Through a series of compelling characters, our guest's book vividly evokes the teeming, sweltering city of Bangkok and captures the lush history of Thailand. Pitchaya Sudbanthad, author of "Bangkok Wakes to Rain", joined us on Perspective to discuss his vision for the book, how it sounds the alarm over climate change and what that could mean for Bangkok.

Two Philippine boats carrying food supplies for soldiers to the disputed Second Thomas shoal were blocked by the Chinese coast guard, who allegedly fired water cannons on them. No injuries were reported in the incident.

July 12 marks the fifth anniversary of a landmark ruling by the independent Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague that rejected China's claims to contested islands in the South China Sea. Despite the 2016 ruling, Beijing has deployed forces to prevent fishers from the Philippines from accessing the waters.

A young couple from Cameroon has been stuck on the narrow border strip of the island of Cyprus for months. Their destination was the EU, but Cyprus wants to prevent any new escape route from forming and refuses to bend.

July 12 marks the fifth anniversary of a landmark ruling by the independent Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague that rejected China's claims to contested islands in the South China Sea. Despite the 2016 ruling, Beijing has deployed forces to prevent fishers from the Philippines from accessing the waters.

Java's northern coast is slowly subsiding into the sea — mainly because of groundwater exploitation. Without a wholesale change in the provision of water, the city of Pekalongan could be submerged by ocean waves by 2030.

French adventurer Jean-Jacques Savin, who set off in a rowboat from Portugal on January 1 to cross the Atlantic solo, has vanished at sea with his boat found overturned and empty near the Azores archipelago, Portugal's navy said. The 75-year-old Savin's support team had said in a Facebook post on Saturday that his body had been found inside the cabin of his sleek, purpose-built boat Audacious, but late on Sunday issued another statement signed by his daughter Manon that the body had not been recovered.

Military experts in South Korea are analyzing exactly what type of missiles were launched, but said they appeared to be cruise missiles. Pyongyang has increased weapons testing in the past few weeks.

There's growing concern about increasing numbers of migrants arriving on the island of Lampedusa, Italy. The island has long been a magnet for people hoping to apply for asylum in Europe – and recent weeks have seen hundreds of arrivals.

Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of laying naval mines recently found in the Black Sea. Global shipping has been disrupted — and prices are rising.

Occupied by Turkish soldiers for close to half a century, the former Cypriot resort town of Varosha lies in ruins. Known as Marash in Turkish, the town is situated in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, an entity only recognised by Ankara. It's also home to one of the two Turkish military bases on the island. According to a 1984 UN resolution, Varosha must be returned to its original owners. But neither the Greek Cypriot authorities, nor the Turkish Cypriot administration have taken steps to apply the decision. Our regional correspondents Shona Bhattacharyya and Ludovic de Foucaud report.

Dolphin pens were moved to the Black Sea naval base around the time Russia invaded Ukraine, according to the US Naval Institute's analysis of satellite imagery.