Back Stories » Asia

in Asia

After China Bans Plastic Imports, Southeast Asia to Become World's Largest Recycling Plant

With China’s plastic import ban going into effect on January 1, environmental experts worry that Southeast Asian nations will now have to shoulder the bulk of the world's plastic waste.

in Asia

Inside Southeast Asia's First Dating Platform for Sugar Daddies

TheSugarBook, a Malaysia-based dating platform aimed at matching wealthy individuals with others who are interested in being lavished with expensive gifts, has attracted more than 55,000 users since i...

in Asia

North Korean Defector Given Free Lifetime Supply of Choco Pies

South Korean confectionery giant Orion has announced that it will bestow a lifetime supply of Choco Pies to a North Korean soldier who recently defected.

in Asia

New Report Finds Indonesian LGBT Activists Under Increasingly Violent Threat

A new report has found that supporters of Indonesia's LGBT community are facing increasingly violent, personal threats in the country.

in Asia

Starbucks Just Opened Its Largest Store in the World in Shanghai

In the proof of how important China is to its future success, Starbucks opened its largest outlet in the world in Shanghai today.

in Asia

Bali Volcano Eruption Forces Airport Closure, Mass Evacuations

Bali's most well-known volcano is threatening a major eruption, forcing officials to close the island's airport and thousands of residents to evacuate their homes.

in Asia

Two South Korean Universities Are Teaching Students How to Love and Date

Students at two universities in South Korea can now take courses that teach them about sex, relationships and marriage.

in Asia

Pornographic GIFs Almost Got WhatsApp Banned in Indonesia Recently

Indonesia, with the world’s largest Muslim population, recently threatened to block popular messaging service WhatsApp after requesting it to remove pornographic content.

in Asia

Vietnamese Student Jailed in Singapore for Hacking Into Professor's Account to Modify Grades

A Vietnamese student was recently jailed in Singapore after he was caught hacking into his professor’s school account to change his grades as well as others'.

in Asia

Chinese University Begins Offering Competitive Dragon, Lion Dance Course

In case anyone is interested, Zhejiang University in China is now offering a course on dragon and lion dances.

in Asia

Singapore to Ban New Private Vehicles From 2018

Singapore’s government announced on Monday that it plans to freeze the number of private cars on its streets from 2018.

in Asia

President Trump to Visit Da Nang, Hanoi for Official Meetings in November

US President Donald Trump will visit two cities in Vietnam during his upcoming stay in November.

in Asia

Thailand-Cambodia Stretch of Pan-Asia Railway Nearing Completion

Cambodia and Thailand are set to hold a ceremony early next year to celebrate the official opening of the much-delayed railway that will connect Phnom Penh and Bangkok.

in Asia

Oxford Strips Aung San Suu Kyi of Human Rights Honor Over Rohingya Crisis

Amid criticism of her remarks on Myanmar’s Rohingya crisis, Aung San Suu Kyi will be stripped of the Freedom of the City of Oxford.

in Asia

Korean Peninsula Tension Could Negatively Impact Vietnam Economy

Vietnam and Japan will see a drop in their credit quality should the military conflict on the Korean peninsula come to a head, according to rating agency Moody’s.

in Asia

After 24 Years in Operation, English-Language Newspaper Cambodia Daily Closed on September 4

Cambodia's leading English-language newspaper, The Cambodia Daily, closed on September 4 after 24 years in service.

in Asia

Japan is Running Out of Samurai, Ninja Due to Tourism Boom

Japan is being challenged by an unexpected shortage of both samurai and ninja, and this is not a joke.

in Asia

China Surpasses US, EU to Become World's Largest Solar Power Producer

China has jumped ahead of both the US and Europe in the solar energy field, having reached and then surpassed its 2020 solar power target three years ahead of schedule.

in Asia

Thailand Dreams of Constructing Massive Canal Linking Indian, Pacific Oceans

A number of influential Thai businesses and public figures are pushing for the construction of a massive shipping canal across Thailand's south, which would be one of Asia's most ambitious infrastruct...

in Asia

Cambodia's 'Beating Heart,' the Tonle Sap Lake, Is Slowly Dying

Southeast Asia’s largest lake, the Tonle Sap in Cambodia, is under threat from dams, climate change and overfishing.