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Young men play online games and surf the internet at a cyber cafe in Jakarta last month. Photo: AFP
Indonesia

Jakarta vs the internet: Indonesia’s gamble with digital freedom

As the government demands global tech firms like Cloudflare bend to its will, critics say it’s ‘burning the rice barn to kill the rats’.

Japan

One-Punch Man and the human cost of Japan and South Korea’s soft power

Singapore

Singapore organisers in limbo over work visa ban on foreign performers

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Singapore

‘Better late than never’: Singapore parents laud curbs on phone use in schools

The city state is among countries that have stepped up measures to curb screen time and tighten social media restrictions for adolescents.

Singapore is among countries that have stepped up measures to curb screen time and tighten social media restrictions for adolescents. Photo: TNS
Singapore is among countries that have stepped up measures to curb screen time and tighten social media restrictions for adolescents. Photo: TNS
The Philippines

Anger boils in Philippines over official’s US$8.50 Christmas feast budget

Critics call the Philippine trade chief’s 500-peso Noche Buena price guide for a family of four a ‘fantasy’ that insults the poor.

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Singapore

Are Singaporean Chinese the ‘least attractive’? Viral image stirs debate

Social media users said Singapore had no Vivian Chow or Edison Chen, but experts warned against warped beauty standards shaped by media.

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Japan

Japan weighs plan to punish sex buyers, but will it be enough?

Experts warn the sex industry will find ways to circumvent new rules and the problem needs to be tackled from various angles simultaneously.

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People walk past an entrance gate of Kabukicho, Tokyo’s red-light district, in Shinjuku, Japan. Photo: EPA-EFE
People walk past an entrance gate of Kabukicho, Tokyo’s red-light district, in Shinjuku, Japan. Photo: EPA-EFE
South Korea

‘Relive the magic’? K-drama dating service probed for sex crimes in Brazil

The KDramaDate platform offers curated outings with Korean men, including one of an ‘intimate experience’ at a motel or client’s home.

Indonesia

Oxford slammed for not naming Indonesian researchers in rare flower find

After an uproar over the perceived snub, the university named the Indonesian researchers involved in Rafflesia’s rediscovery on social media.

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Japan

In Japan, public opinion turns against Trump’s ‘terrible, stupid’ US

A new survey reveals approval for US ties has hit near-record lows amid political turmoil, punitive tariffs and shock at Trump’s agenda.

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Soldiers hold US and Japanese flags during a welcome ceremony for US President Donald Trump at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo in 2019. Photo: AFP
Japan

Japan sympathises as 79-year-old kills mother, 100, out of exhaustion

Two cases of victims aged 100 and 102 killed by their children aged above 70 have highlighted the challenges faced by elderly carers.

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Elderly people at the Sugamo Jizodori shopping street in Tokyo. Photo: Shutterstock
Elderly people at the Sugamo Jizodori shopping street in Tokyo. Photo: Shutterstock
Malaysia

‘Malaysian promoting Singapore’: viral video sparks debate over talent use

Social media users question why Malaysian tourism authorities have not engaged local talent effectively to promote the country.

Japan

‘Looming crisis’: why US universities are cutting critical Japanese studies

Academics bemoan the myopic approach after a recent report calls dropping Japan-focused subjects a ‘looming crisis in US-Japan relations’.

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Nepal

Last frontier: Nepal slashes pricey permit, but will it boost tourism, economy?

Upper Mustang residents worry that they will not be able to reap the benefits from the cheaper permit and instead be like ‘animals in a zoo’.

Visitors watch the sunrise in the mountains of Nepal’s Upper Mustang. Photo: Getty Images
Singapore

Singapore becomes Plan B for Chinese travellers giving Japan a wide berth

Beijing’s call to boycott Japan after Sanae Takaichi’s remarks is benefiting Southeast Asian countries, travel agents say.

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Tourists take photos with the Merlion statue in Singapore. Chinese visitors say the city state is an “easy and comfortable” travel destination. Photo: Reuters
Tourists take photos with the Merlion statue in Singapore. Chinese visitors say the city state is an “easy and comfortable” travel destination. Photo: Reuters
Singapore

Singapore ‘sharenting’: where does openness end and overexposure begin?

While sharing children’s exam results may serve to document life’s journey, it may also expose them to danger, counsellors say.

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Malaysia

Malaysian police chief urges more caning in schools, rues loss of ‘fear factor’

The call comes amid several cases in schools this year that have raised safety concerns, ranging from the killing of a student to bullying.

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Indonesia

Indonesia scripts soft-power diplomacy push with film shot in China’s Ningxia

Analysts say ‘Assalamualaikum Beijing 2: Lost in Ningxia’ is a striking example of cinema being used to bridge cultural divides.

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A scene from “Assalamualaikum Beijing 2: Lost in Ningxia” featuring actors Yasmin Napper (right) and Gabriella Ekaputri. Photo: Imperial Picture
A scene from “Assalamualaikum Beijing 2: Lost in Ningxia” featuring actors Yasmin Napper (right) and Gabriella Ekaputri. Photo: Imperial Picture
South Korea

South Korea kicks back after Canada’s TSN labels taekwondo clip ‘ninja training’

The mislabelling touched a nerve in South Korea, where conflating Korean and Japanese cultural symbols is often viewed as offensive.

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Thailand

Thailand to curb repeat visa-free entries amid rise in scams, illegal work

Around 2,900 foreigners have been barred by Thailand so far this year due to their multiple short-term entries.

South Korea

Kimchi deficit: South Korea faces pickle as Chinese imports outpace exports

Higher cabbage prices have sent many restaurants to lower-cost imports, leaving South Korea with a kimchi trade deficit of US$22.07 million.

Freshly prepared kimchi is seen next to brined cabbage (right) during a kimchi-making festival at Garak Market in Seoul on November 17. Consumers from Japan to North America have embraced kimchi as a premium and increasingly health-focused product. Photo: AFP
Indonesia

How did divisive China-backed Bali cliff lift get greenlit in the first place?

Indonesia has a ‘governance paradox’, with the central government often permitting projects that go against local vision, experts say.

Before and after images of Kelingking Beach on the island of Nusa Penida. Photo: X / pendakilawas
Before and after images of Kelingking Beach on the island of Nusa Penida. Photo: X / pendakilawas
Malaysia

Backlash grows as Malaysia plans ID checks to ban under-16s from social media

With mandatory ID verification set for 2026, Malaysia debates: should parents or the state decide how children access the internet?

South Korea

Apple of their eye: why South Korea’s Gen Z want American brands

A recent poll found most South Koreans in their twenties used an iPhone. The US is still seen as aspirational, despite recent frictions.

Japan

Petition filed in Japan over K-pop act Aespa’s singer posting atomic bomb image

A petition has been filed calling for Aespa, a popular K-pop group, to be banned from taking part in a New Year’s Eve music event in Japan.

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Ningning, a singer from popular K-pop group Aespa. The group has been invited to perform at the annual “Kohaku Uta Gassen” singing contest in Japan. Photo: Instagram/ @aespa_official
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