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Fame and celebrity

A still from the Dusun-language film Sinakagon. Photo: Stephen Q Films

Lifestyle & Culture

Pioneer Sabah indigenous language film Sinakagon to make Netflix debut

The ‘fully Sabah’ production, directed by Timothy Stephen and shot entirely in the Dusun dialect, is based on the legend of the goddess Huminodun.

25 Nov 2024 - 1:28PM

Meet the South Korean webtoon artist behind Netflix hit All of Us Are Dead

25 Nov 2024 - 4:03PM

‘War is messed up’: why young Australians don’t want to join the military

24 Nov 2024 - 10:00AM

Lifestyle & Culture

Japan’s youth kiss less, raising concerns over birth rate and romance

A study finds a decline in first kisses among Japanese high school students, raising concerns about the country’s low birth rate.

23 Nov 2024 - 9:53AMvideocam

A loving young couple kissing at sunset. Photo: Shutterstock

Economics

Fake views: Japan’s Fukuoka apologises for AI-generated tourist attractions

The AI-generated tourism content, featuring non-existent attractions and dishes in Fukuoka, highlights the need for human oversight in AI use.

22 Nov 2024 - 4:08PM

Lifestyle & Culture

Indonesia’s Bali seeks to protect traditional dance by banning erotic version

Several viral videos of Balinese performers wearing revealing outfits and dancing sensuously have forced the authorities to take action.

19 Nov 2024 - 5:48PMvideocam

Lifestyle & Culture

Mahathir hits out at Chinese signboards in Kuala Lumpur’s shopping centres

Former prime minister laments the absence of the national language, Malay, from the display boards at shopping centres in Kuala Lumpur.

19 Nov 2024 - 3:56PM

Malaysia’s former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad. Photo: AP

Lifestyle & Culture

‘Should be deported’: foreign tourists’ misdeeds spark outrage, debate in Japan

Graffiti at historic shrines, car thefts and other incidents have raised concerns about Japan’s perception of foreigners.

18 Nov 2024 - 8:00AMvideocam

People walk past a torii gate at Meiji shrine in Tokyo. An American tourist was arrested for etching letters into a traditional wooden gate at a Tokyo shrine. Photo: AFP

Lifestyle & Culture

‘Japan has become poor’: Tokyo emerges as Asia’s new sex tourism capital

In a grim mirror of Japan’s economic decline, the sex trade is drawing in foreign men and trapping local women in a cycle of desperation.

18 Nov 2024 - 8:37AM

Economics

The Philippines

Philippine cockfighting still soars even as feathers are ruffled over job losses

The advent of betting machines at cockpits has led to traditional betcallers losing their jobs as Filipinos continue to embrace the sport.

16 Nov 2024 - 5:00PM

Lifestyle & Culture

Deer attacks on the rise in Japan’s Nara Park as tourists return post-pandemic

Deer, accustomed to humans, are becoming aggressive due to more visitors. Authorities urge caution and are taking protective measures.

15 Nov 2024 - 6:27PM

The deer of Nara, which live close to humans, have become one of the symbols of Nara city. Photo: Xinhua

Politics

Malaysia’s healthcare system faces US$82 million vaping bill

The government’s decision to legalise nicotine-laced vape products has worsened the healthcare crisis, despite efforts to limit access.

14 Nov 2024 - 3:51PMvideocam

People smoking electronic cigarettes during the Vape Fair in Kuala Lumpur in December 2015. Photo: AFP

Lifestyle & Culture

Thai drama sparks anger over cat being sedated to portray poisoning

The scene in Mae Yua, or The Empress of Ayodhaya, has led to accusations of animal cruelty and a probe by Thai authorities.

12 Nov 2024 - 4:57PM

Lifestyle & Culture

In Japan, call to ban women marrying after 25 stirs backlash

Naoki Hyakuta, founder of the Conservative Party of Japan, also angered many when he proposed uterus removal for women at the age of 30.

11 Nov 2024 - 2:37PM

People

She escaped death in Malaysia’s seas. Now she’s a warrior for the world’s oceans

With every dive, acclaimed Malaysian underwater photographer Ipah Uid Lynn aims to turn her work into a rallying cry for ocean health.

11 Nov 2024 - 11:59AM

Malaysian underwater photographer Nurul Azlifah Mohd Ismail, known professionally as Ipah Uid Lynn. Photo: Ipah Uid Lynn

Lifestyle & Culture

Halal pet food: meat-ing the needs of Southeast Asia’s Muslim ‘pawrents’

Southeast Asia’s growing cohort of Muslim pet owners are prioritising halal options.

10 Nov 2024 - 12:42PM

Domestic longhairs belonging to Malaysian cat owner Yana Zulkarnain. Photo: Yana Zulkarnain

Lifestyle & Culture

‘Huge opportunity for us’: can Nepal cash in on China’s tourism campaign?

Nepal should introduce more incentives and use Chinese social media platforms to promote itself to bring in visitors, industry players say.

9 Nov 2024 - 3:40PM

Lifestyle & Culture

Starbucks serves up glimpses into North Korea with new café near the border

A new branch of the coffee shop chain will offer patrons rare glimpses across the North Korean frontier from Gimpo’s Jogang Observatory.

6 Nov 2024 - 9:00AM

Lifestyle & Culture

Viral Thai hippo Moo Deng predicts Trump will win US presidential election

Moo Deng’s fruity forecast adds a dash of fun to the election frenzy – leaving voters wondering if the pygmy hippo has called it right.

5 Nov 2024 - 3:59PMvideocam

Moo Deng chomps on the Trump-labelled fruit dish at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand. Photo: Instagram/khaokheow.zoo

Lifestyle & Culture

Hougang hearts and minds: the story of a politically peculiar Singapore town

How an unexpected Workers’ Party victory in 1991 laid the foundation for an enduring opposition stronghold in PAP-dominated Singapore.

3 Nov 2024 - 8:05AM

Supporters of the opposition Workers’ Party wave party flags as they gather in Hougang after the general election in 2020. Photo: AFP

Economics

Kuala London: aspiration, class and the Malaysian dream of a British education

In a country still shaped by its colonial past, the pursuit of a UK education by Malaysia’s elites reveals a stark opportunity gap at home.

3 Nov 2024 - 7:56AM

Lifestyle & Culture

Malaysians decry Halloween overshadowing Diwali in date clash of festivals

Halloween’s rising popularity in Malaysia has sparked calls on local businesses to prioritise local festivities over imported celebrations.

30 Oct 2024 - 2:12PM

People

Amid 38 Oxley Road debate, a look at how Asia preserves former leaders’ homes

Homes including those of ex-Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad have been transformed to commemorate their contributions over the years.

26 Oct 2024 - 11:54AM

A view of 38 Oxley Road, the residence of Singapore’s founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew. Photo: Reuters

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