From Parliament to podcasts: How celebrity culture is reshaping Malaysian politics
In an increasingly fragmented media landscape, political reach is measured not only in parliamentary seats but also in clicks, views and subscribers.
Special Report
The price of a Nepali’s American dream: 14 months, 18 countries and over US$75k in debt
A pharmacy owner from Rukum West returns home after a 14-month smuggling route across 18 countries, burdened by massive loans and broken promises.
After the military, Malaysia’s veterans struggle to seek new livelihoods amid rising costs
With pensions typically ranging from RM2,000 to RM4,000 a month, many seek second careers, prompting government efforts to connect them with jobs in logistics, transport, and…
Folding clothes, making coffee and sandwich — Indian workers training AI robots to take their jobs
Developers think feeding first-person footage, called “egocentric data”, into specialised AI models will help robots copy humans.
When caregiving takes over childhood: South Korea’s hidden child labour
Experts say family caregiving leaves some children invisible to support systems, despite emotional, educational costs.
How Nepal former prime minister KP Sharma Oli rose, ruled and fell
From prison to four terms of prime minister, Mr. Oli’s career traced Nepal’s democratic contradictions — and, in the end, its limits.
Eggs-plained: How egging became a mode of protest in India
Ever since the Suvendu Adhikari-led government came into power, there have been multiple instances of angry citizens pelting eggs at Trinamool Congress leaders.
As Indonesia’s top envoy becomes latest from ASEAN to visit Myanmar, analysts warn of risks
The visit of Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono, the first official trip by an Indonesian minister to Myanmar since the 2021 military coup, has raised eyebrows, given Jakarta’s…
The problem with China’s appeal for Europe to reject Japan’s ‘remilitarism’
The 80th anniversary of the start of the Tokyo Trials of key Japanese war criminals, which marked May, provided an excuse for a barrage of Chinese commentaries claiming that Tokyo…
Nepal’s pride projects dogged by delays and repeated extensions
From irrigation projects launched decades ago to highways and transport corridors, many national pride projects remain unfinished after repeated deadline extensions and billions…