23 h. ago Are Singaporean Chinese the ‘least attractive’? Viral image ignites debate

A widely shared image on social media depicting colour sketches of men from different regions in China has ignited debate on the physical appearance of Singaporean Chinese based on their ancestry, with online users concluding they are the least attractive of the gene pool. But psychotherapists say perceptions of beauty might be warped by media and celebrity culture, warning against the normalisation of conversations centred on physical appearance. The discussion was prompted by drawings of male...

Politics

23 h. ago Are Singaporean Chinese the ‘least attractive’? Viral image stirs debate

A widely shared image on social media depicting colour sketches of men from different regions in China has stirred debate on the physical appearance of Singaporean Chinese based on their ancestry, with online users concluding they are the least attractive of the gene pool. But psychotherapists say perceptions of beauty might be warped by media and celebrity culture, warning against the normalisation of conversations centred on physical appearance. The discussion was prompted by drawings of male...

Politics

3 d. ago ‘Malaysian promoting Singapore’: viral video sparks debate over talent use

A high-gloss travel video created by a Malaysian visual-effects specialist to promote Singapore has gone viral, prompting some in Malaysia to ask why their own tourism board has not tapped local talent as effectively. The one-minute film, produced in collaboration with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), features Mohamad Sofian Abdullah, better known as Sofyank, weaving his signature special effects into a tightly edited journey across the city state. The video shows the 29-year-old creator –...

Politics

8 d. ago Public outrage over Chinese man placing hell money in Japanese temple donation box

A Chinese man who placed joss paper into a fortune-drawing money collection box at Japan’s Sensoji Temple has sparked online outrage and criticism of bad tourist behaviour. A video that circulated on social media in November showed the unidentified man putting a piece of joss paper, also known as “hell money”, into the box on the desk where fortune sticks are drawn. Visitors are required to put 100 yen (US$1) into the box to draw from 100 bamboo sticks in a tube. They then need to find the...

Politics

3 w. ago Storm in a takeaway cup: Malaysia’s Zus Coffee backs barista after viral clash

Malaysia’s largest coffee chain has thrown its support behind a barista involved in a viral confrontation with a customer, saying it has launched a full investigation and will stand by the employee while reviewing the incident. Zus Coffee confirmed on Monday that it had begun an internal investigation after a 14-second video of the altercation, believed to have taken place on Sunday at one of its outlets, drew millions of views on TikTok and sparked intense online debate. In the video, a female...

Events

3 w. ago Green NGO warns Hong Kong shutterbugs who don’t give a hoot about owl’s welfare

A migratory wild owl spotted in Hong Kong over the past week has attracted scores of photographers, sparking a warning from an environmental group after a video of wildlife enthusiasts provoking the nocturnal bird for pictures went viral. In the video, a northern boobook, a migratory owl that stops in Hong Kong during spring and autumn, is seen being bothered by wildlife photographers who mimic hoots and taunt it for “being sleepy” during daytime. “Without your noises, it’s falling asleep again....

Events