Ryan Clayton, an American tourist, was swimming at Gili Trawangan beach, near Bali, and nearly drowned when he was dragged out to sea. He will never forget the generosity of the man who rescued him or the kindness of his fellow villagers

The uptake of Chinese surveillance technology in the region sparks fears it could be subverted both by local governments and Beijing.

More than 7,500 women from Myanmar were in forced marriages with Chinese men in the past five years, according to a new study

Calls have emerged for the city’s authorities to look into ties between three people detained in the Philippines and local agents who allegedly charged domestic workers excessive job placement fees and withheld their passports

• Dozens of workers claim they have been deceived into paying extra fees and are waiting to get thousands of pesos back, in cases linked to three suspects believed to have scammed workers after promising them jobs in Hong Kong.

• Organised crime groups are beating controls by changing the chemical structures of lethal opioids. But a top UN expert says regulating the entire class of drugs in China will free authorities to act faster

Georgia and Xyza Cruz Bacani broke the cycle that faces so many helpers. Xyza, now an award-winning photographer, has published a book about her mother’s life – and the invisible, but essential role domestic workers play

Trafficking syndicates lure victims by offering to pay the cost of their travel to the United Arab Emirates, where they are told that high-paying jobs await

As drug syndicates are expanding their global networks and forging deeper international connections, a growing number of vulnerable women and children are being trapped in the web.

Six months after three families blew themselves up in Surabaya, killing 28, Indonesia is poised to release a wave of extremists from prison. And with Christmas and an election looming, experts fear terror will return.

Record seizures have been reported in 2018, already surpassing the 70,000kg of methamphetamine intercepted last year. This oversupply is making the drug accessible to more people – mainly youngsters.

Far-right President Bolsonaro has angered Beijing with a visit to Taiwan and Trump-style anti-Chinese rhetoric. But Brazil’s economy is sorely reliant on China, its largest trading partner since 2009.

Trafficked to the city and forced to endure unpaid work, abuse, threats and hunger, this man sued the government. A decade after his ordeal began, he is still fighting for a change in the law that could help others like him.

Spare a thought for Paul Alfonso. Rich and in love, he bought two diamonds in Hong Kong from the master jeweller suspected of the biggest bank fraud in Indian history. After all, he thought: this was Nirav, what could go wrong...

“It’s a cliché and it’s silly”, says former president and Nobel Peace laureate José Ramos-Horta, who is in Hong Kong to launch his new book.

Money isn’t the only thing overseas workers can send home if they want to help change Pakistan. In October, under an internet pilot scheme, they can send electronic ballots too.

Macau, which is expected to have the highest per capita income in two years, may be soaring to new heights of wealth, but for many in the shadows of its shimmering casinos life is lived paycheque to paycheque.

Social enterprises and non-profit organisations are using apps and other tools to cut costs and offer cheaper loans to foreign domestic workers across Asia, who are often excluded from traditional banking.

Glittering skyscrapers, runaway real estate markets and back stories as sleepy fishing villages turned international finance centres aren’t the only things linking the two cities.