Asia must quit coal faster to stem worst climate woes

13 Sept 22:49 Key points summarised by AI

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) warns Asia must rapidly cut fossil fuel subsidies and significantly boost clean energy investment to avoid catastrophic climate change that threatens its development.
Asia's economic growth is carbon-intensive, accounting for 94% of global new coal-fired power plants, despite the region being highly vulnerable to extreme weather events, which caused an estimated $1.5 trillion in losses.
A swift transition to clean energy could save 346,000 lives annually by 2030 due to reduced air pollution and yield social and economic benefits five times greater than the costs of climate change impacts.
The report highlights a critical investment gap, with developing Asian countries spending $116 billion on fossil fuel subsidies in 2021—far more than on renewables—and recommends removing these subsidies, pricing carbon, and providing stronger policy incentives for clean energy.

Detained Suu Kyi receives UK royal package: Myanmar govt

Yesterday 03:08 Key points summarised by AI

Myanmar's detained Nobel laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi, received a package from Britain's King Charles III, which included two gardening books, a sealed envelope, and diplomatic communication.
The event marked the first release of images of Suu Kyi in two months and saw Myanmar authorities describe her as a "special female prisoner" for the first time.
Suu Kyi, who was deposed in a 2021 military coup that triggered an ongoing civil war, remains under house arrest on charges that rights groups contend are politically motivated.