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This Week in Asia /

Lifestyle & Culture

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A smartphone screen displaying icons of several social media platforms. Photo: NurPhoto/Getty Images
India

India’s proposed social media ban for under-18s wins parents’ backing

Lawyers, however, advise against a sweeping ban, saying children could benefit from access to online educational content.

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Indonesia

Want better service? Tip, Bali politician tells Indonesian tourists

Singapore

From public service to private romance: can a Singapore app engineer love?

Singapore

The hidden heartbreak of losing a pet in Singapore and Malaysia

When society minimises the bond owners share with an animal, owners can be left to suffer in silence, counsellors say.

An urn containing the ashes of a cremated dog. What is lost when a pet dies is often more than just an animal. Photo: Getty Images
PiePie Pet Memorial offers follow-up support for owners struggling to cope with the loss of their pets. Photo: PiePie Pet Memorial
South Korea

South Korea struggles to curb illegal sex sites 10 years after Soranet scandal

Despite tougher laws, a new wave of sites containing non-consensual sexually explicit videos and images of women has emerged.

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India

Has India improved women’s safety since 2012 Nirbhaya gang rape horror case?

Several reported rape cases in New Delhi recently show that the rights and safety of women are still being trampled upon, lawyers say.

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Malaysia

Malaysia eyes permanent F1 comeback despite Bahrain GP travel chaos

Six-hour traffic jams failed to dampen the mood after more than 260,000 fans packed Sepang for its first Grand Prix in nine years.

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy compete in the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang, Malaysia, on Sunday. Photo: AP
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen of the Netherlands leads the pack at Sepang International Circuit on Sunday. Photo: Xinhua
Japan

Name and shame: Japan’s tame answer to jobseeker sex harassment

After years of predatory recruiters targeting graduates, new rules are now in place – but critics say they lack real teeth.

South Korea

Why a film about a dictator has South Korea at war with itself

A blockbuster about the 1974 assassination attempt of former president Park Chung-hee is causing a political backlash.

Singapore

Going ‘car-lite’: why more Singaporeans are quitting driving

Rail links and cycle routes make it easier for motorists to give up their cars as running costs and road charges rise.

Illustration: Huy Truong
Singapore

What Singapore’s crackdown reveals about those 5-star online reviews

Experts warn that review ecosystems are constantly evolving and consumers should be more discerning about what they read online.

A screengrab shows the cost of fake review packages. Photo: Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore
A screengrab shows the cost of fake review packages. Photo: Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore
Indonesia

Indonesia targets free public schooling amid funding concerns

Education experts question where the money will come from, and urge the government to focus on improving the quality of learning.

India

Can India curb childhood obesity by banning junk food near schools?

The proposal will not be effective on its own, parents and experts say, calling for more comprehensive measures.

Malaysia

From Ed Sheeran to Massive Attack: Gaza rows spark Southeast Asia backlash

With global acts also touring Asia, UK star Ed Sheeran’s concert fallout in the US raises the question of how the saga would play out regionally.

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Pro-Palestinian protesters gather near the venue of pop star Ed Sheeran’s concert after rapper Macklemore was cut from the musical line-up over his “free Palestine” remarks, near Lincoln Financial Field, in Philadelphia on September 19. Photo: Reuters
India

Sell family jewels for latest iPhone? In India, craze dials up debate

The new iPhones might not make sense financially in India, but the desire for one is not always rational, analysts say.

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A man checks his wallet at an Apple store in Mumbai, India, on June 29. Photo: Reuters
A man checks his wallet at an Apple store in Mumbai, India, on June 29. Photo: Reuters
Singapore

Singapore or bust: how Indonesian’s crowdfunding plea shows city’s desirability

A woman’s appeal for sponsors to fund her US$78,000 programme has drawn criticism but not dimmed her dream of studying in Singapore.

The Philippines

Inside the Philippines’ mounting ‘learning crisis’ and teacher shortage

Industry players call for transparency in the teacher hiring process and urge more concrete support for educators suffering from burnout.

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Singapore

Paid to read: can cash and gamification fix Southeast Asia’s falling literacy?

Facing shrinking attention spans and ‘doomscrolling’, governments are using cash, vouchers and book drives to get citizens reading again.

Children take part in a reading event outside the National Library in Singapore 2014. Photo: Xinhua
Children take part in a reading event outside the National Library in Singapore 2014. Photo: Xinhua
The Philippines

Forgotten no more: Filipino folklore finds footing on global stage

DreamWorks’ animated film, Forgotten Island, offers a rare point of recognition for Filipinos at home and abroad.

Malaysia

In Malaysia, a mother’s love offers her trans daughter refuge

For transgender Muslims in Kelantan, quiet family acceptance at home contrasts with growing fear of sharia crackdowns.

Malaysia

Malaysians joke about nettle beds to end Negeri Sembilan royal row

With two men claiming the throne and no legal exit in sight, commenters suggest nettle-bed endurance tests to end the fight.

A nettle plant. Some social media users suggested making rival claimants to the Negeri Sembilan throne sleep on a bed of nettles for a week. Photo: AFP
Malaysia

As Malaysia bets big on a concert boom, where are the local acts?

Artists question efforts to develop local talent, highlighting ‘worrying trend’ of global stars with no Malaysian opening act.

Malaysian rock band Kyoto Protocol perform live on stage. The band has opened for Muse, Death Cab for Cutie and The Killers in the past. Photo: Handout
Malaysian rock band Kyoto Protocol perform live on stage. The band has opened for Muse, Death Cab for Cutie and The Killers in the past. Photo: Handout
South Korea

Shark in the park: viral sighting shakes up South Korea’s Busan

Nearly 20,000 visitors flocked to the North Port Waterfront Park over the weekend to see the shark, which has also spawned a flood of memes.

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South Korea

South Korea beats foreign student target, but struggles to keep them

New university rankings show while South Korea has enjoyed an international student boom, gaps in support and post-graduation outcomes remain.

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South Korea

South Korea wants free ‘AI for All’. Is society ready?

Seoul’s roll-out of free, unlimited AI is set to shake up classrooms, careers and crime – for better or worse.

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Illustration: Dennis Yip
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