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Viral stories

Viral stories
Trending events, happenings and people that have made waves on social media or online in wider Asia, and the world beyond.
A copper shark about 3.5 metres long swims in the waterway of a waterfront park off the southeastern port city of Busan, South Korea, on Friday. Photo: EPA/Yonhap
South Korea’s coastguard members aboard a boat try to guide a copper shark about 3.5 metres long towards the open sea after it was found in the waterway of a waterfront park in Busan on Friday. Photo: EPA/Yonhap
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.

United States

New York fashion chief quits after physical clash with Peta activists goes viral

South Korea

What a viral Jennie clip reveals about South Korea’s deepfake struggles

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Malaysia

Malaysian police arrest 7 Yemeni men after dangerous road stunt goes viral

The men reportedly told police that they leaned out of the cars and sat on the windows for fun while celebrating a friend’s wedding.

Men hang out a car and sit on the windows in Kuala Lumpur early Friday morning. Photo: Reddit/whusler
Malaysia

Trunk road: injured elephant’s 100km trek home drives debate in Malaysia

The Asian elephant’s long journey back home has stirred outrage over logging and habitat loss in Malaysia.

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India

Indian bureaucrat’s viral raids shake up Mumbai’s food sector

Tukaram Mundhe’s crackdown on poor hygiene and unsafe food is forcing businesses in Mumbai to make pre-emptive changes.

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Zohran Mamdani

Video | Malaysians appeal to Zohran Mamdani for government action

The campaign began after a social media user posted video of a battered road he frequently uses that caused him to crash.

The campaign began after a social media user posted video of a battered road he frequently uses that caused him to crash
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Get to Know

Who is The Rizzler? Meet the viral 10-year-old Christian Joseph

The viral internet meme personality, who rose to fame after wearing a Black Panther costume, has appeared on Jimmy Fallon’s show and met John Cena.

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Singapore

Shoving incident in Singapore over man patting girl’s head stirs heated debate

Some defend the man for his ‘friendly gesture’ commonly practised by the elderly, while another says he should ‘stay in your lane’.

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Food and Drinks

Interview: Nick and Henry Burch on Butter Baby’s mad, whimsical universe

Founded by the American fashion designer’s twin sons, the Jakarta doughnut phenomenon counts Jackson Wang and North West among its fans.

Henry (left) and Nick Burch attend the opening of Butter Baby’s store at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta, Indonesia, in June 2026. Photo: Handout
Malaysia

‘This is not hijab’: unpicking controversy behind Uniqlo Malaysia’s new line

Critics are taking issue with images showing the cloth wrapped turban-like around the head, leaving parts of the neck and chest visible.

Models wear hijabs from Uniqlo Malaysia’s modest-wear line. Photo: Uniqlo Malaysia
Food and Drinks

Mouthing Off | Viral video of woman using fork to scratch dead skin off foot raises questions

How clean is restaurant cutlery? A viral clip highlights the blind faith we put in dishwashers and in staff to have basic hygiene standards.

Singapore

Singapore court fines French teenager US$465 for viral straw-licking prank

The vendor has to replace all 500 straws after the 19-year-old takes one from a machine, licks it, then places it back into the dispenser.

Social media

Video | Japan’s viral property agents get weird

A Tokyo estate agent in a green-screen bodysuit has gone viral – but are the gags stealing the show?

Japanese property agents are finding new ways to promote themselves through social media, using visual gags, stunts and innovative hooks to find new audiences.
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Accidents and disasters in China

Should heavy-duty drones be used to rescue China’s flood victims?

DJI says its drones should not be used to airlift people, but more lives could have been lost in Typhoon Maysak without the emergency tech.

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Photos and discussions about China’s recent use of heavy-duty drones to “airlift” villagers affected by flooding in Guangxi have gone viral. Photo: Weibo/ 小凡好摄
Malaysia

Viral shoe-sniffing video leads to stalking arrest in Malaysia

A male university student faces jail time after being caught on camera sniffing shoes outside a flat in Shah Alam.

Singapore

Singapore catches e-bike rider in viral ‘Superman’ stunt video

The rider was caught on camera going faster than cars on his vehicle, with the device’s speed estimated at almost 80 km/h.

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Malaysia

Too young to ride, Malaysian teen pedals dream by building fake Yamaha motorbike

A viral video of the 13-year-old showing off his refurbished bicycle to police offices has won hearts on the internet.

A 13-year-old boy shows off his modified bicycle to police officers. Photo: Threads/hafizul.akmal
Americas and the Caribbean

Brazilian woman killed after being thrown off bridge without rope is buried

Three men working for the company offering rope jumps have been arrested and face possible murder charges.

Malaysia

‘Get a room’: viral cuddling video sparks Malaysia morality row

While social media comments were generally hostile, some have asked people to ‘just let them be’.

India

Hundreds join protest led by India’s viral ‘cockroach’ youth movement

The mock political party with over 22 million ‌Instagram followers is the largest online expression of dissent against ⁠Narendra Modi.

Supporters of the satirical youth movement Cockroach Janta Party hold placards during a protest in New Delhi, India, on Saturday. Photo: EPA
Malaysia

FamilyMart Malaysia worker in hot water after throwing oden soup at Grab rider

A 23-second video of a female employee throwing hot oden soup at a delivery rider across a counter went viral on social media last week.

A viral video appears to show a FamilyMart worker splashing hot oden soup at a delivery rider during an argument. Photo: X/kamaghul
Chinese culture

How China’s ‘Excalibur of the East’ souvenir swords sparked airport warning

Tourists with replicas of the ancient Sword of Goujian, from the Hubei Provincial Museum, were told not to hand-carry them onto planes.

Food and Drinks

This Edinburgh Chinese takeaway is ‘dying’. Meet the daughter out to save it

Opened in 1997, China Star has weeks to turn things around before it sinks. Can the founder’s Instagrammer daughter Lisa He serve up success?

Japan

Japan Buddhist monk bar has ‘heaven and hell’ drinks, offers beating service

Offbeat drinking venue provides everything from calligraphy to a ‘coffin’ experience in bid to popularise Buddhist culture.

A bar in Japan, run by Buddhist monks, serves drinks inspired by the concepts of heaven and hell. Photo: japaholic
United States

RFK Jnr posts video of him grabbing 2 snakes, as his wife asks ‘why?’

US health secretary has a bare-handed encounter with snakes, as his TV star wife tries to get him to stop.

Robert Kennedy Jnr handling two snakes as one of them tries to bite him. Photo: @RobertKennedyJr via X
Maldives

Maldivian military diver dies in search of bodies of 4 Italian divers

The group of Italian divers is believed to have died while exploring a cave at a depth of about 50 metres (160 feet) in Vaavu Atoll despite the Maldives’ 30-metre diving limit.

South Korea

‘Are you still hiring?’: K-pop king G-Dragon gifts flats to staff, sparks online buzz

Known for his exceptional loyalty, the pop icon has developed a strong bond with his long-term team.

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