Culture

Culture • STORY OF THE DAY • Jan 11, 2021 • 9 min read

History In defence of MSG: The seasoning that revolutionised Thai cuisine

By Wanpen Pajai • Jan 11, 2021
Monosodium glutamate, better known as MSG, has a rough reputation in the culinary world for its perceived bad health effects. But this naturally occurring ingredient has simplified and revolutionised the preparation of Thai cuisine, helping to bring good food to the masses

Culture • STORY OF THE DAY • Jan 11, 2021 • 4 min read

Aviation Indonesia says located black box recorders from crashed plane

By Dessy Sagita/AFP • Jan 11, 2021
Following the deadly crash of Sriwijaya Air Boeing 737-500, body parts, twisted wreckage and clothing were plucked from waters off the Indonesian capital on Sunday as the location of the black boxes, key to understanding the cause of the accident, were located

Culture • STORY OF THE DAY • Dec 31, 2020 • 8 min read

Multiculturalism A minority within minorities: Growing up as an African-Singaporean

By Ashley Tan • Dec 31, 2020
In Singapore, people are divided into four main racial groups – Chinese, Malay, Indian and “Others”. But in an increasingly modern and diverse city-state, many people of mixed heritage, among them African-Singaporeans, don't feel they fall into neat racial categories

Culture • Dec 22, 2020 • 2 min read
History

[Photos] An idyllic slice of 1957 Cambodian life

Pre-war and genocide, the 1950s was a time of great hope and aspiration in Cambodia. This collection of photos, taken by LIFE Magazine photographer John Dominis in 1957, captures that time in the Kingdom's history
By Saigoneer • Dec 22, 2020

Culture • Dec 14, 2020 • 7 min read
History

[Photos] Ancient Angkor as seen through the decades

On December 14, 1992 – after miraculously surviving decades of war, strife and looting – Angkor Wat was officially listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, we've scoured through the pictorial archives to uncover some of ancient monument's more iconic moments
By Dani Gill • Dec 14, 2020

Culture • Dec 11, 2020 • 11 min read
History

Britain’s My Lai? Remembering the Batang Kali massacre in Malaysia

On December 12, 1948, British troops massacred 24 civilians in the village of Batang Kali at the height of communist insurgency, the Malayan Emergency. Some regard it as Britain's My Lai, with the relatives' of those killed continuing their search for the truth to this day
By Christopher Hale • Dec 11, 2020

Culture • Dec 11, 2020 • 8 min read
Covid-19

Filmmaker casts light on Singapore’s sex workers under lockdown

In squeaky clean Singapore, the reality of life for the city-state's thousands of sex workers remains an under-told story. As part of this year's FreedomFilmFest, director Jessica Lee hopes to shed light on the lives sustaining this murky industry under lockdown
By Ashley Tan • Dec 11, 2020

Culture • Dec 09, 2020 • 7 min read
Thai democracy

Among LA’s Thais, a movement for democracy in the homeland is brewing

As youth-led protests rumble on in the Thai capital Bangkok, thousands of kilometres away in Los Angeles, a cohort of Thais in America are pushing forward with a pro-democracy movement of their own
By Tara Abhasakun • Dec 09, 2020

Culture • Dec 08, 2020 • 9 min read
Covid-19

[Photos] Covid-19 in Southeast Asia: A year in pictures

Exactly one year on from the first confirmed case of Covid-19 in Wuhan, it goes without saying that 2020 has been a year unlike any other. In a series of photos, the Globe revisits some of the key moments from this year in Southeast Asia, as the virus turned lives and livelihoods upside down
By Alexi Demetriadi • Dec 08, 2020

Culture • Dec 03, 2020 • 4 min read
Prisons

Philippine gangs ink over tattoos to combat jail violence

Heavily-tattooed Philippine inmates are using improvised tattooing machines to cover up symbols identifying their gang affiliation in a skin-deep effort to reduce jail violence
By Ron Lopez/AFP • Dec 03, 2020

Culture • Nov 27, 2020 • 2 min read
Vietnam history

[Photos] A collection of illusory Saigon nightscapes from 1938

While there remain no shortage of photos documenting Vietnam as it has evolved over the past century, this collection of images from 1938 provides a rare and striking glimpse into colonial Saigon after sunset
By Saigoneer • Nov 27, 2020