Singapore is a nation of coffee lovers, but not the kind you might expect. Instead of fancy lattes and cappuccinos, most Singaporeans prefer their coffee the traditional way: brewed with a sock filter, sweetened with condensed milk, and served in a kopitiam, or coffee shop. Kopitiam is a Malay word that combines kopi, meaning coffee, and tiam, meaning shop. These …

A series of powerful earthquakes rocked Japan‘s west coast on Thursday, causing damage to buildings and infrastructure, and injuring dozens of people. The quakes, the largest of which had a magnitude of 7.6, also triggered a tsunami alert, but it was later lifted as no significant waves were detected. The Japan Meteorological Agency said the first quake struck at 2:27 …

McDonald’s Malaysia has filed a lawsuit against a pro-Palestinian group for calling for a boycott of companies allegedly supporting Israel. The fast-food chain is seeking $1.3 million in damages for alleged defamation. The civil suit against BDS Malaysia, a part of the global Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement, was filed on Friday. McDonald’s Malaysia said in a statement that it “does …

Southeast Asian leaders who have waged brutal campaigns against illegal drugs are facing growing public discontent and legal challenges over their involvement in drug war scams, according to a commentary by Zachary Abuza, a professor at the National War College in Washington. The commentary, published by BenarNews, an online news service affiliated with Radio Free Asia, argues that the drug …

Japan is facing a dilemma of how to attract more foreign workers to fill its labor shortage, as the country is no longer the preferred destination for many migrants, according to a business magazine. Toyo Keizai (Dec 2) reported that Japan is losing its appeal for foreign workers due to its low wages, harsh working conditions, and language barrier, compared …

The Philippines is set to deploy Indian-made BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to boost its maritime defense capabilities and deter China’s aggression in the South China Sea. The Philippine Navy has ordered three batteries of the BrahMos missile system, which can be launched from land, sea, or air platforms, and can hit targets up to 290 kilometers (180 miles) away with …

Indonesia will impose a new tax on e-cigarettes from Jan. 1, adding to an excise tax to help curb vaping, the finance ministry said on Saturday. Southeast Asia’s largest economy has set the additional tax at 10 percent of the excise tariff for electronic cigarettes, which are devices that heat a liquid containing nicotine to create a vapor that users …

Phuket, one of Thailand‘s most popular tourist destinations, has launched an online visa extension system for foreigners who wish to stay longer in the country. The “e-Extension” system, announced by the Immigration Bureau on Tuesday, allows tourists to apply for extensions to their stay via the internet, without having to visit the immigration office in person. The system is available …

Former Malaysian finance minister Daim Zainuddin has accused Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of abusing his power and launching a politically motivated corruption probe into his assets. Daim, who was a close ally of former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, said Anwar was using the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to target him and his family, after the agency seized his flagship property …

The Israeli embassy in South Korea has apologised for posting a video on its Facebook account that showed an imaginary scenario in which Koreans are attacked by masked assailants in Seoul, a reference to Hamas, the Palestinian militant group. The video, which was uploaded on Tuesday, was intended to illustrate the suffering of Israelis during the recent conflict with Hamas …