Straitstimes.com header logo

Choose edition

Search

singapore

asia

world

opinion

life

business

sport

Visual

Podcasts

SPH Rewards

STClassifieds

Paid press releases

Advertise with us

FAQs

Contact us

 

Letter From The Bureau

Letter From Kuala Lumpur

Gongxi Gongxi so passe: How Malaysia became a powerhouse in producing CNY songs

whcnysong - Internet celebrity Ti Bing Yen adjusted his CNY musical direction to cater to primary school students and meet market demand.
Credit: Courtesy of Ti Bing Yen
whcnysong - Internet celebrity Ti Bing Yen adjusted his CNY musical direction to cater to primary school students and meet market demand.
Credit: Courtesy of Ti Bing Yen

Letter From Hanoi

In Vietnam’s capital city, many are finding it hard to breathe

Motorists make their way on a street amid heavy air pollution conditions in Hanoi on January 15, 2026. (Photo by Nhac NGUYEN / AFP)
Motorists make their way on a street amid heavy air pollution conditions in Hanoi on January 15, 2026. (Photo by Nhac NGUYEN / AFP)

Letter From Seoul

8 hours of gaming a day? No problem, say South Korean parents, as career in e-sports gains acceptance

A photo of T1’s Faker is shown on a large monitor as South Korea’s T1 and KT fans attend a viewing party for the League of Legends 2025 World Championship Finals at LoL Park Stadium, an e-sports venue in Seoul on November 9, 2025, as the LoL Worlds Championship finals between T1 and KT takes place in Chengdu. (Photo by ANTHONY WALLACE / AFP)
A photo of T1’s Faker is shown on a large monitor as South Korea’s T1 and KT fans attend a viewing party for the League of Legends 2025 World Championship Finals at LoL Park Stadium, an e-sports venue in Seoul on November 9, 2025, as the LoL Worlds Championship finals between T1 and KT takes place in Chengdu. (Photo by ANTHONY WALLACE / AFP)

Letter From Jakarta

Scandals, divorce, graft probe: What led to the downfall of this Insta-famous Indonesian governor?

Former West Java governor Ridwan Kamil and his ex-wife Atalia Praratya on the campaign trail in his gubernatorial bid for Jakarta in November 2024.
Former West Java governor Ridwan Kamil and his ex-wife Atalia Praratya on the campaign trail in his gubernatorial bid for Jakarta in November 2024.

Letter From Kuala Lumpur

From TikTok to trophies: Malaysia’s science influencers, robotics contests nudge students towards STEM

Young Malaysian students compete in the International Robot Challenge 2025 in Beijing in August.
Young Malaysian students compete in the International Robot Challenge 2025 in Beijing in August.

Letter From Tokyo

Japan has a shrinking population of kids and a tepid economy. But its toy market is booming

The International Tokyo Toy Show, an annual four-day event held from Aug 28 to 31 with the first two days for business stakeholders and the other two for members of the public, draws a bustling crowd eager to check out new toy releases.
The International Tokyo Toy Show, an annual four-day event held from Aug 28 to 31 with the first two days for business stakeholders and the other two for members of the public, draws a bustling crowd eager to check out new toy releases.

Letter From Taipei

China frowns as Mona Lisa of Taiwan’s palace museum goes on loan to Prague

wyyletter26 - While the iconic Jadeite Cabbage is on display in the Czech Republic, two “cabbage sisters" are shown in its place.


CREDIT: YIP WAI YEE
wyyletter26 - While the iconic Jadeite Cabbage is on display in the Czech Republic, two “cabbage sisters" are shown in its place.


CREDIT: YIP WAI YEE

Letter From Hong Kong

How a 1920s fable can help us understand what went wrong in the Tai Po fire 

mfletter22 - As the sun sets and the lights come on in Hong Kong on Dec 17, 2025, the dark outlines of the charred towers of Wang Fuk Court look particularly stark, brutal even, against the Tai Po skyline, as if determined to remind every passer-by of the city’s recent sorrow.
ST PHOTO: MAGDALENE FUNG
mfletter22 - As the sun sets and the lights come on in Hong Kong on Dec 17, 2025, the dark outlines of the charred towers of Wang Fuk Court look particularly stark, brutal even, against the Tai Po skyline, as if determined to remind every passer-by of the city’s recent sorrow.
ST PHOTO: MAGDALENE FUNG

Letter From Putrajaya

This Malaysian city was meant to replace Kuala Lumpur as the capital; 30 years on, it still hasn’t

Generic of Putrajaya, Malaysia on Dec 10, 2025.
Generic of Putrajaya, Malaysia on Dec 10, 2025.

Letter From Bihar

How children from ‘Manchester of Bihar’ defy odds to study in elite Indian institutes

ngweaver - Students study at Vriksh Pathshala in Patwa Toli village in the eastern state of Bihar. 
ST PHOTO: NIRMALA GANAPATHY
ngweaver - Students study at Vriksh Pathshala in Patwa Toli village in the eastern state of Bihar. 
ST PHOTO: NIRMALA GANAPATHY

E-paper

Newsletters

Podcasts

RSS Feed

About Us

Terms & Conditions

Privacy Policy

Need help? Reach us here.

Advertise with us

Download the app

Get unlimited access to exclusive stories and incisive insights from the ST newsroom
Subscribe Placeholder
MDDI (P) 046/10/2025. Published by SPH Media Limited, Co. Regn. No.202120748H. Copyright © 2026 SPH Media Limited. All rights reserved.