People

Japan’s suicide rate is falling – except among its young people

About 20,000 people took their own lives in Japan last year, down from more than 34,000 16 years before. But one age group did see an increase: the under-20s.

19 Mar 2020 - 12:02PM
What’s behind Thailand’s rise in domestic violence?

Hundreds of women and children are abused each year – and that’s just the ones who report it, as social stigma and police inaction keeps sufferers silent.

19 Mar 2020 - 11:16AM
Poor Indonesian families most at risk of spike in virus infections

As fears spread that Indonesia has more infections than confirmed, activists are most concerned for those too poor to afford masks or treatment.

15 Mar 2020 - 10:51PM03571EC5-13F4-4283-B996-99444BE88411
Malaysia’s Najib says he’s a ‘simple person’ in Netflix’s 1MDB documentary

The Netflix episode, titled Man at the Top, examines Malaysia’s 1MDB scandal, which saw billions siphoned from the sovereign wealth fund, and features interviews with Najib Razak at home.

14 Mar 2020 - 1:28AM
‘Go home’: the hidden struggles of South Korea’s naturalised athletes

They play for South Korea and have made the country their home, but being naturalised citizens means having to go through many hoops, say the foreign-born athletes.

11 Mar 2020 - 5:06PM
Malaysia Airlines MH17 trial begins in The Hague

In July 2014, flight MH17 was torn apart by a Russian missile over eastern Ukraine, killing 298 people.

10 Mar 2020 - 4:36PM03571EC5-13F4-4283-B996-99444BE88411
As MH17 trial begins, victims’ families desperate for justice

Malaysia Airlines MH17 was shot down over Ukraine by pro-Russian separatists in July 2014, killing 298 people. Even after years of investigation, no one knows why.

9 Mar 2020 - 11:01PM
Bangkok’s Chams strive to keep heritage alive through silk weaving

Passed on down the generations dating back to their time in Cambodia, the silk-weaving heritage of the Chams is a crucial link to their past.

8 Mar 2020 - 4:47PM
Modernity threatens Asia’s female-centric ‘kingdoms of women’

Communities centred around women have existed for centuries in China, India and Indonesia, but an influx of tourists, technology and new ideas is rapidly changing their way of life.

8 Mar 2020 - 4:22PM
Why Nepal is still rebuilding, half a decade after the earthquake

The disaster in April 2015 left more than 9,000 dead and vast tracts of the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, in ruins.

8 Mar 2020 - 10:43AM
Unsung heroes: 5 Asian women transcending gender roles

From motherhood in Hong Kong to protests in India, menstruation huts in Nepal and life as a lesbian domestic worker, five women share their perspectives.

8 Mar 2020 - 4:20PM
Coronavirus fear, paranoia reveal cracks in Japan’s polite facade

Tensions are running high among Japanese, from frantic shoppers panic buying toilet roll to irate commuters arguing about coughing on trains.

3 Mar 2020 - 11:25PM
Big name brands using Uygur ‘forced labour’: Australia think tank

Google, Microsoft, Siemens, Sony and Adidas are among the 83 global brands named by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute in its report.

2 Mar 2020 - 8:06PM
Korean cults: missing link in Covid-19, Sewol ferry, Park’s downfall

It’s not just the coronavirus and the Shincheonji Church. Cults have been linked to a host of Korean scandals, from the Sewol ferry disaster to a president’s impeachment.

1 Mar 2020 - 2:26PM03571EC5-13F4-4283-B996-99444BE88411
Coronavirus increases mental health risks for migrant workers

Researchers call for equal access to health services, as migrant workers report increased levels of stress and anxiety amid the crisis.

28 Feb 2020 - 7:05PM
Jailed Japanese sex pest stalked pop idol using reflections in her eyes

Hibiki Sato, 27, gagged the Tenshi Tsukinukeni Yomi singer with a towel, forced her to the floor and molested her. He has been jailed for 30 months.

27 Feb 2020 - 11:42PM03571EC5-13F4-4283-B996-99444BE88411
Mahathir, Anwar, the king: who’s who in Malaysia’s political shake-up?

Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah is interviewing every MP to ascertain which leader has majority support in the 222-member house.

27 Feb 2020 - 12:23AM03571EC5-13F4-4283-B996-99444BE88411
Malaysia’s Mahathir appointed interim PM after shock resignation

Mahathir also resigned as chairman of the Bersatu party, capping a weekend of political manoeuvring that his presumptive successor Anwar Ibrahim described as a betrayal. But it doesn’t mean that a snap poll is imminent.

25 Feb 2020 - 2:59PM03571EC5-13F4-4283-B996-99444BE88411
Born foreign: in modern Cambodia, it’s not easy being Vietnamese

Victims of historical resentment, many ethnic Vietnamese in Cambodia are stateless, ineligible for citizenship in either country. Yet few would leave, even if they could.

23 Feb 2020 - 5:13PM