for 16 years, without pay or rest and no access to her passport or family. We speak to Glorene Das, Executive Director of Tenaganita, about the prevalence of these cases.

• Rafflesia credits lost in the bloom: A rare Rafflesia flower blossomed in West Sumatra, but the celebration quickly turned into controversy when Indonesian researchers were erased from Oxford’s announcement. The omission sparked global backlash, with social media and academics demanding recognition and pointing to a wider pattern of invisibility for Global South scientists.

Image Credit: Pexels

Produced by: Alia Zefri, Sneha Harikannan, Lee Chwi Lynn, Lim Sue Ann, Juliet Jacobs

Presented by: Lee Chwi Lynn, Sharaad Kuttan, Susan Tam

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Categories:  economy,  politics,  government,  international,  environment

Tags:  thailand floods,  homeless man,  hatyai floods,  climate change,  global warming,  migrant workers,  rafflesia,