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This Week in Asia /

Lifestyle & Culture

Two workers from the Marine Parade-Braddell Heights Town Council seen using a recycling machine in Singapore to get a refund for their empty drink cans. Photo: TikTok/Jiatong888
Singapore

Can or not? 2 migrant workers in Singapore using recycling machine sparks debate

A video of the two workers using the machine to get a refund for their empty drink cans prompted their employer to issue a clarification.

Malaysia

Malaysia’s debut Hyrox fitness event in beer sponsorship row

The Philippines

Far from home, close to grief: why millions of Filipino migrants dread Undas

South Korea

South Korea’s latest chart sensation has a secret: the singer isn’t human

The K-pop act’s sudden rise has exposed brewing copyright rows and prompted fresh debate over the future of AI-generated music.

The album cover for Meomuru’s “Have You Become the Adult You Dreamed Of?”, which features an AI-generated voice. Photo: Instagram/Meomuru_Official
The album cover for Meomuru’s “Have You Become the Adult You Dreamed Of?”, which features an AI-generated voice. Photo: Instagram/Meomuru_Official
Japan

Dark past of Japan’s Unit 731 buried under airport expansion

The home village of the biological warfare unit’s commander is being flattened to build a new runway at Tokyo’s Narita Airport.

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South Korea

South Korea’s president urged to play new Call of Duty as war wake-up call

Opposition lawmakers have seized on the North Korean invasion depicted in Modern Warfare 4 to attack Lee Jae Myung’s dovish stance.

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SCMP Highlights

Why paper straws are worse than plastic; haze in Indonesia: 7 Asia highlights

From Malaysian teen held after live-streaming axe attack to haze in Indonesia, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

A firefighter battles a fast-moving brush fire amid heavy smoke in South Kalimantan, Indonesia. Photo: AFP
A firefighter battles a fast-moving brush fire amid heavy smoke in South Kalimantan, Indonesia. Photo: AFP
Malaysia

Suspected murder of man at Malaysian underground gig raises safety concerns

Police have detained 10 people over an incident at the gig in Melaka after the victim died from head injuries.

The Philippines

Overseas Filipinos feel heartache over missing parcels for loved ones

Balikbayan boxes bound for the Philippines are an important source of comfort for families of Filipinos working overseas.

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Japan

Danger, death and devotion: Japan’s festivals face crisis after fatal accidents

A number of tragic deaths have forced local communities across Japan to reconsider centuries of sacred tradition in the name of safety.

People pull a traditional danjiri wooden float through Kishiwada, Osaka prefecture, Japan, on the first day of the annual Danjiri festival in September 2024. Photo: Kyodo
Singapore

Southeast Asian families tying house move to top schools spur privilege worries

In Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, a family’s residential address is one of the factors determining admission into schools.

Pupils leave their school after class in Singapore. Photo: Xinhua
Pupils leave their school after class in Singapore. Photo: Xinhua
Malaysia

Storm in a coffee cup: racial row simmers over Malaysian menu omission

The row over Oriental Kopi’s omission of Malay in its menu comes just weeks ahead of the Melaka state poll.

South Korea

K-pop capital Seoul wants to put brakes on taxi overcharging

A South Korean lawmaker has called for changes after a Taiwanese tourist complained that a taxi driver overcharged him by nearly 10 times.

Singapore

Try to top a triceratops sitting inside Singapore’s ‘Fort Knox’ for the ultra-rich

The triceratops fossil was on display during the lead-up to last weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix attended by ultra-high-net-worth individuals.

A 66-million-year-old triceratops skull is displayed at Fine Art Storage Services in Singapore. Photo: Jean Iau
Indonesia

Shunned in the West, Ye hands Indonesia a rare mega-tour coup

The controversial US rapper, formerly known as Kanye West, is expected to attract 15,000 foreign fans to Jakarta this month.

Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, performs at a festival in Inglewood, California in 2024. Photo: TNS
Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, performs at a festival in Inglewood, California in 2024. Photo: TNS
Japan

Air rage incidents in Japan surge, led by late check-in ‘flashpoint’

More cabin crew are experiencing verbal abuse, physical attacks and sexual harassment from Japanese and international passengers.

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

Told they bargain too much, domestic visitors ask why Bali fawns over foreign tourists while treating locals like second-class citizens.

A vendor and customer exchange Indonesian rupiah banknotes. Photo: Reuters
A vendor and customer exchange Indonesian rupiah banknotes. Photo: Reuters
Singapore

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

FirstDate is being piloted among government employees aged 21 to 35 amid Singapore’s efforts to raise its fertility rate.

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.

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.

A placard reading “My life is not your porn” during a monthly protest by South Korean women against secretly-filmed spycam pornography in Seoul in 2018. Photo: AFP
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.

A college student holds a placard during a march last month demanding police action and better safety for women following the alleged gang rape of a girl in New Delhi. Photo: Reuters
A college student holds a placard during a march last month demanding police action and better safety for women following the alleged gang rape of a girl in New Delhi. Photo: Reuters
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.

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.

A scene from “The Assassin(s)“. Photo: Handout
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