Advertisement

Advertisement

This Week in Asia /

Lifestyle & Culture

Related Topics:

K-pop, Mandopop and other Asian pop

Fame and celebrity

Rescene members (from left) Zena, May, Minami, Woni and Liv. Photos: Instagram/rescene_official

The underdog girl group putting the ‘K’ back in K-pop

While major labels chase global fame, Rescene won over South Korea by putting local culture front and centre.

25 Jul 2026 - 11:00AM

Millions visit Japan, yet few venture north of Tokyo. Here’s why

25 Jul 2026 - 3:21PM

Younger Singaporean men less averse to spousal violence: study

23 Jul 2026 - 5:27PM

Are Chinese tourists really to blame for overcrowding Japan’s Kyoto?

Data from the Kyoto City Tourism Association shows a sharp decline in Chinese overnight stays as a result of growing bilateral tensions.

21 Jul 2026 - 8:00AMvideocam

Tourists crowd a street lined with blooming cherry blossom trees in Kyoto, Japan, in March. Photo: Reuters

Beggar’s banquet: South Korea’s viral app helps youth find cheap meals

South Korea’s youth unemployment rate reached 7.4 per cent in the first quarter of 2026 – the highest since 2021.

20 Jul 2026 - 8:00AM

‘Gateway to Asean’: South Korea bets on Vietnam hub for food expansion

Vietnam will be positioned as a logistics and distribution base aimed at growing demand for South Korean food products across the region.

17 Jul 2026 - 3:11PM

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

The Philippines

Philippines’ iconic jeepneys sputter up a costly climb to go electric

Observers point to the high costs of owning an e-jeepney and a lack of government support in enabling the electric shift.

16 Jul 2026 - 4:39PM

A petrol station worker prepares to refuel a jeepney in Quezon City, the Philippines, in March. Photo: EPA

Indonesia’s anti-LGBT education push raises concerns about stigmatising youth

Critics warn the new material to discourage the spread of ‘LGBT culture’ could backfire with consequences for young people.

14 Jul 2026 - 7:17PM

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.

14 Jul 2026 - 12:35PM

South Korean ticket touts to face the music when new penalties come into play

From August 28, authorities can impose fines of up to 50 times the resale price of a ticket, a sharp rise from the current US$6,600 maximum.

12 Jul 2026 - 10:30AM

K-pop group BTS performs in central Seoul on March 21. Photo: Reuters

At Indonesia’s sharia frontier, a complicated love affair with flogging

Rights groups call it torture. Aceh’s residents reveal a more nuanced debate than outrage allows.

11 Jul 2026 - 12:00PM

A man convicted of having sex outside marriage receives 100 lashes from a member of the sharia police during a public caning in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, on May 21. Photo: AFP

‘Grading own homework’: is Indonesia outsourcing online safety to tech giants?

Without a regulator, Indonesia’s child online safety rules require digital platforms to assess and remove underage accounts themselves.

9 Jul 2026 - 5:00PMvideocam

Do Singapore ministers watch films? Joke raises hackles amid dialect debate

The culture minister’s quip about being too busy to go to the cinema has some critics jumping up from their seats.

10 Jul 2026 - 9:13AMvideocam

Chinese tourist’s World Cup flag blunder in Malaysia goes viral

The visitor demanded a hotel fly China’s flag, unaware the display only featured nations that had actually qualified for the tournament.

7 Jul 2026 - 1:50PM

A still from a social media video shows a Chinese tourist at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, irate about the absence of China’s national flag from a World Cup display. Photo: Threads

Singapore’s Carousell eyes ‘bigger leap ahead’ after profitability milestone

Co-founder Marcus Tan says he is ‘excited about the growth ahead’ as years of investment in user experience begin to pay off.

7 Jul 2026 - 10:28AM

Carousell co-founder Marcus Tan points to a Kodak carousel projector, gifted to them by a platform user, on display in the company’s Singapore office. Photo: Jean Iau

South Korea’s World Cup loss spurs anger over ‘cartel’ of elites, favouritism

From the president to football fans, South Koreans are asking whether unfairness lies behind the national team’s World Cup collapse.

5 Jul 2026 - 10:52AMvideocam

Beyond F1: how Malaysia is reliving its motorsports dreams overseas

Younger drivers like Hayden Haikal and Alister Yoong are forging a path for themselves overseas, but not without a dose of realism.

4 Jul 2026 - 10:00AM

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Is super-ageing Singapore headed for population decline?

With babies in short supply and its birth rate tanking, the city state is weighing a future of robots and immigrants.

4 Jul 2026 - 8:00AMvideocam

Illustration: Huy Truong

No free lunch: Indonesia’s Bali targets barter deals in immigration sweep

The new regulation has sparked confusion among content creators and local businesses who wonder where the legal line falls.

3 Jul 2026 - 12:30PM

Bali, Phuket or Sentosa? Singapore’s grand 20-year resort plan

The upgrade aims to create ‘the next generation of world-class experiences’ while staying true to the island’s unique identity.

3 Jul 2026 - 4:27PM

The Philippines

Philippine senator links fatal school shooting to 764 online extremist network

There are signs that the 764 network is targeting vulnerable Filipino children online, Senator Risa Hontiveros says at a hearing.

2 Jul 2026 - 9:13PMvideocam

Japan’s detention system under scrutiny after ruling on abuse of restraints

A court order to compensate the family of a detainee shows reforms to immigration centres are urgently needed, observers say.

2 Jul 2026 - 4:22PM

A police bus enters the Tokyo Detention House in Japan in 2019. Photo: AFP

Thai beer dynasty heir opens up about abuse, mother’s ‘ungrateful child’ lawsuit

Siranudh ‘Psi’ Scott broke his silence on alleged childhood trauma as his estranged mother wielded a century-old legal weapon against him.

30 Jun 2026 - 4:00PMvideocam

South Korea’s World Cup early exit sparks fury, death threats, restaurant bans

From the president to K-pop stars, South Koreans demand an overhaul of the country’s football establishment and punishment for the failure.

30 Jun 2026 - 5:37PMvideocam

How Malaysia’s tourist board plans to entice Chinese travellers

China was Malaysia’s second-largest source market in 2025, with 4.7 million visitor arrivals, up 25 per cent from 3.7 million a year earlier.

29 Jun 2026 - 5:08PM

Tourists take pictures with the Sultan Abdul Samad building near Merdeka Square in Kuala Lumpur on June 8. Photo: AFP

Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.