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· Michelle De Pacina
Renaming of University of Oxford college after Vietnamese billionaire ‘Madame Thao’ now ‘in doubt’
Last year, Linacre College announced that it would be changing its name to Thao College after Vietnam’s first and only woman billionaire after she pledged a 155 million British pound (approximately $171.4 million) donation from her Vietnamese investment group Sovico Group.…
· Michelle De Pacina
Singapore Airlines will no longer end contracts of pregnant flight attendants after they give birth
Singapore Airlines (SIA) is now allowing pregnant cabin crew to apply for temporary ground positions until before their delivery. Once they have given birth, flight attendants will be placed on up to 16 weeks of maternity leave before they are automatically rostered to fly…
· Bryan Ke
Melbourne brothel manager who prostituted 16-year-old girl avoids jail time
Cheng Li, the 35-year-old former manager of the Heidelberg Angels brothel in Melbourne, Australia, escaped a possible 15-year jail sentence on Monday for selling a 16-year-old girl for sex. County Court Judge Angela Ellis sentenced Li to a three-year community corrections order…
· Bryan Ke
Konerak Sinthasomphone: The Jeffrey Dahmer victim police failed to protect
Jeffrey Dahmer, the infamous serial killer known as the Milwaukee Monster, murdered 14-year-old Laotian Konerak Sinthasomphone on May 27, 1991. Milwaukee police were called hours before the gruesome murder but reportedly failed to conduct proper procedures that could have saved…
· Ryan General
Survival of 3-year-old who slept through Thailand daycare massacre deemed a ‘miracle’
Three-year-old Paveenut Supolwong was left unscathed as she slept while a former police officer stormed a daycare center in Thailand and killed at least 36 people, including 24 children. Supolwong was the only child in the nursery to have escaped unharmed by Panya Khamrap, who…
· Michelle De Pacina
Elon Musk’s unsolicited idea to resolve China-Taiwan tensions praised by China, dismissed by Taiwan
In a recent Financial Times interview, Elon Musk suggested that the tension between Taiwan and China could be resolved if Taiwan handed Beijing some control. Qin Gang, China's ambassador to the U.S., praised Musk for his comment. Hsiao Bi-khim, Taiwan’s de facto ambassador to…
· Carl Samson
Purdue student who confessed to killing his roommate apologizes, says he was ‘blackmailed’
Varun Manish Chheda, a 20-year-old Purdue University student, was murdered in his dorm room in West Lafayette, Indiana, on Wednesday. A preliminary autopsy revealed that the data science senior had died of “multiple sharp-force traumatic injuries” to the head and neck. Chheda’s…
· Ryan General
Mandatory ‘love education’ course for college students gains support in China
The Chinese Ministry of Education has expressed support for a lawmaker’s proposal to include “love and marriage” values in the curriculum for universities and colleges in China. National People Congress deputy Huang Xihua filed a proposal in March to teach tertiary students the…
· Carl Samson
‘True allyship’: Black man hailed hero after saving elderly Asian man from carjacking perp
An unidentified man is being hailed as a hero after reportedly preventing a carjacking that purportedly targeted an elderly Asian man. A video of the aftermath shows the Good Samaritan driving the alleged perpetrator away with what looks like a gun. The alleged carjacker can be…
· Bryan Ke
Japanese filmmaker sentenced to 7 years in jail by Myanmar junta
A Myanmar court has sentenced Toru Kubota, a 26-year-old freelance filmmaker from Japan, to three years in jail for sedition and seven years in jail for electronic communications-related violations. He will serve the two sentences concurrently, meaning he will spend a total of…
· Bryan Ke
Taiwanese man wins historic medal at 2022 World Judo Championships
Judoka Yang Yung-wei has become the first athlete to win a medal for Taiwan at this year's World Judo Championships. Yang, 25, competed in the men's extra-lightweight (60 kg) event and ultimately defeated Israeli athlete Yam Wolczak to take home bronze on Thursday. Yang's…
· Ryan General
Thailand to impose total ban on plastic scrap imports by 2025
Thailand will be implementing a plan of action in three phases that will culminate in a total ban on plastic scrap imports by 2025. The first phase, which will begin next year, involves imposing limits on the amount of imported plastic scrap based on plants’ actual production…
· Michelle De Pacina
American man arrested for smashing man’s car in Thailand
A 45-year-old American man, identified only as Andigo, was arrested in Thailand on Wednesday for smashing a man’s car and threatening his family. The incident, which was captured on camera, has circulated on social media. Andigo told police that he damaged the car because he…
· Michelle De Pacina
At least 36 dead, including 24 children, in Thailand child-care center massacre
Panya Kamrab, a 34-year-old former policeman, killed 36 people, including 24 children, during a knife and gun rampage at a childcare center in northeast Thailand on Thursday. Kamrab was in court earlier in the day for drug charges previously filed against him. After his hearing,…
· Khier Casino
Chai Fonacier receives praise and criticism over her Filipino accent in new film ‘Nocebo’
A trailer for Filipino Irish psychological thriller “Nocebo,” featuring Chai Fonacier, has sparked heated debate over the accent her character uses in the film. Many moviegoers were ecstatic to see Fonacier make her debut in the West after starring in award-winning Filipino…
· Michelle De Pacina
‘The Thai Frank Abagnale’: Chicken vendor fakes being a lawyer for years and wins several cases
Pornthep Kachenpak, a chicken vendor, successfully faked his license to practice law and won several cases in court. Kachenpak was arrested on suspicion of forging a license to practice law and forging documents from Kamphaeng Phet Provincial Court. His fraudulent credentials…
· Carl Samson
Arraignment of Chinese man accused of killing Nigerian ex-girlfriend stalls due to lack of interpreter
The arraignment of Chinese national Geng Quanrong in Kano, Nigeria, has reportedly stalled due to a lack of an interpreter. Geng, 47, is facing a homicide charge after allegedly stabbing his ex-lover Ummukulsum “Ummita” Buhari to death on Sept. 16. The hearing has been adjourned…
· Ryan General
S. Korean religious leader who claims to be the messiah arrested on sexual assault charges
Jung Myung-seok, the 77-year-old leader of the controversial religious group Providence, was arrested on Tuesday over rape and molestation allegations. The self-proclaimed messiah, who founded Providence in 1978, is accused of sexually assaulting multiple women and is currently…
· Michelle De Pacina
Woman found dead in Taiwan temple carried notes warning against ‘casual communication with spirits’
A 20-year-old student, surnamed Zhong, was found dead in the women’s bathroom of a temple in Taiwan on Sept. 29. In her bag, two notes warning against communicating “with people in the spirit world” were found. An autopsy report of the deceased has yet to be released. A woman…
· Bryan Ke
NYC bail reform slammed after repeat offender makes 42nd attack
Robert Kelley, vice president of New York City’s Transport Union, slammed the city’s bail reform on “Fox & Friends First” on Monday in protest after officials put repeat offender Alexander Wright under the new bail reform. Wright, 49, was charged with assault and harassment for…
Answer
BTS connects to HYBE, Weverse, memberships, merch, and tickets.
People & Works
Open
Person · Screen
Anna Sawai
Her 'Shogun' win cracked a category that had never gone to an Asian actor in 76 years of the Emmys — a ceiling break that arrived only once the industry let an Asian-led epic play in its own language.
Culture surface · Beauty
Beauty retail
Beauty retail is a culture-first entry point into the listed company behind it.
Person · Music
Dimash Qudaibergen
A Kazakh singer with a freakish multi-octave range conquered China's living rooms overnight and became Central Asia's most improbable soft-power export — a diaspora-of-one proving fandom now flows East before West.
IP · Anime
Haikyu!! films
Haikyu!! is the rare franchise that peaked commercially after its manga ended — the 2024 film cleared $100M worldwide and back-catalog sales grew ~50% post-conclusion, evidence that a well-timed theatrical event can reactivate a completed IP rather than merely close it out.
Platform · Platforms
Kakao Entertainment
Kakao Entertainment connects to Kakao and the broader platforms story around it.
Culture surface · Platforms
Kling AI
Kling AI connects to Kuaishou and the broader platforms story around it.
Culture surface · Platforms
Kuaishou
Kuaishou connects to Kuaishou and the broader platforms story around it.
Culture surface · Platforms
Kwai
Kwai connects to Kuaishou and the broader platforms story around it.
Culture surface · Retail
Lifestyle retail
Lifestyle retail connects to Miniso and the broader retail story around it.
Results
Culture · brand
Uniqlo
Uniqlo connects to Fast Retailing, the company behind the stores, basics, and repeat buying habit.
Culture · routine / beauty brands
K-beauty
K-beauty connects to companies built around skincare routines, hero products, and travel retail.
Culture · platform
Weverse
Weverse connects to HYBE, the platform where memberships, merch, content, and fandom access keep moving after the song.
Company · Japan · TYO:7832
Bandai Namco Holdings
Bandai Namco sits behind toys, anime IP, games, and licensing that turn fandom into everyday consumer products.
Company · China · HKEX:1024
Kuaishou
Kuaishou is China's number-two short-video platform, where livestream selling turned everyday creators into a shopping channel and rewired how goods get sold.
Company · India · NSE:ZEEL
Zee Entertainment
Zee is one of India's largest media networks — the TV channels and ZEE5 streaming that carry Bollywood and regional-language entertainment to a billion viewers and the diaspora.
Company · Japan · TYO:9983
Fast Retailing
Fast Retailing matters because Uniqlo is an everyday consumer habit, not just a stock story.
Company · Korea · KOSDAQ:035900
JYP Entertainment
JYP is tied to groups that drive albums, tours, subscriptions, merch, and international fan activity.
Company · Korea · KOSDAQ:041510
SM Entertainment
SM is tied to idol groups, tours, fan clubs, and the long-running system behind some of K-pop's most recognizable acts.
Company · Korea · KOSDAQ:122870
YG Entertainment
YG connects global K-pop attention to touring, brand deals, fan demand, and artist-centered entertainment revenue.
Company · China · NYSE:BABA
Alibaba
Alibaba is China's commerce-and-entertainment backbone — Taobao and Tmall shopping habits fund Youku streaming and Alibaba Pictures, tying online spending to what China watches.
Alibaba · Platforms · NYSE:BABA
The Grammys created an award for Asian pop. BTS said no.
Alibaba is China's commerce-and-entertainment backbone — Taobao and Tmall shopping habits fund Youku streaming and Alibaba Pictures, tying online spending to what China watches.
Fast Retailing · Fashion · TYO:9983
Your Uniqlo basics keep you coming back.
This shows up when you go back to Uniqlo for another pack of basics instead of treating the brand like a one-time fashion buy.
NetEase · Streaming · HKEX:9999
Your playlist depends on deals you never see.
NetEase helps explain gaming, music streaming, and online entertainment habits in Chinese consumer culture.
CJ ENM · Entertainment · KOSDAQ:035760
Before the first song drops, H//PE Princess already has a global Warner deal.
A debut deal matters less than whether the group turns into repeat listening, touring, merch, and fandom across markets.
Explainer · Sanrio
Hello Kitty is not just something you buy anymore. Sanrio wants you to play inside the world.
Sanrio shows how character fandom becomes retail, licensing, collabs, parks, and global consumer demand.
Explainer · Amorepacific
K-beauty won the Amazon cart. The real prize is your second bottle.
The first sale matters less than the repeat routine. If a product sticks, the brand can keep winning on replenishment, retail placement, and cross-market demand.