The Victim
When his final avenue for appeal against his corruption conviction was exhausted, when time and fate finally came for former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, he did what he does best: he played victim.
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The Aussie Way of Democracy
In an era when many established democracies are backsliding, Australian democracy remains resilient. What can other countries learn from it?
Inside Japan’s Hostess Clubs
Hostess clubs, establishments where men pay to talk and drink with beautiful and charming women, can be found in nightlife districts all over Japan.
How Durable is the Great Green Wall of China?
China is undertaking the largest afforestation project the world has ever seen. But building an enormous wall of trees is harder than it sounds.
South Korea Has Finally Picked a Side
After so many years of trying to please everyone, South Korea is throwing its lot in with the free world.
Ukraine’s Finest Hour
The courage of the Ukrainian people in the face of overwhelming odds, in the face of likely death or imprisonment, puts us all to shame.
The Certain Uncertainty of the French Presidential Race
Emmanuel Macron looks set to win a second term, but if there’s one thing about French presidential elections, it’s that they’re always surprising.
Idlers of the World, Unite!
The Antiwork online forum is exploding in popularity in the US, encouraging workers to reject tyrannical bosses, low wages, and even modern capitalism itself. Should employers be worried?
Marica Hase on Sex, Culture, and Surviving Breast Cancer
Japanese porn star Marica Hase is a strange mixture of pliability and determination, of softness and hardness. That’s probably why she’s so good at her job.
Night Has Taken the City
The supernatural world bleeds into modern-day Manila in the spectacular new Netflix series, Trese.
The World Is Learning to Say “No” to China
China is the ultimate crybully – a country that bullies others yet invokes historical suffering to try to portray itself as a perpetual victim – and other countries are getting sick of its routine.
No One Says “No” to Chindian Food
No matter how bad relations get with China, even Indian nationalists won’t give up their Chinese food.
Lithuania Sees a Kindred Spirit in Taiwan
Lithuania is drawing closer to Taiwan – and it doesn’t care if China doesn’t like it.
Here Be Dragons
Raya and the Last Dragon is the first Disney movie set in Southeast Asia. And it’s actually good.
Sleeper Agents
Female spies from Asia are every bit as dangerous – and as seductive – as their Western counterparts.
Shunga: Beyond “Edo Porn”
Shunga were highly erotic Japanese paintings and woodblock prints characterized by meticulously detailed genitalia, astonishing physical contortions, and occasional witty dialogue or commentary.
The World’s Election
What’s at stake in this election? The soul of a country that is also a symbol to the world; the fate of democracy itself.
Divinity in the Mundane
Kept at home by quarantines, we grow numb to our lives, our surroundings, and the unfolding tragedy of the pandemic. But regaining our sense of wonder can help us feel again.
Ed Simon on Wonder in the Time of Coronavirus
Writer Ed Simon discusses the role wonder can play in helping us appreciate the depth of the tragedy as well as the beauty around us.
The Mezcal Invasion
Once derided as rotgut, tequila’s smoky, artisanal cousin is coming to a trendy bar near you.
Sleeping to the Top
Whilst prostitution evokes cheap perfume, immorality, and desperation, the courtesan is associated with art, fame, and riches.
A Prostitute’s Place
In modern Japan, prostitutes straddle both a legal and a moral boundary.
Supernatural Femme Fatales
Why are myths and legends full of supernatural seductresses?
Pakistan’s Tribal Belt Joins the Modern World
Annexed by the British, claimed by Afghanistan, a battleground during the Great Game, the Cold War, and the War on Terror, Pakistan’s lawless tribal region is finally integrated into the rest of the country.
Catullus: The Original Emo Rhapsodist
Whilst the popular impression of Romans is of marble statues, one poet showed they could cry, love, and swear.
Smells like Hong Kong Spirit
Hong Kongers know when they’ve got something valuable, and if someone tries to take it from them, they’ll fight like dogs to keep it.
Sex, Death, and God
Sex is one of the most natural of human activities. So why do we treat it as so taboo?