Asia

This year, our journalists and photojournalists worked across 12 countries, four U.S. states, and two disputed regions, bringing readers a visual documentation of the issues we covered.

Their stories surfaced in fragments, often only within families. A coalition led by Asian American women is pushing Congress to make them part of the official record.

“We’re talking about a nation that is not only highly repressive but also the second-largest economy globally,” said Sarah Cook, who worked for years for Freedom House, which defends civil liberties around the globe. “This creates an unprecedented situation.”

“I never had to use a medical cream in my life,” says Biren Bhuiyan. Pointing to the skin ailments which he now treats with store-bought medicine, he says, “There used to be abundant medicinal plants around us, but we can’t find them here. We are dependent on hospitals now.” 

Earlier this year, I embarked on a probing trip to a small coastal area in Southeast Asia to see what this ancient wood-eater could offer us: about resilience, and the many ways life endures, adapts, and sustains others.

Momand learned only two days later that it was a nationwide blackout. Momand and his family have lost approximately 350,000 Afghanis (around $5,340 USD) — one of their worst losses in more than a decade.

Officers on fishing vessels often subject workers to physical violence, intimidation and fraud. Most of the crew members interviewed by the Environmental Justice Foundation reported being trapped in debt bondage, with substantial recruitment fees and debts forcing them to work for minimal pay. Many recounted shifts exceeding 14 hours, poor food, degrading living conditions, and senior officers confiscating their passports.

A deep dive into Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) shows that the world’s largest container shipping company has a history of accidents and was once fined for illegally dumping bilge waste into the Atlantic Ocean.

Using Google’s Flood Hub, a nonprofit trial program sends early warning and unconditional cash to workers.

He was treated for skin burns at the hospital, yet more than a year and a half later, a numbness prevails in his groin and stomach.  Ahmad still continues to use the herbicide in his crop, as it is the cheapest herbicide option.