MANILA: Since its premiere in 2001, Hayao Miyazaki’s film “Spirited Away” has pushed the limits of what is possible in the world of animation. For 19 years, it was Japan’s highest grossing picture of all time, and it changed the public’s perception of animated films, showing that they can be more than just cartoons for children. It was also the …

US: When Thor: Ragnarok came out in 2017, he had to deal with his brothers and sisters, his planet’s impending annihilation, a booze-fueled sidekick, a gigantic dog and the death of his father. A Taika Waititi film is at its most intense when it has everything: slow-motion strolling, stupid antlered headdresses, sword fighting and laser cannons, capes and zombie soldiers, …

NEW ZEALAND: Will Jordan, David Havili, and Jack Goodhue missed the first test against Ireland because of COVID-19, but captain Sam Cane says they are under no obligation to play in Saturday’s second test against Ireland. After missing Auckland’s 42-19 victory over Ireland last weekend, all three players returned to training on Tuesday in preparation for Dunedin’s second test match …

NEW YORK: Due to the obvious Supreme Court’s decision last week to overturn Roe v. Wade, which restricts safe, legal abortion access in many states, women seeking abortions are increasingly turning to online alternatives. Traffic on telemedicine abortion platforms has increased 456 percent after the leaked draft ruling was made public in May and an additional 20 percent month-over-month in …

SOUTH KOREA: For the first time since last year, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. is expected to have its greatest April-June profit since 2018 with a 15 percent year-on-year increase in revenue from server customers. According to a Refinitiv SmartEstimate based on 24 analysts’ estimates, operating profit for the world’s largest smartphone and memory chip maker increased to 14.46 trillion won …

MALAYSIA: The Malaysia Open final was Japan’s Kento Momota’s first final appearance of the year, when he beat Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn in straight sets on Saturday. Viktor Axelsen, the world number one, overcame Jonatan Christie, the second seed, 21-15, 20-22, 21-11, to reach the final on Sunday. An important step forward for Momota’s career had been set back by a …

INDONESIA: As a council member in a plantation area warned farmers faced an “emergency” owing to falling prices, Indonesia upped the palm oil export quota on Tuesday (Jul 5), hoping to curb soaring inventories of the edible oil. After a three-week export embargo that ended on May 23 resulted in a significant buildup of domestic stockpiles and outraged farmers by …

SINGAPORE: There were two drunken passengers who improperly touched their Grab driver as he drove them home, even while on the motorway. The buddies repeatedly touched the victim, despite his repeated cries for them to stop, in what a judge called a “tag team” effort. One of them exited the vehicle, and the other climbed into the front passenger seat …

MANILA: Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the son of Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos, said on Tuesday (July 5) that he wanted relations with Beijing to be about more than just their dispute over the South China Sea, and he emphasized the importance of multilateral engagement in dealing with problems. Before Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to Southeast Asia, Marcos told a …

THAILAND: Government ministers urged Thailand’s hotels, businesses, and private clinics to desist from slashing prices in order to attract tourists and instead focus on enhancing the country’s reputation as a premium tourism destination (Jul 4). In the first six months of this year, Thailand welcomed roughly 2 million foreign visitors, a steady recovery from the pandemic and more than 18 …