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Aluminium cans, bottles, and other trash stashed next to a vending machine in Shibuya. Photo: Shutterstock
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

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The Philippines

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

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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.

Jollibee employees attend to customers at an outlet in Manila in 2015. Photo: AFP
Jollibee employees attend to customers at an outlet in Manila in 2015. Photo: AFP
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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The Philippines

Why Filipinos blame Marcos, not Trump, for the Iran war fuel crisis

A Philippine senator wants Filipinos to hold Trump accountable for their surging fuel bills. But public anger has a different target.

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Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr gives a press conference on the Philippines’ national energy emergency at Malacanang Palace in Manila on Wednesday. Photo: EPA
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr gives a press conference on the Philippines’ national energy emergency at Malacanang Palace in Manila on Wednesday. Photo: EPA
Japan

Sacred deer have been a fixture of Japan’s Nara. Now they’re wandering away

More green spaces in nearby cities and the deer’s adaptable nature have led to them straying as far as 40km away from their habitat.

Malaysia

DarkSword threatens Malaysian iOS users, exposing spread of elite spyware

DarkSword can compromise vulnerable iPhones through hacked legitimate websites and siphon off highly sensitive data, researchers warn.

The Philippines

Philippines scores poorly on work-life balance. Filipinos are not surprised

Low wages, poor workplace culture and heavy traffic are among the factors hampering Filipinos from enjoying a good work-life balance.

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Heavy traffic on the streets of Manila. Photo: Shutterstock
Malaysia

Should wives always obey? Most in Malaysia and Indonesia say yes

A new study also shows 64 per cent of respondents in Singapore agree that efforts to give women equal rights with men ‘have gone far enough’.

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A Malaysian couple hold hands. A new study has found that 60 per cent of respondents from Malaysia agreed with the statement that “a wife should always obey her husband”. Photo: Shutterstock
A Malaysian couple hold hands. A new study has found that 60 per cent of respondents from Malaysia agreed with the statement that “a wife should always obey her husband”. Photo: Shutterstock
Singapore

‘Super-aged’ Singapore’s secret to growing old well? Stay busy

Forget doing nothing. At the city state’s active hubs, the soundtrack to ageing is sewing machines, exercise bikes and guitar lessons.

Ageing society

Mortal combat: Southeast Asia fights fears of death to plan for the end

Birth rates are falling. Populations are ageing. In Southeast Asia, the business of dying has never been bigger.

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India

India’s weight-loss drug price war begins as key patent expires

Generic slimming drugs are expected to flood a market where one in four adults are currently either overweight or obese.

A group of women walk on a street in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. About a quarter of India’s adult population is either overweight or obese. Photo: LightRocket via Getty Images
Japan

Japan gets tough against teachers’ sexual misconduct, voyeurism after arrests

Sexual offences involving mostly male teachers targeting students remain high despite stricter rules against the menace in recent years.

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A man taking an upskirt photo. The wide use of mobile technology has encouraged misbehaviour among some Japanese teachers, analysts say. Photo: Shutterstock
A man taking an upskirt photo. The wide use of mobile technology has encouraged misbehaviour among some Japanese teachers, analysts say. Photo: Shutterstock
Malaysia

‘Even sultan would think twice’: the US$460 cake testing Malaysia’s sweet tooth

Sarawak bakery’s luxury treat sparks debate over its high price as Malaysians stock up on Eid sweets amid rising diabetes concerns.

Japan

Will Japan follow Australia’s lead and ban children from social media?

A new panel is studying how prolonged social media exposure affects young people, with youth suicide among issues likely to be addressed.

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Indonesia

Half of Indonesia is travelling for Eid as US$100 oil threatens state finances

A US$100 oil shock is ballooning fuel subsidies towards a deficit cap breach.

People carry their belongings as they arrive for a free bus trip to their hometowns organised by the Jakarta provincial government in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Tuesday. Photo: AP
People carry their belongings as they arrive for a free bus trip to their hometowns organised by the Jakarta provincial government in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Tuesday. Photo: AP
The Philippines

Most Filipino women think a woman’s place is in the home, survey finds

A record 83 per cent of women in the Philippines now say they find domestic life as fulfilling as a career, a 30-year high.

The Philippines

Why Philippines’ Jollibee is Southeast Asia’s lone global food chain

The company is the only Southeast Asian name to make the top tier of a recent list of the world’s strongest restaurant brands, placing fifth.

Indonesia

Top of the world: why Indonesian workers are happiest in Asia-Pacific

While a survey shows that 82 per cent of Indonesian workers are happy, it also flags increasing burnout among them.

Indonesians walk on a pedestrian bridge in Jakarta. Photo: EPA-EFE
Singapore

New flats in Singapore set to soar above 60 storeys – will they be the norm?

Speaking about a project in the Chinatown area, a minister says the government would look for more opportunities to build taller flats.

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Public housing blocks in Singapore’s Chinatown area. Photo: Getty Images
Public housing blocks in Singapore’s Chinatown area. Photo: Getty Images
North Korea

North Korea cancels Pyongyang marathon weeks before race, with no reason given

The race had been set for April 5 and would have marked the second year since Pyongyang resumed the event after the pandemic.

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Malaysia

A forgotten theatre lane in Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown gets a new lease on life

The restored lane, once home to an early theatre scene, is part of Kuala Lumpur’s broader effort to revive its historic Chinatown.

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Malaysia

Malaysia slashes gym licence fees by 80% to fight urban obesity

Faced with some of Southeast Asia’s highest obesity rates, officials are dangling a regulatory ‘carrot’ to gym operators – but will it work?

A man runs on a treadmill with a view of Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Photo: Shutterstock
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