This Week in Asia /
Lifestyle & Culture
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K-pop, Mandopop and other Asian pop
Asia travel
Fame and celebrity
Malaysia
Paws for thought: Malaysian mall reverses pet-friendly policy after uproar
The reversal comes after videos of a dog being wheeled through the mall in a trolley stirred anger in the Muslim-majority country.
18 Dec 2025 - 7:08PM
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South Korea
Viral golden logo find turns old AC units into hot property in South Korea
18 Dec 2025 - 2:41PM
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Australia
Why Southeast Asia’s move to protect children online may fuel state surveillance
18 Dec 2025 - 5:29PM
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South Korea
‘It’s all in English now’: South Koreans fall out of love with K-pop
Long-time listeners say the genre has lost its identity, with English lyrics and shorter tracks alienating the local fan base.
14 Dec 2025 - 8:00AM
Members of K-pop act BTS attend the 2022 Grammy Awards in Las Vegas. Photo: TNS
Malaysia
Southeast Asia’s rich buy sky garages while the middle class lose their homes
As wealthy buyers seek penthouses with living-room supercar parking, struggling families battle banks to keep a roof overhead.
15 Dec 2025 - 3:32PM
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India
In India, tycoon’s call to adopt ‘996’ work culture in China spurs debate
India’s parliament is debating a new law to allow staff the ‘right to disconnect’ from workplace communications after their official hours.
12 Dec 2025 - 5:56PM
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Japan
Japan’s English skills crash to record low, behind Laos and Vietnam
Outdated teaching methods and the rise of language translation apps have made most Japanese less inclined to learn English, educators say.
12 Dec 2025 - 8:00AM
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Japanese schoolchildren cross a street in Tokyo. English proficiency is dropping in Japan, a fact that some critics are attributing to outdated teaching methods. Photo: AFP
The Philippines
Brutal dog killing in Philippines sparks outrage, calls for tougher protections
Viral footage of Axle the dog’s shocking death has galvanised the country’s animal activists to demand harsh legal repercussions.
11 Dec 2025 - 9:12PM
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Indonesia
Airbnb ban in Bali? Indonesia says no, but crackdown on illegal stays looms
Bali’s governor wants to ban the online platform but the island’s problems with illegal rentals go beyond Airbnb, critics say.
11 Dec 2025 - 10:51PM
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Singapore
As more department stores in Singapore struggle, can they adapt and survive?
The closure of more Isetan outlets comes in the wake of brands like Robinsons, Daimaru and SOGO that have ceased operations in Singapore.
11 Dec 2025 - 6:16PM
South Korea
‘Wanted to make her ugly’: South Korean man arrested over scalding of partner
Police were called in after the couple went to hospital for treatment, raising suspicions of assault.
11 Dec 2025 - 5:47PM
The woman shown with gauze on her face on December 3 suffered second-degree burns. Photo: Nnutt Aaomsin
South Korea
Shaman rumours resurface as South Korea returns to Blue House
After Yoon Suk-yeol wasted millions on a move critics linked to fortune-tellers, the presidential office is returning to its historic home.
10 Dec 2025 - 8:22AM
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Malaysia
Gotta pay ’em all: Singapore Pokemon card bust sparks Malaysia customs warning
Malaysia’s customs chief reminds citizens about undeclared goods, saying personal items are ‘not a magic spell for duty-free immunity’.
9 Dec 2025 - 5:21PM
South Korea
South Korea torn as crime-fighting actor quits over criminal past
Cho Jin-woong has quit acting after a decades-old robbery conviction shattered a public image built playing morally upright heroes.
9 Dec 2025 - 5:19PM
Nepal
‘Like a market’: Chinese marriage brokers hunt for brides in Nepal
China’s bachelor crisis meets Nepal’s poverty in a trade that blurs the lines between arranged marriage and coercion.
9 Dec 2025 - 2:36PM
A screenshot of a WeChat account that posts videos of Nepali girls and hosts live streams. Photo: Handout
Japan
AI-powered hunt for manga pirates as Japan seeks to recover wind in its sales
Piracy costs publishers an estimated US$55 billion a year, forcing a hi-tech shift to protect a sector aiming to rival car exports by 2033.
8 Dec 2025 - 1:13PM
Japan
Japan’s youth are now the most hostile to immigration, survey finds
Observers say daily exposure to overcrowding and disruptive behaviour in urban centres has made young adults the most resistant to change.
8 Dec 2025 - 5:09PM
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Thailand
‘Everyone gets a cut’: why Southeast Asia’s scam industry refuses to die
Authorities are seizing assets and raiding compounds, but analysts warn the clumsy crackdown is merely scattering syndicates to new hideouts.
8 Dec 2025 - 9:51AM
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A woman counts US dollars and Japanese yen banknotes in Phnom Penh. Scam money’s reach extends far beyond the Mekong. Photo: AFP
Singapore
In race for tourists, Singapore pumps up appeal with push into fitness events
High-octane competitions like Hyrox and the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon are helping drive more visitors to the city state.
7 Dec 2025 - 2:30PM
Malaysia
Malaysians swap hotels for RVs to drive down holiday costs
Rentals are up 200 per cent, with families finding a six-berth campervan more affordable than booking seaside resorts.
7 Dec 2025 - 12:06PM
Japan
Can Japan find space for Muslim burials? Not if right-wing rhetoric prevails
A viral video showing a Sanseito MP telling foreign residents to cremate their dead or ship them home spotlights discomfort with diversity.
7 Dec 2025 - 8:00AM
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Indonesia
Jakarta vs the internet: Indonesia’s gamble with digital freedom
As the government demands global tech firms like Cloudflare bend to its will, critics say it’s ‘burning the rice barn to kill the rats’.
8 Dec 2025 - 10:17AM
Young men play online games and surf the internet at a cyber cafe in Jakarta last month. Photo: AFP
Japan
One-Punch Man and the human cost of Japan and South Korea’s soft power
Behind the multibillion-dollar export boom lies a hidden crisis of low wages, 60-hour work weeks and unliveable pressure on invisible staff.
6 Dec 2025 - 12:00PM
Singapore
Singapore organisers in limbo over work visa ban on foreign performers
A scheme allowing foreign performers to work up to six months at public entertainment outlets in Singapore will end, following ‘widespread abuse’.
6 Dec 2025 - 2:55PM
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Singapore
‘Better late than never’: Singapore parents laud curbs on phone use in schools
The city state is among countries that have stepped up measures to curb screen time and tighten social media restrictions for adolescents.
5 Dec 2025 - 5:47PM
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