Rhinoceros beetles are one of the greatest threats to oil palm crops, attacking plants while they are young and potentially lowering a farm’s yield for years. They also affect workers’ health, since pesticides need to be sprayed frequently. Based in Kuala Lumpur, Poladrone wants to change the way farms use pesticides with a combination of […]
“The quiet of the aftermath pressed down on us”
Two scifi stories about people finding tendrils of human connection while confronting modern grief. “A Glut of Nothing, and Yet… Something” by Monte Lin: “”The Singularity had come, but not the one people wanted…. the Glut: a grayed-out area that e…
Upmesh wants to build a community-driven discovery app for Southeast Asian live commerce
The founders of Upmesh were building a game on top of Twitch’s API when they realized something about another group of livestreamers. Even though selling through Facebook Live has been gaining popularity in Southeast Asia for years, many vendors are still going through their comments afterward and using pen-and-paper to collect orders. Upmesh was created […]
“it smelled good, but… in my mind it already belonged to someone else”
piratefsh wrote a short series of blog posts about allowing herself to become a perfume aficionado, starting with “Every month or so, about two weeks before my period starts, my nose gets hypersensitive.” (Content note for vomiting.) Part two: “Sales a…
‘It will be found’: search for MH370 continues with experts and amateurs still sleuthing
It is the ‘mystery that must be solved’ – seven-and-a-half years after the Malaysia Airlines flight disappeared with 239 people on boardSomewhere in the vast expanse of Earth’s oceans lies MH370, the Malaysia Airlines flight that disappeared on 8 March…
Facebook revamps its business tool lineup following threats to its ad targeting business
Facebook today is announcing the launch of new products and features for business owners, following the threat to its ad targeting business driven by Apple’s new privacy features, which now allow mobile users to opt out of being tracked across their iOS apps. The social networking giant has repeatedly argued that Apple’s changes would impact […]
Strangers on a Pier by Tash Aw review – memories of a Malaysian outsider
Aw’s memoir subtly laments the gulf between him and his parents, the present and the pastThe novelist Tash Aw was 15 when he noticed the difference. He knew that his classmates at school weren’t all ethnically Chinese like him. There were Tamil kids wh…
Labour says PPE orders must not go to Xinjiang firms that use forced workers
Exclusive: Emily Thornberry appeals to Sajid Javid to tackle issue of forced labour in Chinese provinceLabour has written to the health secretary, Sajid Javid, urging him to ensure a new £5bn contract for NHS protective equipment including gowns and ma…
Malaysia: Ismail Sabri Yaakob could be next PM, restoring party to power after 1MDB scandal
Former deputy PM is likely to takeover from Muhyiddin Yassin, taking the UMNO party ousted amid the the 1MDB scandal back into officeFormer Malaysian deputy prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob looked set to form the next government after gaining a parli…
Malaysian prime minister resigns but remains interim leader
Muhyiddin Yassin offers resignation to king after months of political instability but elections put on holdMalaysia’s embattled prime minister, Muhyiddin Yassin, has resigned but will stay on as interim premier, the royal palace has said, as the countr…