2 h. ago Outrage as Korean saleswoman kneels after abuse by customer for telling son off

A woman worker at a discount chain outlet in South Korea who reminded a youngster not to run around for safety reasons sparked an angry and humiliating outburst from the child’s mother. The mother became aggressive, verbally abused the member of staff and even forced her to kneel in apology. The November 21 incident, which has ignited a wave of outrage online, took place in Daiso, a popular Japanese budget retail chain in Suncheon, South Jeolla province, South Korea. A child was seen running...

Economics

4 h. ago Why Chinese believe morally, ‘It’s better to marry a widow than a divorced woman’

A harsh folk saying from ancient China goes, “it is better to marry a widow than a divorced woman,” or Ning qu gua fu, bu qu sheng qi in Chinese. The expression reflects the rigid and often brutal moral standards that historically governed women’s lives. Literally, the phrase suggests that a man would rather marry a widow than a woman who had been cast off by her husband. The term sheng qi referred to a wife who was still alive but had been dismissed, implying that she was at fault or carried...

Politics

5 h. ago Singapore launches book on Malaysia separation with declassified files

In Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, a sailor who shoots an albatross is forced to hang it around his neck as penance, with the bird becoming a heavy burden and a reminder of his guilt. This metaphor was invoked by Goh Keng Swee, widely regarded as the “economic architect” of modern Singapore, as his code name for Malaysia in his file of personal notes on Singapore’s separation from its northern neighbour in August 1965. Almost all of the newly declassified...

Politics

8 h. ago First ‘home cat’ reached China 1,400 years ago via Tang dynasty Silk Road

From temple courtyards to trendy cafes, cats have long captivated hearts in China. Now, scientists have shed light on the pet’s origin in the country, suggesting its earliest presence dates back to the Tang dynasty (618-907), with its arrival via the Silk Road. A Tang dynasty provincial governor was recorded as the first person in Chinese history to name his dozens of cats. The avid cat lover also set aside a large area at home to play with them. Wu Zetian, China’s first and only woman emperor,...

Politics

9 h. ago ‘Crafting process’ sees China woman get handmade doll’s eyes a decade after ordering

A Chinese woman who bought handmade doll’s eyes online has received the goods 10 years after placing the original order. The woman, surnamed Li, posted online that she recently received the custom-made products she bought online in 2015. She had completely forgotten about the order. Li received a text message from the online shop on November 25, notifying her about their arrival. She paid 515 yuan (US$73). The shop told her it would take two years for the eyes to be handmade overseas. Li agreed...

Politics

19 h. ago Hong Kong confirms 10th locally acquired case of chikungunya fever

Hong Kong has recorded one additional locally acquired case of chikungunya fever involving a woman who went hiking in Tsing Yi, bringing the total number of confirmed local cases of the mosquito-borne disease this year to 10. The Centre for Health Protection said on Saturday that it had recorded a new local case as of 5pm, involving a 67-year-old woman living in Kwai Tsing district. According to the centre, a preliminary investigation found that the woman developed joint pain and a fever on...

Politics

20 h. ago Hong Kong police arrest 2 over possession of suspected dangerous drugs

Hong Kong police have arrested a man and a woman for alleged possession of dangerous drugs after seizing suspected etomidate and methamphetamine from them. Officers from the force’s Kowloon West region noticed a suspicious pair at about 1am on Saturday while conducting an anti-crime patrol on Un Chau Street in Cheung Sha Wan and stopped them for questioning. Officers seized five e-cigarette cartridges suspected of containing etomidate and four packets of suspected methamphetamine weighing about...

Events

21 h. ago Hong Kong fire aftermath: how victims are dealing with the psychological toll

More than a week after an inferno ravaged Wang Fuk Court, in Hong Kong’s Tai Po, claiming at least 159 lives, one mother remains in fear and agony that her daughter could be among the victims. The woman, surnamed Ng, said on Saturday that she feared she had lost her daughter after two bodies, pending DNA tests, were found in a rented flat in the estate. “My daughter’s cousin also lived there, but she had class that day and was not home,” said Ng, before breaking into tears. “She just graduated a...

Events

28 h. ago China hiker wears clothing tag to support missing children and expand search

A woman from northeastern China, who faced online harassment for wearing a clothing tag while hiking, later clarified that it contained information about a missing child as part of a brand’s charitable initiative. Deng, hailing from Jilin province, recently posted a hiking video in which the tag on her backpack was visible, quickly inciting criticism across mainland social media. One user commented: “She’s probably one of those who buys something, wears it once, and then returns it for a refund....

Events

33 h. ago Thai woman stays on rooftop with pets during floods, refusing rescue without them

A Thai woman declined rescue and chose to remain stranded on a rooftop amid severe floods to stay with her pet dog and cat, garnering online praise. The woman, known as Jazz, appealed for help on social media on November 22. She reported being trapped on the roof with the water level rising dangerously close to her. In her post, she also provided her location and requested authorities to cut power in her neighbourhood to prevent electrocution. In a video included with her post, she was seen at a...

Events

36 h. ago Why China may be better placed than US in tussle for rare earths

During his Southeast Asia trip in October, US President Donald Trump sealed deals with Malaysia and Thailand on the same day – both aimed at securing and diversifying America’s supply chains for critical minerals and rare earths. Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim agreed to step up cooperation on building and expanding critical minerals supply chains, according to a White House statement. They also agreed to strengthen the security of critical minerals and rare earths supplies in...

Politics

45 h. ago Singapore organisers in limbo over work visa ban on foreign performers

For about two years, six nights a week, performers from mainland China, Taiwan and Malaysia have entertained hundreds of guests at the HaveFun Live Show in Singapore, but its organisers are now in a fix ahead of coming work permit changes. On Monday, the manpower ministry announced that a scheme allowing foreign performers a work permit of up to six months at public entertainment outlets in Singapore would cease in June after enforcement operations uncovered syndicates abusing the scheme. A...

Politics

46 h. ago France poised to get two giant pandas in 2027 after Macron’s visit to China

France is poised to get a pair of pandas in 2027 as part of a new decade-long loan agreement finalised following President Emmanuel Macron’s three-day visit to China. On Thursday, the China Wildlife Conservation Association announced it had agreed with France’s Beauval Zoo to extend their international cooperation on giant panda conservation with the aim of boosting Sino-French exchanges. According to the group’s statement, the two giant pandas are expected to arrive at the zoo in Saint-Aignan...

Politics

46 h. ago France poised to get 2 giant pandas in 2027 after Macron’s visit to China

France is poised to get a pair of pandas in 2027 as part of a new decade-long loan agreement finalised following President Emmanuel Macron’s three-day visit to China. On Thursday, the China Wildlife Conservation Association announced it had agreed with France’s Beauval Zoo to extend their international cooperation on giant panda conservation with the aim of boosting Sino-French exchanges. According to the group’s statement, the two giant pandas are expected to arrive at the zoo in Saint-Aignan...

Politics

47 h. ago Malaysia under pressure to explain police shooting of trio as outcry mounts

Malaysia’s government is under mounting pressure to explain the fatal police shooting of three men in the southern state of Melaka, after an audio recording and forensic claims released by the families appeared to contradict the police account of a violent confrontation with the suspected robbery gang members. In the latest case, the three – Puspanathan Murulitharan, 21; Poonesvaran Tiagarajan, 24; and Logeswaran Georgie, 29 – were killed on November 24 during a police operation in Durian...

Events

49 h. ago Hong Kong fire: dead Indonesian helper found huddled with ward hailed as selfless

The last time Sugeng Widodo spoke to his wife, Indonesian domestic worker Sri Wahyuni, something did not feel right for him. It was around 1pm Hong Kong time on November 26, just a few hours before a devastating fire would rip through Wang Fuk Court in the city’s Tai Po district, killing at least 159 people. Wahyuni, 42, would be among the dead – her body found in a room on a fourth-floor flat at the estate, hugging her employer, a 93-year-old woman, according to Widodo, citing information...

Events

57 h. ago China motorcyclist fulfils woman’s wish by honouring dead son at Tibet’s sacred stone

A young man in China who rode an electric motorcycle from his hometown in eastern China to Tibet has helped a woman realise her wish of bringing her deceased son’s photo to a stone renowned for being the closest place to heaven. Dou Jiaqi, who recently turned 18, completed his electric motorcycle journey from Xinyi, a small city in Jiangsu province, to Lhasa on November 24, as reported by the Xuzhou Daily. The 4,800-km journey took him 11 days, according to the report. About a week before Dou...

Sport

69 h. ago UK Novichok report blames Putin for ‘reckless’ poisoning of ex

Russian President Vladimir Putin must have ordered the Novichok nerve agent attack on Russian double agent Sergei Skripal in 2018, in an “astonishingly reckless” act that led to the death of an innocent woman, a UK public inquiry concluded on Thursday. Skripal was found along with his daughter Yulia slumped unconscious on a public bench in the southern English city of Salisbury in March 2018 after Novichok was applied to the front door handle of his nearby home. About four months later,...

Politics

2 d. ago ‘No longer contentious’: Malaysia to weigh Singapore’s water project plan

Malaysia said on Thursday that it would consider a proposal by Singapore to jointly develop water infrastructure in southern Johor, signalling the intention of both sides to move beyond decades of rancour over the vital resource. The two countries have for years disagreed over various issues related to water supply, ranging from prices to the interpretation of the 1962 water agreement signed by them. Malaysia has argued that Johor’s water is sold too cheaply to Singapore. With Johor experiencing...

Politics

3 d. ago Malaysian man stranded by Thai floods with ‘colleagues’ exposed holidaying with lover

A Malaysian man who informed his wife that he was on a business trip with colleagues was discovered to be stranded with his mistress amid severe floods in Thailand. Heavy flooding, triggered by torrential rains, has struck southern Thailand, claiming over 80 lives and affecting three million people across 12 provinces, including Hat Yai, the largest city in southern Thailand. On November 24, a Malaysian woman, who had been sharing rescue updates in Hat Yai, posted that a distressed Malaysian...

Events