2024 is the year the world could reach peak coal use. But it’s a tough habit to quit

With the COP28 climate summit now in the rearview mirror, some researchers say the moment is here when coal consumption in power plants around the world will finally peak before beginning a perpetual fall. For more than a century, coal has been used to produce electricity, and to this day remains the workhorse of the global power … Read more

China’s ‘king of software’, Wang Wenjing, steps down as president of enterprise management systems firm Yonyou amid mounting losses

Veteran Yonyou executive Chen Qiangbin, 48, takes over as company president, with a focus on operations and management, according to the company. After joining Yonyou in 2000, Chen was involved in software development, sales and then served as general manager at the firm’s branch offices in Beijing, northern Hebei province and southwestern Sichuan province. Yonyou … Read more

Commentary: ASEAN leadership needed when US is distracted by wars and election

There are few visible efforts from Southeast Asian capitals to invest in updating the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) so that it can more effectively perform its existing mandate in a more contested and uncertain world. Otherwise, committing to at least starting ASEAN reform or the development of related Southeast Asia-based mechanisms would seem … Read more

Rice, rice, maybe? Asia’s middle class seek out low-carb alternatives

Moreover, it is increasingly easy to get his hands on healthier options now compared to 10 years ago, when he first started his fitness journey. ‘We’re on our own’: Asian rice farmers brace for El Nino’s wrath as crops wither Mao’s transition is reflective of a wider shift towards healthier living and eating habits, which … Read more