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This Week in Asia /

Lifestyle & Culture

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K-pop, Mandopop and other Asian pop
Asia travel
Fame and celebrity
Lea Albritton, the influencer behind “Pinay sa America” and her husband, Timothy. Photo: Lea Albritton
The Philippines

Meet the Filipino spouses turning their migration journeys into viral content

Women make up 90 per cent of Filipino marriage migrants, moving mainly to the US, Canada, Japan and Australia.

The Philippines

BINI made history at Coachella. Can the Philippines build on it?

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Social media

Southeast Asia wants children off social media. Will it work?

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Malaysia

Crowned in Bangkok, constrained at home: Malaysia’s first Mr Bear winner

Gavin Chow’s victory highlights the contrast between Bangkok’s queer visibility and the pressures still facing LGBTQ people in Malaysia.

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Gavin Chow (center) after being named the winner of the Mr Bear International competition in Bangkok on Monday. Photo: Facebook / Mr Bear International
Gavin Chow (center) after being named the winner of the Mr Bear International competition in Bangkok on Monday. Photo: Facebook / Mr Bear International
Indonesia

Indonesia’s Surabaya cracks down on absentee fathers for dodging child support

The city’s child support laws have drawn overseas interest, including Australia, as single mothers urge more help for their legal redress.

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Indonesia

Bali wants illegal rentals to be legitimate as operators flag red tape

Authorities want to help unregistered accommodation providers secure permits to plug the tax collection gap.

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Thailand

7 French tourists arrested after viral Songkran clash with van driver in Phuket

Police said the group of revellers blocked traffic, sprayed water at the driver and ignored orders to disperse.

Screenshots from a viral video showing Songkran festival revelers spraying a van driver in Patong. Photo: TikTok / littlepatong
Screenshots from a viral video showing Songkran festival revelers spraying a van driver in Patong. Photo: TikTok / littlepatong
Malaysia

Deepfakes, cloned voices: the new AI threat facing Malaysia’s creators

Experts question whether Malaysia’s laws are keeping pace with the harm spread by AI, and call for stronger legal protections for artists.

Japan

Japan’s Narita Airport expansion revives row over forced land sales

Authorities are considering forcing the sale of land owned by holdout farmers, recalling disputes that sparked violence during the 1960s.

Japan

Japan’s rural rail crisis hits new low as JR East cuts toilet paper service

JR East’s decision to remove toilet paper at some unmanned stations underscores the financial pressures on rural rail services.

Oshikiri station in Japan’s Niigata prefecture no longer has toilet paper service. Photo: Handout
Thailand

Songkran is here. So is Thailand’s worst energy crisis in years

Soaring costs for fuel and ice fail to dampen the mood as a wave of ‘revenge travel’ provides a much-needed economic boost.

Revellers celebrate in Bangkok, Thailand, on Sunday, the eve of Songkran. Photo: Reuters
Revellers celebrate in Bangkok, Thailand, on Sunday, the eve of Songkran. Photo: Reuters
South Korea

Solo in Seoul? South Korean capital offers helpers for US$4 an hour

The city’s ‘companion service’ aims to help single-person households move house or visit hospital.

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Malaysia

Was Penang ‘robbed’ from Kedah? Malaysian states face off in sovereignty row

A grievance dating back hundreds of years resurfaces as Kedah state lays claim to the country’s richest island.

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Japan

‘Making a racket in Chinese’: Japan’s cherry blossom season stirs cultural rift

A report claims residents of Dazaifu in Fukuoka prefecture complained about groups ‘making a racket in Chinese’ at a popular hanami spot.

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People use boats on Chidorigafuchi, one of the moats around the Imperial Palace, to look at the cherry blossoms in full bloom in Tokyo on April 2. Photo: AFP
Malaysia

Lute awakening: traditional Malaysian strings have many players but few makers

While young musicians are increasingly drawn to the old instruments, few want to take up the tedious task of crafting them.

An indigenous musician plays a “sape” in front a traditional longhouse in Sarawak. Photo: Reuters
An indigenous musician plays a “sape” in front a traditional longhouse in Sarawak. Photo: Reuters
Malaysia

Malaysian bookshop hits on novel idea to hook readers addicted to ‘brain rot’

BookXcess’ ‘Brain Un-Rot Library’ turns 100 books into short TikTok clips similar to the type of videos blamed for wrecking attention span.

Asean

Cultural capitals: Southeast Asia seeks soft power to outlast the buzz

The region’s creators are going global, but the structures to sustain them are still catching up.

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The Philippines

Philippines weighs social media ban for minors, but will it be enough?

Analysts warn that restricting access alone will do little to fix the algorithms that expose young users to harmful content.

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Teenagers play games on their smartphones at a convenience store in the Philippines. Lawmakers have called for curbs on minors’ social media access. Photo: Shutterstock
Teenagers play games on their smartphones at a convenience store in the Philippines. Lawmakers have called for curbs on minors’ social media access. Photo: Shutterstock
Indonesia

Bali rocked by spate of murder cases – is Indonesian island more dangerous now?

The cases allegedly involving foreign suspects have spurred concerns that gang disputes have moved from other countries to the island.

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Japan

Litterbugs in Shibuya to be fined on the spot as visitor numbers surge

The initiative, which will see offenders fined US$12.50, reflects a broader rethink of the ward’s earlier decision to remove public rubbish bins.

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Nepal

Untouchable no more: Nepal to apologise to Dalits for first time

Nepal has banned caste discrimination, yet many Dalits still live in poverty. Can a formal state apology inspire change?

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A Dalit woman sits with a child in Humla district, in Nepal’s remote northwest. Photo: AFP
The Philippines

Filipino singer’s Golden Buzzer win stokes #SEAblings’ Southeast Asian pride

The reactions to his breakout moment on ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ highlight how regional audiences increasingly champion one another’s artists.

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Left: ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ judge Simon Cowell stands next to Filipino singer Matty Juniosa after awarding Juniosa the coveted Golden Buzzer for his performance on Sunday’s episode of the talent competition. Right: Youtube comments on the video mentioning SEAbling, which is shorthand for “Southeast Asian siblings”. Photo: YouTube / Britain’s Got Talent
Left: ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ judge Simon Cowell stands next to Filipino singer Matty Juniosa after awarding Juniosa the coveted Golden Buzzer for his performance on Sunday’s episode of the talent competition. Right: Youtube comments on the video mentioning SEAbling, which is shorthand for “Southeast Asian siblings”. Photo: YouTube / Britain’s Got Talent
The Philippines

Joy in a bag: for overseas Filipinos, Jollibee is a taste of home

Forget KFC. For Filipinos abroad, Jollibee serves up cultural pride with a side of nostalgia – and the best fried chicken in America.

Japan

‘Damage Kyoto’s reputation’: plan for sky-high towers meets backlash

Opponents say the proposal to revise height restrictions for buildings around Kyoto Station to 60 metres will destroy the city’s unique views.

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Japan

Japan’s cherry blossom parties could wilt as inflation strains wallets

Spending on ‘hanami’ picnics drops as rising living costs, Iran war fears and weather woes threaten to dampen this year’s festivities.

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A woman takes selfies in front of a cherry blossom tree in Kawasaki, Kanagawa prefecture, Japan. Photo: AFP
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