30 h. ago Singapore radio code’s grouping of homosexuality sparks calls for review

A Singaporean actor and blogger have taken issue with a clause in the city state’s radio broadcast code that groups homosexuality with paedophilia and incest as “lifestyles” that are not allowed on the airwaves. Former radio DJ Benjamin Lee, better known in Singapore as the blogger Mr Miyagi, said he asked the government to consider removing the clause and reviewing the code that all radio presenters had to sign as part of their contracts. “I’m guilty of having signed this too, because, well, I...

Politics

30 h. ago ‘No place in Singapore’: review call over radio code treatment of homosexuality

A Singaporean actor and blogger have taken issue with a clause in the city state’s radio broadcast code that groups homosexuality with paedophilia and incest as “lifestyles” that are not allowed on the airwaves. Former radio DJ Benjamin Lee, better known in Singapore as the blogger Mr Miyagi, said he asked the government to consider removing the clause and reviewing the code that all radio presenters had to sign as part of their contracts. “I’m guilty of having signed this too, because, well, I...

Politics

6 d. ago The rat in the room: understanding Indonesia’s hantavirus cases

A string of hantavirus-linked cases reported in Indonesia has sparked fears that the potentially lethal virus could be spreading undetected, with health experts citing widespread rodent exposure and poor sanitation as major risks that could lead to a further spike. Eight cases of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), one of the diseases caused by the hantavirus, have been confirmed across four provinces – Yogyakarta, West Java, East Nusa Tenggara and North Sulawesi – as of June 19,...

Politics

7 d. ago Red panda morning calls at China hotel cause safety concerns, service suspension

A five-star hotel in China has sparked controversy by using a red panda for morning calls, prompting an investigation and suspension of the service by authorities. The establishment, Lehe Ledu Liangjiang Hotel, located in southwestern China’s Chongqing municipality, raised public concerns after several guests shared videos of their morning calls delivered by an adorable red panda. In the footage, the animal climbs onto beds and desks in hotel rooms, where guests are invited to pet and feed...

Politics

9 d. ago Dining app Eatigo sorry for joke on Hong Kong singer Keung To’s fall into sea

A well-known restaurant reservation platform has issued a public apology after making fun of Hong Kong singer Keung To’s recent fall into the sea in an online post to promote its booking service, sparking calls for a boycott of the app. Eatigo, which offers restaurant bookings with bill discounts in Asia, said sorry on Tuesday night, following the post on social media platform Threads, saying the promotion lacked “proper respect and sensitivity”. The now-deleted post said: “To all Keung To fans,...

Politics

2 w. ago Puppy’s death sparks calls for Hong Kong to quickly tighten animal cruelty laws

Hong Kong must tighten animal cruelty laws to prevent more dogs from being mutilated and dying while consumer demand for cropped tails and ears in pets makes such practices difficult to phase out, experts have said. The calls for urgent amendments to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance on Monday followed the death last week of a two-month-old female Doberman puppy from infections caused by ear cropping. The puppy was found abandoned in Cherry Street Park near Yau Ma Tei with 8cm (3...

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