https://www.scmp.com/rss/323051/feed All you need to know about the week’s biggest stories in Asia ­– in just three minutes en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Malaysia’s low-cost carrier AirAsia has lost a long-running and bitter legal feud with state-linked Malaysia Airports (MAHB) after a local court sided with the airport operator in a dispute over increased charges for passengers departing on international flights. Both sides opted to take the legal route after failing to amicably settle their differences over a steep increase in July 2018 to the passenger service charge (PSC) for international flights departing Kuala Lumpur International Airport... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3019214/airasia-owes-malaysian-airport-operator-millions-dollars-unpaid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3019214/airasia-owes-malaysian-airport-operator-millions-dollars-unpaid?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Jul 2019 13:56:08 +0000 Myra Tran was just 16 years old when she became a household name in Vietnam for her voice. Now three years later and thousands of miles away from her home country, she has her sights set on the world’s biggest singing competition: American Idol. The 19-year-old, who moved to Seattle in October 2017, brought American Idol judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan to their feet on March 3 with her rendition of former competition finalist Jennifer Hudson’s song One Night Only. “After giving... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/2189249/how-myra-trans-voice-carried-vietnams-mekong-delta-american-idol?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/2189249/how-myra-trans-voice-carried-vietnams-mekong-delta-american-idol?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 Mar 2019 10:04:46 +0000 Over the past year This Week In Asia has published stories featuring people whose unique experiences reflected the highs and lows of a tumultuous 2018. We caught up with some of these individuals to see how the year turned out for them, and ask about their hopes for 2019. In their own words, here is a look at the year gone by and what is to come. Syed Saddiq and Malaysian politics Syed Saddiq, 25, made history by becoming the youngest cabinet minister in Asia, following 93-year-old Mahathir... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/2179551/newsmakers-people-behind-stories-grabbed-asia-2018?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/2179551/newsmakers-people-behind-stories-grabbed-asia-2018?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Dec 2018 03:02:16 +0000 An Indonesian anti-government activist’s secret plastic surgery procedure has spiralled into the country’s latest fake news scandal ahead of next year’s presidential polls and bruised a former army general’s ambitions to unseat incumbent Joko Widodo. The bizarre case began last month when former actress Ratna Sarumpaet, 69, a member of ex-general Prabowo Subianto’s campaign team, told family that her swollen face and eyes were the result of a politically motivated attack. Ratna claimed that... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/2168391/face-fake-news-plastic-surgery-hoax-becomes-latest-disinformation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/2168391/face-fake-news-plastic-surgery-hoax-becomes-latest-disinformation?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Oct 2018 03:30:30 +0000 ‘I came here to find love, but it’s not with you, Bachelor … sorry’ Television franchise The Bachelor has had its fair share of dramatic moments the world over but Vietnam’s version this week may have taken the rose for best twist. During a rose ceremony, in which the eligible bachelor keeps or eliminates the female contestants vying for his affections, one of the women, Minh Thu, said she had fallen in love with a fellow competitor Truc Nhu instead. Subtitled video of the ceremony, which... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2166198/unlucky-week-vietnams-bachelor-and-its-elephants?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2166198/unlucky-week-vietnams-bachelor-and-its-elephants?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Sep 2018 08:51:43 +0000 Anger at move to end Muslim practice of triple talaq divorces in India India moved to end a Muslim practice in which men can divorce their wives by saying so three times. The government on Wednesday approved an ordinance to implement a Supreme Court ruling that found “triple talaq” violated the rights of Muslim women. Most of the 170 million Muslims in India are Sunnis governed by the Muslim Personal Law for family matters and disputes, which includes allowing men to divorce by simply uttering... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2165197/maids-sale-singapore-and-japanese-punk-headed-space?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2165197/maids-sale-singapore-and-japanese-punk-headed-space?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Sep 2018 11:19:23 +0000 Singapore’s anti-gay laws face challenge as India celebrates ruling A Singapore DJ has filed a court challenge against a colonial-era law that bans gay sex in the conservative city state following India’s scrapping of similar legislation. Johnson Ong Ming, 43, also known as DJ Big Kid, filed his challenge with the High Court on Monday, his lawyers said, just four days after India’s landmark ruling. Under Section 377A of Singapore’s Penal Code, a man found to have committed an act of “gross... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2164238/singapores-gay-laws-are-nuts-sri-lankan-president-does-his-nut?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2164238/singapores-gay-laws-are-nuts-sri-lankan-president-does-his-nut?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Sep 2018 11:11:18 +0000 India soars above global average in hiring female airline pilots India has flown past the rest of the world in recruiting female pilots. According to the International Society of Women Airline Pilots, India has the highest proportion of female commercial pilots in the world, at 12 per cent, despite the country’s patriarchal society, which typically frowns on women in such jobs. The figure is twice as high as in most Western countries, including the United States and Australia. Globally, less... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2163207/asia-3-minutes-killer-rat-fever-and-high-flying-women-india?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2163207/asia-3-minutes-killer-rat-fever-and-high-flying-women-india?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Sep 2018 12:07:42 +0000 Nationwide coffee ban to take the edge off at South Korean schools South Korea is set to ban the sale of coffee in schools to promote healthier choices. All vending machines and kiosks in primary and secondary schools will stop selling coffee products by September 14, the food and drug ministry said. “The revision aims to create healthy eating habits among children and teenagers,” a ministry official said, according to a report in the Korea Times. South Koreans drink about 181 cups of coffee a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2162281/asia-3-minutes-south-korea-decaffeinates-schools-lgbt-caning?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2162281/asia-3-minutes-south-korea-decaffeinates-schools-lgbt-caning?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Aug 2018 11:12:05 +0000 Bad boys of Japanese basketball score – but nobody’s much impressed Four Japanese basketball players have been punished and sent back home for buying sex while participating in the 18th Asian Games, the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) said. The four players, Yuya Nagayoshi, 27, Takuya Hashimoto, 23, Takuma Sato, 23, and Keita Imamura, 22, reportedly went to a Japanese restaurant in Jakarta to have dinner following their team’s victory on August 16, wearing their team uniforms. They left the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2161195/missing-radioactive-isotope-malaysia-morals-japanese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2161195/missing-radioactive-isotope-malaysia-morals-japanese?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Aug 2018 10:45:11 +0000 Troublesome orangutan logo causes rethink at Malaysia’s tourism office Malaysia’s new government will change an official tourism logo featuring an orangutan wearing sunglasses after it sparked a storm of mockery. The “Visit Malaysia 2020” logo has an image of the orangutan with its arm around a proboscis monkey, a picture of a turtle – also sporting sunglasses – and multicoloured, uneven lettering. It was released in January as part of a campaign to attract more tourists to the tropical... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2160262/mascot-makes-monkey-malaysia-sex-toy-flops-india?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2160262/mascot-makes-monkey-malaysia-sex-toy-flops-india?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Aug 2018 12:51:16 +0000 Indonesian shaman accused of keeping girl as sex slave for 15 years An elderly village witch doctor in Indonesia entrapped a 12-year-old girl and tricked her into having sex with him for the next 15 years by claiming to be possessed by the “jin”, or spirit of a young boy, police said. Acting on a tip-off, police said they found the woman, who was now aged 28, in a rocky crevice in a jungle near Bajugan village where she had been held during the day since her disappearance in 2003. Central... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2159222/asia-3-minutes-sex-fiend-shaman-indonesia-money-laundering-monk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2159222/asia-3-minutes-sex-fiend-shaman-indonesia-money-laundering-monk?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Aug 2018 11:32:04 +0000 Hands down, new Vietnam attraction is the coolest bridge in Asia In the forested hills of central Vietnam two giant concrete hands emerge from the trees, holding up a glimmering golden bridge crowded with gleeful visitors taking photos. The country’s latest eccentric tourist attraction is designed to make visitors feel like they are strolling on a shimmering thread stretching across the hands of gods. Cau Vang, which means “Golden Bridge”, has attracted hordes of guests since it opened in the Ba... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2158224/asia-3-minutes-suicide-surge-singapore-goat-rapists-run-india?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2158224/asia-3-minutes-suicide-surge-singapore-goat-rapists-run-india?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Aug 2018 12:18:09 +0000 Put away the sword and throwing stars, Iga doesn’t need Ninjas after all A major misunderstanding has led aspiring ninjas from around the world to inundate the city of Iga with inquiries about work opportunities after an interview with a local official was lost in translation. Famous for being the home of the feudal mercenary group, the city in western Japan was forced to issue a statement in English, Japanese and three other languages on Tuesday saying it was not recruiting ninja performers.... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2157224/asia-3-minutes-no-appetite-ninjas-japan-tasty-looking-dogs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2157224/asia-3-minutes-no-appetite-ninjas-japan-tasty-looking-dogs?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Jul 2018 12:47:39 +0000 Elon Musk ‘apologises’ for calling Thai cave rescuer a ‘pedo’ on Twitter Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk apologised to a Briton who helped rescue a group of boys and their soccer coach from a cave in Thailand, after calling him a “pedo” on Twitter. Vernon Unsworth had said he was considering legal action and was “astonished and very angry” about the slur. Musk deleted the offending tweet, which was made after Unsworth questioned the usefulness of a mini-submarine Musk offered to help the rescue,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2156219/asia-3-minutes-elon-musks-apology-doesnt-go-far-enough-japans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2156219/asia-3-minutes-elon-musks-apology-doesnt-go-far-enough-japans?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Jul 2018 12:10:56 +0000 Mysterious ‘Province of China’ banners appear in the Philippines Banners calling the Philippines a “province of China” mysteriously appeared on bridges in Manila on Thursday, sparking fury on social media on what was the second anniversary of Manila’s victory over Beijing in a landmark arbitration case. The terms “province of China” and “South China Sea” trended prominently on Twitter, while news reports of the sudden appearance of the red tarpaulin banners along major thoroughfares generated... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2155120/asia-3-minutes-welcome-philippines-china-indian-man-cuts-short?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2155120/asia-3-minutes-welcome-philippines-china-indian-man-cuts-short?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Jul 2018 10:19:05 +0000 Trump really wants Kim to hear Elton John’s ‘Rocket Man’ US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is rumoured to be delivering a copy of Elton John’s song Rocket Man to Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang at the latest round of nuclear talks. The gift playfully refers to a low point in relations between the North Korean leader and US President Donald Trump, who memorably turned the song’s title into an epithet after the North stepped up its missile tests last year. Quoting unnamed sources in Washington, South... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2154088/asia-3-minutes-pompeo-has-rocket-man-his-pocket-kim-jong-un?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2154088/asia-3-minutes-pompeo-has-rocket-man-his-pocket-kim-jong-un?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Jul 2018 12:55:33 +0000 Blogger killed by troll after giving lecture on settling online disputes A well-known Japanese blogger has been stabbed to death by an internet user he had argued with, soon after giving a talk on “how to manage disputes online”. Kenichiro Okamoto, known as Hagex, was reportedly followed to the toilets and stabbed several times in the back after a conference in Fukuoka, southwestern Japan, according to local media. According to his blog, the 41-year-old wanted to “share his experiences about... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2153092/asia-3-minutes-dispute-expert-killed-dispute-malaysia-mosque?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2153092/asia-3-minutes-dispute-expert-killed-dispute-malaysia-mosque?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Jun 2018 10:45:46 +0000 South Korea loses taste for dog meat as court paves way for ban A South Korean court this week ruled the killing of dogs for meat is illegal in a decision that rights activists hope will pave the way for legislation. Animal rights group Care last year filed complaints against a dog farm operator in Bucheon, accusing him of “killing animals without proper reasons”, and prosecutors later charged him. In convicting the farm operator, the court ruled meat consumption was not a legal reason to kill... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2151979/asia-3-minutes-farewell-legal-dog-meat-korea-and-australias?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2151979/asia-3-minutes-farewell-legal-dog-meat-korea-and-australias?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Jun 2018 12:27:46 +0000 Viral photo of bird with beak bound by plastic ring leads to its rescue A bird that had its beak sealed shut by a plastic ring, captivating social media with its plight, has been rescued in India. A photo of the male black-necked stork spread on bird forums and gained international attention. A birder named Manoj Nair took the photo in a wetland in Gurgaon, a suburb of New Delhi. After the image was posted online, birders and wildlife officials mounted a frantic search for the bird, which was... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2151076/asia-3-minutes-japan-finds-dead-man-walking-australians-dress?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2151076/asia-3-minutes-japan-finds-dead-man-walking-australians-dress?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Jun 2018 11:59:09 +0000 Drone brolly uses artificial intelligence to hover above user A Japanese company is on the cusp of solving that age-old problem of never having enough hands to carry the shopping and unlock the car door because you are holding an umbrella to keep the rain off: a hybrid drone-umbrella that uses artificial intelligence to hover just above a user’s head. Asahi Power Service is presently putting a series of drone-powered parasols through their paces at its research facility in Tochigi Prefecture,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2149863/asia-3-minutes-umbrella-revolution-japan-spiderman-comes-unstuck?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2149863/asia-3-minutes-umbrella-revolution-japan-spiderman-comes-unstuck?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Jun 2018 10:07:44 +0000 Hong Kong’s own Kim impersonator turns heads in Singapore Surprised Singaporeans pursued North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Sunday before realising the portly man with slick black hair near the Marina Bay Sands hotel was an impersonator. “It looked like the real Kim Jong-un, but later I realised it’s not the real one,” said Sagar Admuthe who was visiting from Mumbai, India, after several selfies with the doppleganger against a backdrop of the city’s bay. “When you see him, it’s very difficult to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2148673/asia-3-minutes-kim-jong-un-arrives-singapore-he-wrongun?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2148673/asia-3-minutes-kim-jong-un-arrives-singapore-he-wrongun?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Jun 2018 05:21:17 +0000 Celebrities call on Indonesia to lose its taste for dog and cat meat Musicians, actors and television personalities this week urged Indonesian President Joko Widodo to ban the “brutal” trade in dog and cat meat for human consumption. A letter from campaign group Dog Meat-Free Indonesia said Indonesia would improve its reputation and be “celebrated” if it joined other nations in banning the trade. “These animals, many of them stolen pets, are subjected to crude and brutal methods of capture,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2147880/asia-3-minutes-indonesia-scolded-dog-meat-trade-cambodia-grilled?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2147880/asia-3-minutes-indonesia-scolded-dog-meat-trade-cambodia-grilled?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 May 2018 13:13:10 +0000 Chinese tourists make a splash in Vietnam with South China Sea T-shirts A photo of Chinese tourists wearing T-shirts depicting Beijing’s claims to the disputed South China Sea has sparked online anger in Vietnam, prompting calls for the visitors to be deported. The shirts featured a map of China and its nine-dash line – the sea boundary found on some 1940s-era maps which Beijing says proves its claim to most of the waterway, despite partial claims from Vietnam and other nations. The territorial... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2146782/asia-3-minutes-naughty-chinese-tourists-vietnam-naughty-monkeys?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2146782/asia-3-minutes-naughty-chinese-tourists-vietnam-naughty-monkeys?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 May 2018 12:35:33 +0000 Japan’s airports have a problem with bags and they’re blaming Chinese Japan airports are struggling to keep up with the number of suitcases discarded by travellers. An estimated 15.5 million foreign travellers transited through Narita International Airport, east of Tokyo, last year, with authorities collecting 250 suitcases. Osaka’s Kansai International Airport officials found 258 abandoned suitcases while another 287 were left at Chubu Airport and 100 were dumped at Shin-Chitose Airport. A... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2145792/asia-3-minutes-chinese-bags-and-israeli-puddings-cause-stir?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2145792/asia-3-minutes-chinese-bags-and-israeli-puddings-cause-stir?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 May 2018 12:48:55 +0000 Malaysia’s anti-graft board game replaces Monopoly with Kleptopoly A new Malaysian board game based on “Monopoly” is making a timely statement about the 1MDB scandal ahead of the general election. “Kleptopoly” features a motley crew of figures central to the controversy and items allegedly bought with money looted from the state fund. Designed by an anti-graft watchdog, “Kleptopoly” sees players move tokens around a board and pick up high-end properties, with the richest – but least corrupt –... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2144744/asia-3-minutes-anyone-game-kleptopoly-malaysia-and-if-you?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2144744/asia-3-minutes-anyone-game-kleptopoly-malaysia-and-if-you?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 May 2018 10:35:43 +0000 Dessert at landmark Korean summit is hard to digest in Tokyo A mango mousse that was on the menu for Friday’s summit between the leaders of North and South Korea caused a stir in Tokyo – because it featured a map of the Korean peninsula that included islands Japan claims as its own. The mousse, subtitled “Spring of the People” in a publicity photo for the dinner between the South’s President Moon Jae-in and the North’s Kim Jong-un featured the islands known as Takeshima in Japan and Dokdo in... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2143700/asia-3-minutes-korea-summit-dessert-leaves-sour-taste-japanese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2143700/asia-3-minutes-korea-summit-dessert-leaves-sour-taste-japanese?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Apr 2018 09:43:35 +0000 Would you elect someone who looked for a plane with a ‘magic’ carpet? A shaman who drew ridicule by trying to locate the missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370 with coconuts and a “magic” carpet announced this week he will run in next month’s elections. Ibrahim Mat Zin – known as “Raja Bomoh”, which translates as “King of Shamans” – will contest a parliamentary seat in the northern state of Perak. After MH370 disappeared in 2014 with 239 people aboard, Ibrahim held rituals at Kuala Lumpur airport... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2142584/asia-3-minutes-malaysian-shaman-russian-sex-guru-week-asian?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2142584/asia-3-minutes-malaysian-shaman-russian-sex-guru-week-asian?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Apr 2018 10:25:13 +0000 Bangkok cafe offers customers a ‘taste of death’ with their coffee Dying for a cup of coffee? You will feel right at home at Bangkok’s new “death awareness” cafe, a macabre, Buddhist spin on the themed-cafe craze where customers are urged to confront their own mortality – and live better lives as a result. With drinks called “death” and “painful” on the menu and a skeleton splayed out on a couch in the corner, the meet-your-maker theme is alive and well at this open-air lunch spot. But the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2141676/asia-3-minutes-would-you-brave-thailands-coffin-cafe-or-tell-kim?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2141676/asia-3-minutes-would-you-brave-thailands-coffin-cafe-or-tell-kim?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Apr 2018 12:06:41 +0000 In China, the equivalents of Russian oligarchs are known as “big crocs”. True to their monikers, they enjoy lurking in shadows and pulling strings below the surface. Rising through the booming but corruption-ridden 1990s and 2010s, they have deliberately kept their business background vague and business empires opaque, which have lent a dash of mystery to their legendary standings in China’s private sector. Almost without exceptions, they boast impeccable political connections, often directly to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2140667/its-now-open-season-big-crocs-why-xi-targets-chinas-particular?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2140667/its-now-open-season-big-crocs-why-xi-targets-chinas-particular?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Apr 2018 04:47:43 +0000 That stings! Soju mixed with wasps is becoming a concern in South Korea South Korean authorities have warned people who enjoy a rare flavour of soju not to mix wasps into their drinks. Mixing the insects into the nation's favourite alcohol is believed to be good for high blood pressure and diabetes. Some people add other critters, such as centipedes and earthworms, to concoct their own soju health tonics. An illegal wasp-based soju shop in Hwaseong was found in February, according to South... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2140567/asia-3-minutes-be-careful-deer-japan-they-bite-and-booze-korea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2140567/asia-3-minutes-be-careful-deer-japan-they-bite-and-booze-korea?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Apr 2018 13:10:41 +0000 Pakistan’s first transgender anchor hails ‘unprecedented support’ A Pakistani TV channel has put the country’s first transgender news anchor on the air, a watershed cultural moment for the marginalised community in the deeply conservative country. Marvia Malik, a former model who appeared on the Lahore-based private broadcaster Kohenoor for the first time, said she has received “unprecedented love and support” since landing the job. “My family never accepted or owned me,” she said, adding that... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2139702/asia-3-minutes-good-job-news-koreas-nut-rage-heiress-japanese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2139702/asia-3-minutes-good-job-news-koreas-nut-rage-heiress-japanese?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Mar 2018 14:22:30 +0000 Songkran festival is no time to dress sexy, Thailand warns women Authorities in Thailand are telling women to avoid dressing in “sexy” outfits in an effort to prevent sexual harassment and sex assault cases during next month’s Songkran festival. Sutthipong Chulcharoen, director general of the Department of Local Administration, said local bodies would arrange alcohol-free zones for revellers and launch campaigns to encourage tourists, particularly women, to dress appropriately so they do not... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2138643/asia-3-minutes-dont-dress-sexy-thailands-songkran-water-festival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2138643/asia-3-minutes-dont-dress-sexy-thailands-songkran-water-festival?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Mar 2018 09:32:47 +0000 Doctors in India suspended after patient used lost leg for pillow Indian authorities have suspended two doctors and launched an investigation after a patient’s severed leg was used as a pillow to prop up his head. Administrators at the public hospital in Uttar Pradesh vowed “strict action” after images appeared online of a patient on a stretcher with his amputated limb being used as a headrest. “We have set up a four-member committee to find out who put the severed leg under the patient’s head,”... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2137529/asia-3-minutes-japan-scandalised-free-boobs-youtube-india?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2137529/asia-3-minutes-japan-scandalised-free-boobs-youtube-india?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Mar 2018 09:00:45 +0000 Land of a Thousand insults: Thailand angry at Gambia for sex tourism label Gambia has apologised to Thailand after its foreign minister said the country was a haven for sex tourists, sparking a strongly worded protest from Bangkok. Hamat Bah said on state television in January that Gambia, a sunny beach destination favoured by Western tourists especially from Scandinavia, was losing out to nearby Cabo Verde after gaining a reputation as a sex haven. “The fact is that this country’s image has... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2136386/asia-3-minutes-bad-week-genghis-khan-thailands-reputation-shape?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2136386/asia-3-minutes-bad-week-genghis-khan-thailands-reputation-shape?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Mar 2018 09:02:10 +0000 Thais arrest 10 Russians for holding sex training classes in Pattaya Thai police arrested 10 Russians suspected of running sex training courses in the seaside resort city of Pattaya. Authorities said 33 Russian tourists attended the class held at a hotel, but only the “instructors” were arrested on Sunday. “The hotel management said they had no details on the event but they booked it for a seminar and training,” a Pattaya tourist police official said. Police also found white T-shirts with the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2135317/asia-3-minutes-things-avoid-mario-kart-tours-japan-russian-sex?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2135317/asia-3-minutes-things-avoid-mario-kart-tours-japan-russian-sex?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Mar 2018 04:13:04 +0000 The ‘proof’ is in the Poo: Thai building tycoon pinched for animal poaching Thai officials are testing human faeces found at a campsite in a wildlife sanctuary to try to prove their case against a tycoon accused of illegal poaching. Construction magnate Premchai Karnasuta has denied poaching charges against him and three others. They were arrested this month in Thungyai Naresuan national park, where rangers stumbled upon their camp and found illegal guns and animal carcasses. The slain animals... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2134467/asia-3-minutes-tycoon-runs-afoul-law-thailand-new-law-protects?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2134467/asia-3-minutes-tycoon-runs-afoul-law-thailand-new-law-protects?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Feb 2018 15:06:37 +0000 Get your head around this: Japanese scientists in baldness breakthrough Polished pates and thinning thatches may one day be a thing of the past, thanks to Japanese scientists who have developed a way to grow hair follicles at a record rate. Their study used two kinds of cells placed in silicone containers to cultivate “hair follicle germs” – the sources of the tiny organs that grow and sustain hair. Led by professor Junji Fukuda at the Yokohama National University, the team managed to cultivate... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2132745/asia-3-minutes-good-week-bald-men-japan-and-menstrual-man-india?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2132745/asia-3-minutes-good-week-bald-men-japan-and-menstrual-man-india?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Feb 2018 12:51:59 +0000 VietJet says sorry for bikini stunt involving South Korean footballers Vietnamese budget airline VietJet has apologised for using scantily clad flight attendants to serve South Korea’s under-23 football team. VietJet CEO Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao apologised over the “impromptu celebration” for the young players, who secured a historic second place at the Asian Football Confederation U23 Championship under the leadership of Korean manager Park Hang-seo. This came after photos of the flight... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2131792/asia-3-minutes-frogs-legs-hit-china-sexy-legs-not-so-much?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2131792/asia-3-minutes-frogs-legs-hit-china-sexy-legs-not-so-much?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Feb 2018 12:22:27 +0000 Camels disqualified from Saudi beauty pageant for getting ‘Botox’ injections A dozen camels were disqualified from an annual beauty contest in Saudi Arabia for having cosmetic botulinum injections. Local media reported a vet had been caught giving the animals Botox-like injections before the contest, and then performing cosmetic surgery on them at the event. The King Abdulaziz camel festival carries a tempting US$31.8 million in total prize money. Ali al-Mazrouei, the son of an Emirati camel... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2130773/asia-3-minutes-saudis-beauty-show-camels-banned-botox-japan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2130773/asia-3-minutes-saudis-beauty-show-camels-banned-botox-japan?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Jan 2018 12:05:27 +0000 Malaysian sultan channels Fred Flintstone with new car Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar of Johor, one of Malaysia’s most powerful and wealthiest state rulers, was given a life-size replica of Fred Flintstone’s car from the classic cartoon. The car, which has an engine so he will not have to power it with his regal feet, was a belated birthday gift from a fellow high-ranking royal. The iconic vehicle from The Flintstones, the sultan’s favourite cartoon, is an accurate likeness of the original, with... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2129751/asia-3-minutes-yabba-dabba-doo-sultans-flintstone-car-yabba?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2129751/asia-3-minutes-yabba-dabba-doo-sultans-flintstone-car-yabba?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Jan 2018 14:10:14 +0000 Reuters journalists charged with colonial-era secrets law in Myanmar Two Reuters journalists were charged in Myanmar this week with violating a colonial-era secrecy law, and now face 14 years’ jail if found guilty. Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were arrested on December 12 after police accused them of acquiring “important secret papers” from two officers who had worked in Rakhine state, where Myanmar forces are blamed for rights abuses against Rohingya Muslims – a conflict that triggered a mass exodus... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2128040/asia-3-minutes-song-bitcoins-japan-cardboard-cutout-thai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2128040/asia-3-minutes-song-bitcoins-japan-cardboard-cutout-thai?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Jan 2018 12:16:08 +0000 Thais take skin whitening to new high – or low – with latest phallic fad A Bangkok clinic that has drawn 100 men a month to its penis whitening service has caused a stir in Thailand, with social media users both baffled and alarmed by the phallic fad. The Lelux Hospital, renowned for its body whitening expertise in a country obsessed with skin colour, began offering the unconventional treatment six months ago after a male customer complained of “dark parts” on his groin. The procedure, which... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2127046/asia-3-minutes-penis-whitening-rage-thailand-killers-rage-india?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2127046/asia-3-minutes-penis-whitening-rage-thailand-killers-rage-india?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Jan 2018 11:57:56 +0000 Cambodians come to Hong Kong to meet the increasing demand for helpers Cambodia on Wednesday sent its first batch of maids to work in Hong Kong, which is scrambling to meet growing demand for domestic helpers after a series of abuse scandals. Hong Kong is home to more than 300,000 foreign maids, mostly from the Philippines and Indonesia. But high-profile cases of abuse and forced labour have made headlines in recent years and threatened to stem the tide of migrant helpers. Hong Kong has turned... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2126204/asia-3-minutes-help-way-hong-kongs-elderly-and-gruesome?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2126204/asia-3-minutes-help-way-hong-kongs-elderly-and-gruesome?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Dec 2017 14:52:09 +0000 India pins hopes for cleaner air on a ‘smog cannon’ India has unveiled a new weapon against air pollution – an “anti-smog gun” that authorities hope will clear the skies above New Delhi but which environmentalists say amounts to a band-aid solution. The cannon’s Indian manufacturers say the fine droplets of water it ejects at high speed can flush out deadly airborne pollutants in one of the world’s smoggiest capitals. The giant mister – shaped like a hair dryer and mounted on the back of a truck... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2125478/asia-3-minutes-indias-smog-cannon-south-koreas-nut-rage-saga-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2125478/asia-3-minutes-indias-smog-cannon-south-koreas-nut-rage-saga-and?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Dec 2017 13:00:00 +0000 Duterte gets landslide legislative victory to extend martial law Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte won another year of martial law for Mindanao after the country’s congress voted overwhelmingly to approve the control until December 2018. It came after the military warned that terrorist threats continue in the region where pro-Islamic State militants staged a bloody five-month siege, which left the city of Marawi devastated. Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said militants were now trying to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2124390/asia-3-minutes-no-civilian-rule-mindanao-no-condom-ads-india-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2124390/asia-3-minutes-no-civilian-rule-mindanao-no-condom-ads-india-and?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Dec 2017 13:15:14 +0000 Narutu the grinning, selfie-taking macaque is named ‘person of the year’ An Indonesian monkey who shot to fame after it snapped a grinning selfie – and sparked a landmark US copyright case – was named “Person of the Year” by the animal rights group that took on the simian’s cause. The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) said it was honouring Naruto, a crested black macaque with a goofy-looking grin, to recognise that “he is someone, not something”. In 2011, the monkey pressed the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2123369/asia-3-minutes-indonesias-selfie-taking-simian-laughing-all-way?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2123369/asia-3-minutes-indonesias-selfie-taking-simian-laughing-all-way?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Dec 2017 10:20:53 +0000 No day off on Kim Jong-un’s birthday – again, calendar shows North Koreans wanting to celebrate the birthday of their leader Kim Jong-un will have to do it at work next year. A North Korean calendar for 2018 does not mark Monday, January 8, his birthday, as a national holiday. North Koreans know that the date is the birthday of the current leader. But the year he was born is a state secret. It is believed he was born in 1983 or 1984. What next? Since he became leader, Kim’s birthday has never... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2122317/asia-3-minutes-no-rest-weary-north-korea-no-sympathy-us-tourists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2122317/asia-3-minutes-no-rest-weary-north-korea-no-sympathy-us-tourists?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Dec 2017 12:00:15 +0000 Mongolian sumo champions involved in brutal drunken brawl Police in Japan have launched an inquiry into claims sumo grand champion Harumafuji assaulted fellow Mongolian competitor Takanoiwa during a drunken brawl in October that left the victim with serious injuries and unable to compete. Harumafuji was drinking with about 10 other sumo wrestlers in Tottori, western Japan, when he hit Takanoiwa with a beer bottle for looking at his smartphone while he was being scolded for his behaviour.... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2120432/asia-3-minutes-dont-go-boozing-sumo-japan-or-begging-ivanka?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2120432/asia-3-minutes-dont-go-boozing-sumo-japan-or-begging-ivanka?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Nov 2017 12:30:45 +0000 It’s all Kim as North Korea dominates Trump’s whistle-stop tour of Asia It was a busy week for diplomacy as US President Donald Trump set off on his whirlwind tour of Asia, which brought out the pomp and flattery rarely gifted to other world leaders. JAPAN Starting in Tokyo, marching bands and endless red carpets greeted the US leader to the Akasaka Palace, as Trump and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe kicked off talks on trade and dealing with troublesome neighbour North Korea. By the end, Abe... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2119401/asia-3-minutes-swell-time-trump-asia-overtime-ballers-china-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/asia-buzz/article/2119401/asia-3-minutes-swell-time-trump-asia-overtime-ballers-china-home?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Nov 2017 14:55:02 +0000