Population growth is a double-edged sword

A crowded beach in Mumbai, India, in June. Reuters

I write in reference to Adla Massoud's article World's population hitting 8 billion not a 'doomsday scenario', UN official says (November 15): that the global population has reached such a high figure is, no doubt, an indicator of the progress humankind has made on a range of factors. But does this bode well for the future of our species and the planet we live on? The Earth has finite resources that are being consumed at breakneck speed, and it is becoming less inhabitable every year. The climate crisis is daunting, as is the prospect of employment going forward. It is deeply worrying.

K Ragavan, Bengaluru, India

Chance to address the Rohingya crisis

I write in reference to Sholto Byrnes' article The 'Asian century' is upon us, and Asean may well be its unsung hero (November 16): with US President Joe Biden attending summits in Asia, I request him – and Asean leaders – to intervene in Myanmar's political crisis without further delay. Atrocities against the Rohingya continue and since the 2021 coup, the military has launched a number of attacks across the country, causing death and destruction to critical infrastructure. The first steps towards restabilising Myanmar must be to ensure the security of all its people and to restore the citizenship of those who have been made homeless, including the Rohingya.

Zafar Ahmad Abdul Ghani, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Midterm results reaffirm Biden's 2020 win

I write in reference to Ellie Sennett's article 'A good day for democracy,' Biden says after Democrats defy expectations in midterms (November 10): the US midterms reaffirm that Joe Biden was indeed legitimately elected in the 2020 presidential election. Mr Biden's Democratic Party won senate and gubernatorial races in key states such as Arizona, Michigan and Pennsylvania. That the senate race in Georgia, a largely conservative state, produced a dead heat and will lead to a runoff proves the Democrats' resilience there. The fact that several results ended up being close also prove that all the talk about electoral fraud needs to stop.

Stefan Vollmershausen, Berlin, Germany