Society

Philippines hits pause on early release for former mayor amid public outrage

28 Aug 2019 - 5:45PM

Society

Singapore’s nightlife boring? Unshackle us and it won’t be, operators say

To many politicians in the Lion City, club culture represents little more than crime, illicit substances, sex and overindulgence, but businesses say the nightlife sector is ripe for a renaissance, if only officials would see the light.

25 Aug 2019 - 5:19PM

Mega club Zouk was in 2016 forced to relocate from its location on Jiak Kim Street because developers began building flats around it. Photo: AFP

Society

Singapore universities stop Hong Kong exchanges on ministry advice

The Singapore education ministry’s guidance to universities to postpone trips to Hong Kong comes on the back of a government advisory for Singaporeans to defer all non-essential travel to the protest-hit city.

22 Aug 2019 - 11:34PM

Economics

Vietnam

Vietnam gets a bite at the cherry as US farm exports find new market

American producers wrestling with the US-China trade war are being forced to offload meat and fruit at knockdown prices in countries such as Vietnam. Shoppers are delighted but local farmers are struggling to compete.

21 Aug 2019 - 9:17PM

Society

Philippine police save Chinese man in 53rd case of casino-related abductions

Bian Xiaoguo’s father was sent a video of his son being tortured and asked for a ransom of US$42,500. The rash of kidnappings come as Chinese nationals flock to the Philippines to work in casinos or offshore gaming operators.

12 Dec 2019 - 3:33PM

Bian Xiaoguo was rescued from a loan shark by the Philippine police. Photo: Philippine Police

Opinion

Myanmar

Ceritalah | Sleepy Mawlamyine a city on the decline, as Myanmar youths eye exit

A former bustling British port, Mawlamyine today is a far cry from its glory years in the 1800s, and young people are yearning to leave in search of jobs and money.

20 Aug 2019 - 10:02AM

The First Baptist Church still serves congregations whose ancestors were converted by Victorian missionaries. Photo: Team Ceritalah

Society

Philippine solution to traffic jams? 24-hour schools and banks

President Rodrigo Duterte is under pressure to make good on an election promise to cut congestion, but poor public transport, politics and traffic experiments that favour the rich have made the task a tall order.

20 Aug 2019 - 9:10AM

Politics

Malaysia

Mahathir joins chorus of criticism against preacher’s race rhetoric

Televangelist Zakir Naik has sparked a furore in recent days with his comments about Malaysia’s Indian and Chinese communities.

19 Aug 2019 - 11:10PM

Society

United States

How Asians are transforming San Francisco Bay Area’s food culture

The tech boom in Silicon Valley has propelled an influx of immigrants, particularly Asians, creating a unique opportunity for food entrepreneurs.

20 Aug 2019 - 10:13AM

Tracy Goh (left), lasksa chef. Photo: Handout

Society

How China’s 19th century crises shaped a community in Singapore

A new book sheds light on how identity crises and culture clashes between immigrant and locally born Chinese in the 19th century shaped the community in multiracial Singapore.

19 Aug 2019 - 11:33AM

Spectators wave the Singapore national flag as they wait for the start of the 54th national day parade on Friday. Photo: AFP

Society

China economy

Grown men fuelling boom in China’s toy collectibles market

Grown men are fuelling a boom in China’s toy collectibles market, spending thousands of dollars on figurines to express their identity, boost their street cred, and indulge their inner kid

18 Aug 2019 - 1:22PM

Politics

Malaysia

In Malaysia, hopes for racial unity. The reality? Growing division

The country’s multicultural identity becomes a cause for celebration every August as Malaysia gears up for its national day party, but democratisation is now pushing politicians to exploit ethnic differences for electoral gain.

18 Aug 2019 - 10:40AM

Society

North Korea

Deaths of North Korean mum and child spark soul-searching in South

The story of a defector who likely starved to death with her son in Seoul has thrown a spotlight on the plight of North Koreans in the South.

19 Aug 2019 - 2:50PM

For many North Korean defectors, life in the South continues to be a struggle. Photo: EPA

Society

Hong Kong protests

Hong Kong protests inspire Macau’s youth, teach their government to be wary

Youngsters from Macau are drawn to the demonstrations as their more conservative society lacks an avenue for them to express political views, while the local government is avoiding measures that could cause unrest

16 Aug 2019 - 6:23PM

Some Macau youngsters are joining the protests in Hong Kong. Photo: Sam Tsang

Society

Forget bitcoin, this Singapore firm is building a city with blockchain

Limestone Network’s first project is a 100-hectare development in Phnom Penh, involving homes, offices, malls and schools. It is looking to help cities in Southeast Asia overcome challenges such as pollution and traffic congestion.

14 Aug 2019 - 8:59AM

Politics

Watch your kids, they might be terrorists, Filipino parents told

President Rodrigo Duterte’s former police chief Ronald dela Rosa says communist groups are out to brainwash the nation’s children.

12 Aug 2019 - 6:52PM

Society

Singapore’s foreign domestic workers turning to sport to battle the bulge

Singapore can be a good career move for foreign domestic workers, but its tasty food means bulging waistlines. In fighting the flab many maids have found a new passion: sport

11 Aug 2019 - 10:15AM

Some Singapore-based foreign domestic workers play volleyball to keep fit. Photo: Clifford Lee

Geopolitics

Human rights

Syria’s devastating war through the eyes of a Hong Kong nurse

Walter Leung Wai-yin has been on several missions for the Red Cross, but his latest to a hospital in the Al Hol camp has left him with vivid images of young, helpless victims of the war in Syria

11 Aug 2019 - 9:59PM

Walter Leung Wai-yin, an intensive care nurse from Hong Kong, with two-year-old Saad, at a field hospital in Al Hol camp, Syria. Photo: ICRC

Politics

Chinese overseas

6 events showing campus conflicts involving Chinese students

From brawls over the Hong Kong protests to division over Tibet and Xinjiang’s Uygurs, political debate among Chinese students at Western universities has made headlines over the years. Here are six examples.

10 Aug 2019 - 11:46PM

Society

Chinese overseas

Hong Kong protests to Uygur camps: Chinese students are scorned

Campus confrontations have erupted from Canada to New Zealand as mainland Chinese students react, sometimes violently, to public scrutiny of Beijing’s policies.

11 Aug 2019 - 12:48AM

Opinion

India

Opinion | An Asian future? Not if we don’t admit to some inconvenient histories

Asia’s leaders, intent on dragging their countries into developed status, kicking and screaming, are ignoring festering historical fissures that threaten any developmental gains, writes Imran Shamsunahar

9 Aug 2019 - 7:41PM

Police fire tear gas during a protest in Hong Kong on August 4. Photo: Isaac Lawrence / AFP

OPINION

Ceritalah | Sleepy Mawlamyine a city on the decline, as Myanmar youths eye exit

20 Aug 2019 - 10:02AM

Imran Shamsunahar

Opinion | An Asian future? Not if we don’t admit to some inconvenient histories

9 Aug 2019 - 7:41PM

Ceritalah | In drought-stricken Chennai, water now costs more than petrol

22 Jul 2019 - 12:05PM

Wang Xiangwei

China Briefing | Hong Kong is heading for a breakdown in law and order

20 Jul 2019 - 6:27PM

Ceritalah | Southeast Asia’s landfills expose the big Western lie about recycling

16 Jul 2019 - 3:50PM