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TOPIC

Social media

Social media
Social media refers to the means of interaction among people in which they create, share, and exchange information and ideas in virtual communities and networks. Social media depends on mobile and web-based technologies to create highly interactive platforms through which individuals and communities share, co-create, discuss, and modify user-generated content. It introduces substantial and pervasive changes to communication between organisations, communities and individuals.
Nicola Peltz and Brooklyn Beckham at their wedding in April, 2022. Photo: @kateleemakeup/Instagram
Fame and celebrity

Brooklyn Peltz Beckham says ‘I do not want to reconcile with my family’

Oldest son of David and Victoria Beckham takes to social media to dish on feud with his celebrity parents.

Malaysia

Anwar’s reform record questioned after Malaysian reporter’s sedition arrest

Hong Kong society

Hong Kong blogger’s Iran trip sparks debate about solo travel safety

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Labubu

Explainer | What is mystery shopping, made popular by Labubu?

The Pop Mart craze is spreading to other retailers like Le Creuset and E.L.F. Beauty as ‘blind shopping’ takes off around the world.

When you buy a Labubu you do not know which one you will get, which has helped propel the toy to global domination. Photo: EPA
Trending in China

China actress loses brand partners for saying ‘hundreds of thousands’ a month not enough

Product boycott calls force 53-year-old star into online apology; actress admits she had forgotten ‘her roots’; will change after self-reflection.

X (formerly Twitter)

Musk’s xAI sued over Grok deepfakes – this time, by mother of his child

Ashley St Clair, mother of Musk’s 13th child, said that in one photo, an image of her at 14 was altered to show her in a bikini.

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Britain

UK teen who praised Southport murderer jailed for possessing al-Qaeda manual

McKenzie Morgan praised the killer of three young girls at a Taylor Swift event, and threatened to bomb an Oasis show, was sentenced on Friday.

Flowers are seen at a makeshift memorial allowing people to pay their respects to the victims of a knife attack, in Southport, Britain on August 9, 2024. Photo: Reuters
China society

Outside In | Plight of Hebei’s freezing elderly shows urgent need for pension reform

The swarming sociability of family life is fading as one-person households and lonely deaths rise. Coping with loneliness is now a life skill.

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Malaysia

FMT apologises for racial query tying Malaysia’s ‘Chinese problem’ to Palestine

During a George Galloway lecture, a Free Malaysia Today reporter asked if the ‘Palestine problem’ parallels Malaysia’s ‘Chinese problem’.

Malaysia

X marks the bot: Malaysia says Grok ban may be lifted if it is proven to be safe

Though X has deactivated several prompts, more changes need to be made to ensure the site’s safety, Malaysia’s communications minister says.

Screens display the logo of Grok and its founder Elon Musk. Photo: AFP
Artificial intelligence

Musk’s Grok barred from undressing AI images after global backlash

‘Spicy Mode’ feature had allowed users to create sexualised deepfakes of women and children.

Grok has been allowing users to manipulate images of women and children to sexualise them. Photo: dpa
Animal welfare in Hong Kong

Animal welfare groups slam Hong Kong pet shop for offering cat rental service

Pet shop gave clients the chance to rent a cat for a week for HK$800 with a refundable deposit of HK$6,500 before buying.

Malaysia

‘No oil here’: Malaysians turn US embassy space post into foreign-policy satire

The embassy’s International Space Station image prompted self-deprecating jokes about oil, US power and being strategically uninteresting.

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Japan

Japan’s Princess Kako targeted in viral Grok AI deepfakes trend

Images of the princess in a blue dress during a recent event were used to generate deepfakes, including of her naked and covered in tattoos.

Princess Kako (left) and her brother Prince Hisahito attend the traditional New Year’s greeting ceremony by Japan’s royal family at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on January 2. Photo: AFP
Iran

Iranians use Musk’s Starlink to pierce internet blackout during protests

Smuggled satellite terminals offer a high-risk lifeline as Iran’s protest death toll climbs.

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Cars burn in a street during a protest in Tehran on January 8. Photo: West Asia News Agency via Reuters
Malaysia

Fast and furious: Malaysian streetwear boss suspended after road rage video

The Stoned & Co co-founder, seen on camera tailgating and blocking a car after being honked at, has apologised for his ‘poor judgment’.

Britain

UK launches probe into Musk’s X over Grok’s ‘disgusting’ sexualised AI imagery

UK regulator acts after users prompt AI to create sexually intimate deepfakes, fuelling fears of widespread image abuse on the platform.

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Australia

Australian social media ban: Meta shuts 550,000 children’s accounts

Australia’s ban on social media usage for under 16s, a world’s first, came into effect on December 10.

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Logos of Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp apps are displayed on a smartphone in front of Meta’s logo. Photo: dpa
Malaysia

Malaysia suspends Grok access amid global backlash on Musk’s AI

The regulating commission deemed the platform’s safeguards inadequate, adding that access would resume only after the required changes are verified.

Elon Musk

Elon Musk to open source X algorithm in 7 days amid global scrutiny

The company has been working to incorporate more AI into its recommendation algorithm through Grok, Musk’s AI chatbot.

Wellness

This Chinese-Vietnamese plant-based influencer makes even haters love tofu

Wendy the Food Scientist is on a mission to make plant-based eating simple, healthy and satisfying – no ultra-processed ‘fake meat’ required.

Wendy Luong, aka Wendy the Food Scientist, shares vegan cooking techniques that are backed by science and rooted in tradition on her Instagram and other social media pages. Photo: Wendy Luong
Britain

Musk blasts ‘prison island’ UK in showdown over Grok AI sexual images

The billionaire accused the government of being ‘fascist’ after it threatened to ban X over the deepfake photos.

Billionaire Elon Musk’s xAI operates Grok. Photo: AFP
Trending in China

China actor rejects US$2,800 mountain-climbing companion fee, plans to change jobs

Buff, struggling performer who adheres to a strict ‘non-sexual’ service policy plans to branch out into becoming a swimming buddy.

Britain

Will X be banned in the UK? Elon Musk hits back at shutdown warnings

Despite an outcry over AI abuse images, Musk called the warnings ‘censorship’ and reposted threats to sanction Britain if X is blocked.

China society

Being Chinese | Where do lonely hearts in China go now? Late-night live streams

I was swiping past the noise on Douyin when a calm, warm voice stopped me. So began my evenings in the world of companionship live streams.

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A woman walks in the nearly deserted shopping area of Sanlitun in Beijing in 2020. Photo: EPA-EFE
Mainland China

Video | Why has America’s ‘kill line’ gone viral in China?

The public debate has inevitably drawn parallels with problems faced by China’s own population.

What is a ‘kill line’ and why are Chinese netizens using it to describe living in the US?
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Fame and celebrity

Why Ashley Tisdale called her mommy group ‘too high school’

The former child star’s mommy group is rumoured to include Mandy Moore, whose family the Duffs hosted after a fire.

Mainland China

Video | Why are women-only communities growing in China?

Economic independence and educational opportunities are enabling women to focus on their own needs, while social media has exposed many to alternative lifestyles.

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