Ulan Bator’s urban music scene is buzzing with a new vibe created by a hip-hop duo mixing into their sound the traditional art of throat singing, or “khoomei”, as Mongolians call it.
Rap group Fish Symboled Stamp, named after a fish-shaped seal traditionally used to brand horses in the landlocked nation, incorporates the nearly 1,000-year-old vocal tradition of communities across Siberia and Central Asia.
Khoomei means “pharynx”, and performers imitate the sounds…
Southeast Asian states vow cooperation on ‘growing’ militant threat
Southeast Asian nations will cooperate more closely with intelligence and law enforcement authorities from the Middle East amid “grave concerns” about an elevated threat from Islamic State (IS) in the region.
Representatives from four Southeast Asian nations, Australia and New Zealand met in the Indonesian city of Manado on Saturday to develop a response to the increased danger posed by IS, highlighted by the occupation of parts of the southern Philippines city of Marawi by…
Appeal court dismisses dating app ‘partnership’ challenge
Two leading concert pianists who claimed that they had entered into a partnership to create a dating app with a developer friend have had their case dismissed by a Scottish appeal court.
France and Belgium told to end tax exemptions for ports
The European Commission has told France and Belgium that they must abolish tax exemptions granted to their ports to comply with EU state aid rules.
Australia and UAE form fintech alliance
Regulators in Australia and Abu Dhabi are to share information on national fintech trends and help fintech businesses develop in the two countries.
Asia in 3 minutes: Duterte threatens to bomb schools, Hong Kong maids radicalised to join Islamic State
Duterte wants to bomb tribal schools to halt rebel indoctrination Human rights groups urged Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to retract a threat to order airstrikes against tribal schools he accused of teaching students to become communist rebels, warning such an attack would constitute a war crime. Angered by recent communist rebel attacks on government forces, including a gun battle last week that wounded five members of his elite presidential guards, Duterte has called off peace talks…
Duterte’s joint energy plan for South China Sea may test Asean’s unity
Manila’s plan for joint energy exploration with Beijing in the South China Sea could be a test of unity for the Asean regional bloc as it grapples with an increasingly assertive China. Several members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have privately expressed concerns over Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s plan, according to observers. They say Manila’s bid to edge closer to Beijing economically could deepen divisions in the group over how to deal with…
Meet the Japanese YouTube stars hoping to go global
YouTubers around the world have found fame on the online video platform, with a select number achieving mainstream success as their millions of fans propel them to brand endorsements, best-selling books and cameos in major films.
While still far behind the likes of Sweden’s PewDiePie, who has amassed the world’s highest number of subscribers at 56 million, top YouTubers in Japan have achieved followings in the millions and are also seeing signs of breaking into mainstream pop…
Major data protection reforms proposed in Singapore
Businesses in Singapore could soon be given new rights to process personal data without the consent of the people to whom the information relates, under proposals outlined by the government in the city state.
Terrorists and kidnappings: avoid southern Philippines, Western governments warn
Western governments are warning their citizens against travelling to nearly all of the southern third of the Philippines, citing the rising threats of terror attacks and kidnappings by Islamist militants.
Fresh alerts from Britain, Canada and Australia were released this week after President Rodrigo Duterte extended military rule across the southern region of Mindanao until the end of the year to combat the militants.
The Canadian advisory on Monday warned against visiting any part of Mindanao…