From Feb 23, a panel of 3 ICC judges will hear evidence to determine whether to confirm the charges against former Philippines President Duterte & send his case to trial. Read @hrw.org's Q & A about why this is a critical step in ensuring justice for the "war on drugs." www.hrw.org/news/2026/02...

Since 16 January, 4,150 Indonesian citizens have come to the embassy to report their cases and seek facilitation to return home after leaving scam compounds. The majority of them do not have passports.

Philippines chair confirms that ASEAN does not recognize the Myanmar's sham elections "as of now". There can be no reward for an election that is illegitimate. Also, Myanmar has utterly ignored the ASEAN 5 point consensus that Min Aung Hlaing previously agreed to. www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/...

Poll shows Thailand’s largest opposition party extending its lead over Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s party ahead of the Feb. 8 election. trib.al/MlyY79T

The coverage of One Nation this week has been some of the softest coverage of any political force, ever. It's been a shocking week. I think people would be shocked to realise how it compares to what journalists were asking Pauline Hanson 25 years ago. www.lamestream.com.au/how-the-medi...

'Australia has 48 billionaires who hold more wealth than the bottom 40 per cent of the population combined, a new report by Oxfam Australia has found.' [JAN 19] www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...

“At Monday's rally, a 31-year-old man allegedly tossed an improvised explosive device (IED) containing an unknown liquid and shrapnel into the crowd, where people had gathered to protest.” Racist terrorism in Australia against Indigenous Peoples is not new but it’s always frightening.

Woof. China executed the 11 people sentenced to death last September for their role in scam centres in Myanmar. This whole story will deserve several books apnews.com/article/chin...

The United States has essentially a whites-only admission system for what used to be our refugee program. I don’t know what that program is now — a “Musk Grievance Program”? — but we no longer gave a refugee program.

Australians are deciding USA is not a place to visit… oddly they still are going to Canada. Almost like there is something specific about the US.. #ThePoint thepoint.com.au/off-the-char...

Imagine you were about to appear at a writers' festival to talk about your first book... then the whole thing fell apart. I wanted to find debut authors who almost talked at Adelaide Writers' Week. These are 21 folks I've identified so far but *please* let me know who I've missed or mixed up.

Just started today - #internationalcourtofjustice hearings on merits of #GenocideConvention case, in The Gambia v Myanmar. Over two weeks of hearings, including closed sessions with witness testimony. This is an important case, in and of itself, but also for other #ICJ cases.

Cancelling my 14 day trial of 2026. I did not subscribe to this fuckery. OPT OUT. STOP. UNSUBSCRIBE

Australia should be the world's most motivated climate change activist.

fwiw it’s been about six weeks since Trump pardoned the former president of Honduras who had been convicted of trafficking drugs into the US

Whatever you might think of Maduro, the seizure and kidnapping of a head of state takes us to a very dark place. Vast, arbitrary, extra-legal power, which could be exercised almost anywhere, regardless of the character of the target government.

🇲🇲 Displaced Myanmar civilians reject 'unfair' junta-run election Displaced civilians living in makeshift jungle shelters in Myanmar's Sagaing region denounce the upcoming election as an "unfair vote", saying they cannot support it while their "lives are hanging between life and death".

"any criticism of the election can lead to a minimum sentence of three years in prison, and even the death penalty" Another reminder that elections are not the same thing as democracy www.theguardian.com/world/2025/d...

Press Release 📣 JFM demands governments reject the illegal Myanmar junta's sham election "It’s crucial that governments don’t buy into the facade, stand with the Myanmar people and reject the sham election and its results" says JFM spokesperson Yadanar Maung. Read the PR here 👉🏽 buff.ly/gKDr2G7

Courageous ppl across Myanmar are risking their lives to protest the military junta's sham election. From the streets of Mandalay to posts on FB, the people are resisting an illegal and murderous junta in the face of torture, imprisonment and death. Reject junta's sham elections and its results!

Too young for Instagram, not too young for an ankle monitor...

Cambodia withdrew from the Southeast Asian Games in Thailand, a Games official said, as a border conflict with hosts Thailand escalated and forced a mass exodus of civilians from both sides of the disputed frontier share.google/ozjccod4wQos...

Chris Lewa of the Arakan Project: “It is highly unusual to record so many departures this early... These vessels are unseaworthy, and without regional coordination, tragedies like Langkawi will keep happening" www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia...

🇲🇾 NEW: Fortify Rights urges Malaysia to coordinate with Thailand, Indonesia, and other Southeast Asian governments to urgently rescue Rohingya refugees missing at sea and ensure safe disembarkation for survivors. Read the full news release: www.fortifyrights.org/mly-inv-2025...

Google plans to build a large artificial intelligence data centre on Australia’s remote Indian Ocean outpost of Christmas Island after signing a cloud deal with the Department of Defence this year, according to documents reviewed by Reuters and interviews with officials www.afr.com/technology/g...

Nothing has been heard or seen of him since the sanctions were announced last week. The enigmatic tycoon, once among the most powerful figures in Cambodia, appears to have vanished.

This report examines the human rights, environmental, and climate impacts of nickel mining and processing operations in Indonesia, focusing on Central Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, and North Maluku, three of the most prominent hubs of the Indonesian nickel industry cri.org/reports/does...

"If you ban women from being treated by male health care professionals, and then you ban women from training to become health care professionals, the consequences are clear: Women will not have access to health care and will die as a result." www.npr.org/sections/goa...

An exiled Myanmar journalist on funding cuts: "Last year my newsroom secured money from the United States that meant I could finally begin planning to reunite with my mother. Then Donald Trump began slashing support for independent media & all my dreams unravelled." kite-tales.org/en/article/b...

In March 2025, the median Australian taxpayer earned $55,619 per year.

Critics of renewables often point to land use as a reason not to invest in wind & solar. Land use IS a real issue for all energy assets incl renewables (unless on-site). But what critics conveniently forget is the huge land impact of fossil fuels. Aerial view of fracking sites in Wickett, Texas. 👇

#ICC prosecution formulates charges against former Philippines President — as well as former mayor of Davao City — Rodrigo Roa #Duterte: three counts of crimes against humanity, alleging his involvement in at least 76 murders as part of his war on drugs www.icc-cpi.int/sites/defaul...

Nick Kristof lays out how millions are dying from cuts to US foreign aid: www.nytimes.com/2025/09/20/o...

STEWART: “Comedy doesn’t change the world, but it’s a bellwether— we’re the banana peel in the coal mine… authoritarians are the threat to comedy, music, art, thought… progress.” Nailed it.

BBC Media Action has announced it will put its Cambodia office into “hibernation” on October 1 after 22 years of supporting civic engagement and independent media countrywide, while empowering youth, citing a funding shortfall.

"The message to ASEAN policymakers is clear: waiting until a crisis occurs costs money and lives. Humanitarian protection needs to be considered from the start, not just as an add-on" writes In Sokhuon for @lowyinstitute.bsky.social www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpre...

“Even when there’s no reason to believe things will improve, we can’t help but cling to this diminishing hope" Poignant piece from @mono24.bsky.social in @mekongreview.com on Cambodia's golden age of journalism, feat. Mech Dara, Kann Vicheika and Phuong Vantha: mekongreview.com/memories-of-...

"$9.7m worth of contraceptives – much of which was destined for the three countries identified by The Independent [as out of some contraceptive methods] – are being held in Belgium and France, earmarked to be burnt rather than used."

Delighted to add the Botanic Gardens of South Australia to the Champs list. Send updates to: [email protected] www.chumpslist.org/Champs

The first story I did for Crikey back in 2021 was reporting on a leaked neo-nazi manual showing how "media baiting" — aka tricking journalists into writing about them — was a major strategy for them. www.crikey.com.au/20...

We've put together our top tips for journalists to help guide you through the do's and don'ts of reporting on neo-Nazis. Please share it with your colleagues, and feel free to get in touch with us with any feedback. thewhiterosesociety.writeas.com/9-principles...

9.1: Protests planned for today have been called off, lest the violence escalates. Witnesses reported seeing the military being deployed from at least three other cities towards Jakarta. www.reuters.com/world/asia-p...

UK's family reunion route is already a farce which sees too many people denied ability to reach UK to seek asylum, including children. Tightening it will only ensure even more, particularly women and children, are denied safety, and more families ripped apart. #r4todau www.bbc.com/news/article...

In the year to June 2025, 92% of refugee family reunion visas were given to women and children. More than half went to children. Two thirds to people from Syria, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Iran and Sudan. It helps integration and provides a safe route. Family reunion should be easier, not harder.

“If I don’t go to school, how will I ever become a doctor?” “My heart feels sad.” - 9 year old Nahima Bibi, a Rohingya refugee living in Cox's Bazar www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/as...

Quickest typist in the game! @kenlmathis.bsky.social on what could come next for Thailand www.coffeeparliament.com/p/paetongtar...

Some good news: Thailand Allows Myanmar Refugees in Camps to Work Legally www.hrw.org/news/2025/08...

"Nine out of 10 people in England agree that those born in England who identify as English should be accepted as English." Excellent piece by @anandmenon.bsky.social on the increasing "normalisation" of racism in politics, but it still remains at odds with the majority observer.co.uk/news/opinion...

“The hearing is more than just a legal proceeding — it is a chance to confront Duterte with the pain and trauma inflicted by thousands of killings and alleged abuses during his six-year presidency.” Drug war victims ready to face Duterte at #ICC: www.manilatimes.net/2025/08/24/n... #Philippines