Star2
Mountain traditions
THERE’S something mesmerising about the way Anita Cota rolls out thin layers of pastry using a small wooden rod. Over and over again, she presses the filo layers flat, starting in the middle and rolling from the inside out twice to make them even...
Read Full Story (Page 5)
A weekend road trip to Betong in the south of thailand.
THE first thing that caught our attention in Betong, Thailand wasn’t a temple, a market or a scenic viewpoint. It was two enormous yellow chicken statues keeping “watch” over a road junction. My friend and I didn’t think much of it. We’d come across...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
Sheets of sustainability
WHAT if that old pair of jeans you were about to throw away could be given a new lease of life – as a sheet of paper? With some pounding, pulping and mixing with paper fibres, old denim can be transformed into handmade paper. Yes, you read that...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
Ball of a time
STEPHEN Chow steps into a packed cinema hall to deafening cheers. He waves shyly, as if unable to believe all the fanfare is for him. It is 4.30pm on Aug 8 at Emperor Cinemas Plus+ in The Wai shopping mall in Hong Kong. The screaming crowd has just...
Read Full Story (Page 3)
Modesty in motion
AS more women include fitness into their lifestyles, expectations of modest activewear have shifted. Today’s consumers are not simply looking for garments that meet requirements of coverage; they want pieces that perform, flatter and support them...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
The Mimpi Jernang
exhibition explores dream interpretation as guidance for relationships with people, nature and the unseen. 3
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Building for bots
IT’S a Saturday morning at a local university in Selangor, where participants have gathered for the International Youth Robot Competition (IYRC) Asean 2026. Science teacher Nur Syamsiah Abdul Majid shares that her school, Sekolah Kebangsaan Bandar...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
Sugar The reckoning
FOR decades, the standard dietary advice given to millions of Americans and the world was simple: fat is the enemy. We were told to purge our refrigerators of butter, eggs, and whole milk, replacing them with “hearthealthy” low-fat alternatives. This...
Read Full Story (Page 4)
How to minimise jet lag
JET lag threatens to turn even a dream vacation into a slog. And with peak travel season underway in the United States and Europe, millions of people may have to contend with this disorienting condition, which can cause sleep disturbances, daytime...
Read Full Story (Page 4)
With the theme of the article in mind, carry out the following English language activities.
1draw a robot. then, write four sentences about it. For example, “My robot’s name is ________.” “it can ________.” “it helps me with ________.” “My favourite thing about it is ________.” 2Play a game like simon says, but call it robot says. For...
Read Full Story (Page 4)
Ted Lasso.
Cristo Fernandez played a football star on three seasons of hit comedy Now, he’s on the pitch as a pro. 2
Read Full Story (Page 1)
A STAGE FOR MALAYSIAN STYLE
HEADS turned as the model strode down the runway in a flowing pleated ensemble adorned with a striking rickshaw motif. The room fell silent, broken only by hushed whispers of admiration. The look was among many standout creations that captivated...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
A bugged out mansion
Photos: AFP UPSTAIRS, Nazi generals enjoyed wine and lounged in elegant rooms. Downstairs in the basement, a team of covert listeners followed their chatter, gleaning vital insights into Germany’s war plans. During World War II, Trent Park, a country...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
Debate over Digital Downtime
In light of the recent implementation of social media restrictions for under-16s, psychologists and mental health experts believe the measure may help protect young users but could also have unintended consequences. Countless reports and headlines in...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Cooking beyond barriers
ONE afternoon this spring, a recipe by Lay Alston, a San Diegobased chef, arrived in my inbox. The dish – charred shrimp coated with a condiment she calls “shimi sauce” – was easy enough for a cook of any level to master. But her instructions had a...
Read Full Story (Page 4)
Speak local, global think
TRAVELLING to a foreign destination becomes much more enriching when you understand or can speak the local language. Sure, translating languages is now as easy as tapping a button on your smartphone, given the multitude of apps available. But it feels...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
The cost of lifelong care
RAIN or shine, every Tuesday and Friday morning, Fazelah Jaafar drives 50km from Semenyih, Selangor to Kuala Lumpur for her eight-year-old son’s speech therapy. It is a journey she makes to ensure her youngest child, Muhammad Afiq Hakim Safwan – who...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
Still kids at heart
WHEN Simple Plan first played Malaysia in 2004, the Canadian pop-punk band had no idea that a country halfway across the world would become one of its most meaningful fan bases. In an exclusive virtual interview with StarLifestyle, Simple Plan...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
Get your flounce on
They say a white shirt and blue jeans combination never goes out of style. But for those looking to put a fresh spin on this classic formula, swapping denim for a skirt offers an effortless alternative. The timeless appeal of a crisp shirt – whether...
Read Full Story (Page 5)
Believe in human potential
PIOTR Mirowski occupies a rare space where theatre improvisation overlaps with artificial intelligence research. The Poland-born computer scientist and actor has spent years experimenting with the ways that performers, audiences and language models...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
Social safety
What do Malaysia, France, australia, turkiye, and the United arab Emirates have in common? all these countries have joined a growing list of those that have elected to ban social media use for users under a certain age. Some of these countries, like...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
Growing nutritious food
THE food world is at a tipping point. As climate change continues to rear its ugly head, farming is becoming increasingly challenging and difficult. Intensive commercial farming, a reliance on monocrops, deforestation and rapid development have...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
Roots and royalties
CASTLES are among the top reasons tourists flock to Germany each year. Out of the 15,000 to 20,000 castles found across the country, one stands out the most: Neuschwanstein Castle. Located in Bavaria, Germany’s largest state, the 19th-century marvel...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
A handy skill
THE first thing that greets you upon entering the warehouse space is the lingering scent of fresh timber, accompanied by the hum of sanders and the familiar whirr of drills. It almost brings you back to the school days, stirring memories of sitting...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
More misses than hits
RATHER than making a summer splash, Disney’s live-action Moana remake floundered at the box office. Opening with US$43mil (RM176mil) in North America against a US$250mil (RM1bil) production budget, the film is already projected to lose the studio...
Read Full Story (Page 3)
Thrift boom in South Korea reshapes shopping
DESPITE weekly drops from fast-fashion brands and fast-moving trend cycles, a growing number of consumers are shopping differently. For the Gen Z, shopping is less about browsing department stores or following platform rankings and more about...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
Everything feels human
WHENEVER the calendar comes out, Amanda Mendoza Vancleave circles the dates. Studio Ghibli Fest, the long-running theatrical revivals of Ghibli movies, has taken on a special meaning for her, her three-year-old daughter and her mother, Araceli. Every...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
When devices test family bonds
PARENTS’ attachment to screens and smartphones can have negative, long-lasting developmental and psychological effects on their children, according to new research. Caregivers who mismanage their devices can both exacerbate “insecure attachment” and...
Read Full Story (Page 3)
Embracing tropical living
AS you arrive at Awan Kuning – a corner terrace house located in a suburban Kuala Lumpur neighbourhood – what catches your eye is its lush greenery. And as you walk through the one-and-a-half-storey home, this natural, tropical theme remains...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
Sowing seeds stories and
IT can be argued that Chinese Internet sensation Li Ziqi wouldn’t have reached the same level of fame she has today if it weren’t for social media. Her first taste of “virality” came in 2016, through a video of her cooking Lanzhou beef noodles that...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
These women are crushing it
HOMEMAKER Noraini Abu, 53, is never too shy to collect empty soy sauce bottles and used glass jars from her neighbours and relatives. They might seem like rubbish to some, but to Noraini, they are valuable. The crafter from Puchong, Selangor knows...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
Seize every opportunity
SINGER Datuk Elaine Kang, who is best known for the patriotic anthem Sejahtera Malaysia, recalls singing at weddings when she was only 10 years old, earning just RM8 for each performance. The modest earnings are among the memories that remain vivid...
Read Full Story (Page 3)
Ballet aesthetic takeover
CLASSY, elegant and demure. It’s the shoe trend that invites its wearers to embrace feminine flair. Yet it is not posing as a onesize-fits-all. Taking that into consideration, designers from all corners of the fashion world put their own tasteful spin...
Read Full Story (Page 5)
The weight of being
Being Carried is a theatre work exploring disabled, deaf and neurodivergent experiences through monologues, music and movement. 3
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Coding is caring
These Malaysian husbands are turning software into an expression of love by building apps that solve everyday problems for their wives. 2&3
Read Full Story (Page 1)
By ABIRAMI DURAI
In modern times, the classic Italian staple of pasta is ubiquitous around the world, with 17 million tonnes produced annually. While Italians eat about 27kg of pasta per person per year – the most amount of pasta of any nation across the globe (pasta...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
From daily mart to tourist spot
DISCOVERING a new destination is always exciting. There are famous landmarks to visit, local dishes to try, and nooks and crannies waiting to be explored. Every trip offers something new, whether it’s experiencing a different culture, meeting people...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
Staying for success
AT a time when job-hopping is common – even expected, especially among the younger generation – there are still many who have chosen to build long-term careers in the same organisation. Their reasons go beyond loyalty. For some, it’s about continuous...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
Commercially accessible, socially relevant
FINALLY, after almost two months of keeping myself free at 10pm from Monday to Thursday, TV3’s drama series Jiwa Seorang Pentaksub, about a rogue Yang Berhormat, has come to an end. YB Datuk Firzan was shot dead by his personal assistant, who gave...
Read Full Story (Page 3)
Beauty meets sustainability
A WALK around your favourite beauty store today reveals a quiet shift: refillable perfumes, reusable under-eye patches and refill pouches are steadily replacing the industry’s single-use norm. Our routine, from the morning shower to the evening...
Read Full Story (Page 3)
A bridge back to home
DECADES later, Samar Kabouli still fondly recalls gathering with women in her family and sipping cardamom-spiced coffee as they embroidered fabric with colourful threads in traditional Palestinian patterns. Born in Lebanon to Palestinian refugees,...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
New hot spot
The crackdown on scam compounds in Cambodia is leading some gangs to relocate to beach resorts and office buildings in Sri Lanka, in what may be the next phase of one of the world’s fastestgrowing criminal industries. A combination of visa-free...
Read Full Story (Page 4)
These crunchy, buttery cakes have taken the Internet by storm. BUTTER RICE CAKES
AS A recipe creator, digging into a recipe, ingredient by ingredient, is my favourite part of the job. Often, it’s easy to predict how they’ll act and adjust accordingly. Sometimes, though, a recipe can feel impossible to crack. Enter butter rice...
Read Full Story (Page 4)
Nature’s playground
GRAINS of sand flew into my face when I rode the all-terrain vehicle (ATV) down the rugged trail, revving the engine. The afternoon sun was relentless, and the soft breeze did little to cool us down. The moment the wheels hit the muddy track, the heat...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
The weight of holding on
IMAGINE towering stacks of boxes and heaps of random items competing for space, leaving only a narrow path to walk through the place called home. The solution may seem obvious: just clean up the mess. But what many may perceive as a lack of...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
True calling
YVONNE Chapman never planned to be an actress. More than a decade ago, the Chinese-Canadian was working in corporate finance when she signed up for an acting class to escape, what she described as, a regimented, tightly scheduled life. “I genuinely...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
The next time you’re out perusing the jacket aisles, consider the more chromatic offerings versus the run-ofthe-mill neutrals.
When it comes to blazers and jackets, we tend to veer towards the safe side. It is, after all, a staple that serves multiple functions. Perhaps most importantly, it is to be worn in formal settings. In order to project reason and stability, we eschew...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
Shakespeare in Kelantan rhythm
IT’S been a hectic stretch of travel, rehearsals and performances for Dr Norzizi Zulkifli, but that has done little to slow her down. If anything, the cross-cultural theatre stalwart has only gathered momentum, continuing to innovate traditional...
Read Full Story (Page 3)
A healing connection
THERAPY donkeys are helping patients with mental health conditions recover in a psychiatric hospital unit outside Paris that’s unique to France. The 19th century farm buildings and wooded surroundings are a haven within the Villeevrard hospital...
Read Full Story (Page 7)
Going against grain the
IN the heart of the kitchen at Petaling Jaya’s Meat Feds, Yenni Law is hard at work. The seasoned chef’s face is a rictus of concentration as her knife slices cleanly through the sinew, fat and silver skin (tough, shiny membrane of connective tissue)...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
Checking out some of the main attractions of Penang’s Bukit Mertajam.
THE century-old Tua Pek Kong Temple in Bukit Mertajam, Penang was decked in auspicious red lanterns and brightly coloured carp-shaped ornaments, symbolising perseverance and prosperity, when visited earlier in the year. That set the perfect Chinese...
Read Full Story (Page 4)
Keeping a heritage alive
CHERKI was once a familiar sight in Peranakan households, where relatives and friends gathered around a table for hours of friendly competition and conversation. Today, the game is rarely played and largely unknown among younger...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
Growing without limits
“IT was really hot!” That was the first thing South Korean singer-songwriter Ilhoon told StarLifestyle when asked about his last trip to Malaysia during this online interview, and he wasn’t talking just about the tropical climate. The 31-year-old,...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
Dopamine dressing
As with all things in life, balance is best. If the massive influx of quiet luxury content has stripped away the colours and joy from your outfits, then it is perhaps time to begin reintegrating bolder tones into your attire. Instead of going all out...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
The stories around us
AT the fringes of the Night Market in Langkawi Down Below – not the Langkawi island we are familiar with – stands a brightly lit warung, where weary travellers and adventurers find refuge and sustenance. This, of course, is no ordinary warung. In...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
Promises pitfalls and With earlier generations of ai models, such as GPT-4O and early Gemini models, there was a much higher risk of hallucinations.
The year is 2026, and a fleet of virtual helpers touting the ability to manage the entirety of a person’s digital life is starting to sound less like the far-fetched musings of a distant future and more like something that could be just around the...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
Double the charm
IN a quiet Kuala Lumpur neighbourhood, rows of terrace homes form a familiar urban rhythm, but Armoua House stands apart, with intention. Wrapped in a soft pink concrete shell and framed by expressive structural lines, the residence is at once...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
Holistic holidays
WEARY travellers seek peace and serenity on their getaways, a tranquil escape from the chaos of daily life. Understanding this, resorts and hotels have begun creating sanctuaries where guests can focus on relaxing and recharging. Yoga sessions, spa...
Read Full Story (Page 3)
Getting back on their feet
LIFE was tough for Zuraida Abdul Rahman when she got divorced 15 years ago and had to raise four children largely on her own. “The biggest challenge was ensuring all my children’s needs were met while managing the family finances alone,” says Zuraida,...
Read Full Story (Page 3)
Lifestyles of the rich and vengeful
ENGLISH actors Jessie Mei Li and Toby Stephens both share personal ties to Hong Kong – Li through her father and Stephens through his wife, who were both raised in the city. Yet despite those connections, neither had ever filmed there before. So when...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
Once associated with being nerdy, glasses have been redefined as a fashion statement through pop culture.
Glasses were once considered unfashionable, but that era has passed. In an unexpected reversal, frames have become a style statement – elevating looks and even appearing in purely decorative form on runways and streets alike. The “geek” label has...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
Football carries Africa’s voice
A PHOTO of Vinicius Junior celebrating a goal with one fist in the air was mounted near the entrance of the art exhibition, right next to an acrylic piece of a woman’s dreadlocks suspended in air as she heads a football. A replica of the FIFA World...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
Water park safety
THERE are 1,300 water parks in the United States and 85 million people visit them each year. (In Malaysia, there are more than 20 waterparks and they are popular with both adults and children.) As a parent, it’s important to know what to look for if...
Read Full Story (Page 6)
Journey of love
IN the Kuala Lumpur dining landscape, Cavaliere Modesto Marini is a redoubtable figure whose reputation precedes him. An Italian native, Modesto has been in the F&B scene for decades now, starting out as a chef in fine-dining establishments in the...
Read Full Story (Page 3)
Steeped in history
WALK the streets of Colombo, Sri Lanka’s capital city, and you will notice an interesting contrast. Standing right in front of you may be a historical landmark, but surrounding it are high-rise buildings born of modern times. Cities like this are one...
Read Full Story (Page 4)
The heroes we call dad
FATHERS Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of June each year. It is a special day for children to show appreciation for their fathers and father figures who care for, support and guide them. Fathers play many important roles in the family. Some...
Read Full Story (Page 4)
Heading for the stratosphere
NOT too long after James Gunn and Peter Safran stepped up to lead DC Studios into the future, they were riffing about Supergirl. The Tom King comic series, Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow was one of the ideas they were especially excited about, and Gunn...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
Garden variety
SUNGLASSES always add an air of glamour to their wearers, but these ones have an extra edge: quirkiness. While any shades you have will perform the same function of protecting your eyes from the glare of the Malaysian sun, these, with their...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
Picasso The our times of
DAVID Hockney, who died aged 88 on June 11, was a treasured British artist whose paintings of shimmering pools and colourful ipad drawings became icons of contemporary art. Over a seven-decade career, Hockney explored and reimagined classical...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
Building bridges to advance ai, autonomous systems and next-generation defence technologies.
RARELY does a day go by without yet another headline purporting how the latest developments in cutting-edge technology, such as artificial intelligence (AI), are going to transform how people live and work. This has even extended to the national...
Read Full Story (Page 4)
Local
Photos: Stefania I’VE spoken to many Malaysian restaurant owners over the years and nearly all unequivocally share the same dream: they want to expand. While many simply look at opening outlets throughout the Klang Valley or perhaps even setting up...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
Fairway in the foothills
THE first time I see the four-seater golf buggy roaming away from us with no driver, I imagine it’s careering out of control and brace myself for it to crash into a bunker, tree or person. Instead, it eerily stops in its tracks near to me on the...
Read Full Story (Page 4)
Presence felt
MEGHAN Ireland always loved chemistry, but as a college freshman studying chemical engineering, she didn’t know she could channel her passion for science into the art of making whiskey. It took stumbling across an article about a female chemical...
Read Full Story (Page 5)
Kuantan in festival mode
KUANTAN in Pahang is set to host its first-ever indie arts festival this weekend, transforming the city’s historic Jalan Besar area into a lively hub of music, theatre, film, visual arts and community-driven cultural experiences. The inaugural Kuantan...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
AI misuse at university alarming
THE spiralling uptake of artificial intelligence risks undermining university and college education, researchers have warned following a major survey showing that almost 40% of students regularly consult chatbots while one in ten use them to...
Read Full Story (Page 3)