Child mortality, the share of children who die before their fifth birthday, has fallen sharply across Asia, and nine countries have cut their rates by more than half since 2000. Progress came from a mix of better vaccination, cleaner water, safer births, treatment for diarrhoea and pneumonia, and stronger primary health care. Because the fall is so steep, millions more children reach school age and adulthood each year than would have otherwise. The countries differ widely in wealth and government, showing that many routes lead to the same result.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.