People
‘Probably for the best’: Lion Air crash families welcome Boeing resignations
Victims’ families say few lessons have been learned since the 2018 crash, with Boeing aircraft continuing to suffer serious safety malfunctions.
Suharto’s Australian mate and a secret emissary: just who was Clive Williams?
Clive Williams’ role as an unofficial cultural broker in Indonesia’s ties with foreign governments has been ‘very much obscured and underrated’ says his biographer
Filipino journalist’s AI tool for in-depth reporting challenges industry fears
Jaemark Tordecilla has created an AI tool to help investigative reporters uncover wrongdoing in Philippine government audit reports, in what could mark a sea change for journalism in the Global South.
Why India food app Zomato’s green-only vegetarian fleet has users seeing red
Online users slam Zomato for being ignorant of divisions over food preferences along caste and religious lines in India.
Video of Philippine LGBTQ student given forced haircut sparks calls for change
The video shows a transgender student having the haircut in school after she was threatened with a denial of enrolment.
In a pickle: worker shortfall could mean Malaysians pay more for vegetables
The country’s farms rely on millions of workers from Bangladesh, Indonesia and Nepal, who return home every year to observe Ramadan with their families.
Chinese academic’s disappearance sparks concerns among compatriots in Japan
Hu Shiyun, a professor of Chinese literature and linguistics in Japan, went to China last August on what was meant to be a short trip. He hasn’t been heard from since.
‘Outrageous’ nostalgia for journalist’s stabbing puts Korean media on notice
A chilling warning from a senior presidential aide about possible terror attacks against dissenting journalists has put President Yoon Suk-yeol’s war on ‘fake news’ under the spotlight.
Singapore opposition chief pleads not guilty to charges of lying to parliament
Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh was charged with two counts of lying to a parliamentary committee in hearings involving his party’s former MP Raeesah Khan.
Poverty looms over Malaysia’s elderly as low pay bites back in retirement
Left unchecked, more than 6 million Malaysians could be left with less than US$9 a month to survive on in their old age, according to government estimates.
In Philippines, alarm over mail-order bride scheme that trafficks women to China
Filipino women escorted by Chinese nationals posing as their husbands have been intercepted at the border, immigration officials say. Anti-trafficking experts suspect organised crime groups are involved.
India’s citizenship law slammed as anti-Muslim and Modi’s election ploy
New Delhi announces the long delayed implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act, which sparked violent protests in 2019 when it was unveiled.
Shrinking families in Indonesia spark concern about impact on economy
Young people are putting off marriage due to ‘structural challenges’, as demographers say data shows fertility rates are likely to continue declining.
Japan teachers demand end to ‘excessive’ hours as many are pushed to the brink
Some 900,000 Japanese educators have signed petitions calling for the government to address long hours of unpaid work and poor pay.
Japan drink promotion axed over economist’s past remarks on ‘elderly suicides’
The promotion quickly fell apart after social media users resurfaced his past comments that senior people are a drain on Japan’s society and should ‘kill themselves’.
Netizens slam K-pop singer for drinking Starbucks coffee: ‘educate yourself’
Some commenters said the episode could haunt her for the rest of her career and urged Huh to apologise and take accountability for endorsing the brand.
‘Brands that fatten them up’: Israeli dates under Muslim boycott in Southeast Asia
Chat groups are warning Muslims to be alert when buying dates – a sweet fruit eaten to break fast during Ramadan – after some were repackaged in Malaysia to hide their origin.
South Korea doctors ask ILO to intervene as strike shows no signs of ending
The issue isn’t likely to be settled soon as President Yoon’s party has large public backing for the plan to increase medical school places, senior doctors say.
‘Irresponsible’: India urged to stop deporting refugees to chaos-ravaged Myanmar
India is sending back thousands of Myanmar refugees, whom they blame for ethnic violence erupting in Manipur state.
One and done: why more Singapore couples are saying ‘no thanks’ to big families
The trend means couples can ‘experience parenthood’ while maintaining a preferred lifestyle that includes work-life balance, holidays and date nights.