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Good Morning, it’s Sunday, 12 January. There’s a cheesecake going viral in India, iPhone 16 is banned in Indonesia and there’s a revolution brewing in Japan about toxic work culture & karoshi. Also, getting social and building community was one of the wellness trends for 2025 so make an effort to attend social events this month and check out our list too 🍓🧋🎉
Happy Thai Pongal: Homes across South India, Sri Lanka and the Diaspora will be celebrating the harvest festival. Btw, in case you were wondering, the dish came first and the festival developed around it.
Caribbeans are Headed to The Polls: From Jamaica to Suriname, several Caribbean nations are headed for election season this year, after most general elections were last held in 2020/2021.
500 get Ghanaian Citizenship: Ghana’s ‘Beyond The Return’ program has granted citizenship to 500 people in a Detty December ceremony.
No iPhone 16s in Indonesia: Despite Apple’s $1 billion deal to produce Airtag tracking devices in Indonesia, the country has banned the sales of iPhone 16s, stating that smartphones sold domestically must comprise at least 35% locally-made parts.
Work Culture: With a new year comes the discourse of work-life balance across the world with a quiet revolution in Japan and adjustment issues of young peeps in Hong Kong.
Viral Cheesecake: Absolute Coffee Brewers in Indore is a cute cafe for specialty brews and their messy nutella strawberry cheesecake is going viral.
Human vs Synthetic Hair – Which is Better For Your Braids?: Pro hairstylists walk us through the differences, pros and cons of these braiding hair extensions.
Hottest Japanese Beauty Products: From Fino’s Premium Hair Oil to a sheer eye cream made with fermented soybean, here are some of the best J-Beauty products right now.
Colour Corrector: Kosas have released a serum-powered colour corrector that comes in five shades.
Plump and Moisturize with Dr. Jart+: For dark spots and tired-looking skin, Dr. Jart+’s newly released glow-getter mask is formulated to plump and hydrate while the Ceramidin Eye Cream is both moisturizing and barrier-repairing.
Le Sel D’Issey by Issey Miyake: The designer perfume brand’s latest launch is inspired by the airy marine notes of salt, along with notes of oakmoss, seaweed, and, surprisingly, ginger.
Cayman Cookout: the 16th edition of the Cayman Cookout will be held from 15-20 January, and will feature acclaimed chefs for a weekend of food and drinks on the Cayman Islands.
Moroccan Heritage Exhibition in Doha: See over 200 historical manuscripts, jewelry and musical instruments at the ‘Splendours of the Atlas: A Voyage Through Morocco’s Heritage’ exhibition at the Museum of Islamic Arts.
‘Jamaica in January’ in Toronto: The second edition of the Caribbean food festival will take place on 18 January despite dropping temperatures.
Mayday Performance in Singapore: The legendary Taiwanese rock band, Mayday, will be performing in Singapore National Stadium as part of their 25th anniversary tour today.
Lisa x Erewhon: BLACKPINK’s Lisa and luxury American grocer Erewhon now have a signature organic blend called ‘Thai Up the World’ which features Thai iced tea made with clean and ethically sourced ingredients.
What Trader Joe’s Wine is Worth It? For great wine on a tight budget, follow sommelier Andre Hueston’s recs as he has tried every wine from Trader Joe’s.
India’s First Coffee Absinthe: Paapi is India’s first coffee Absinthe, merging the spice and taste of coffee with the green 49% alcohol spirit.
Chimamanda Adichie’s Dream Count: The iconic writer’s soon-to-be-released novel which explores the lives of four women through love and loss is now available for pre-order in her home country of Nigeria at Roving Heights.
Books Based on Your Zodiac Sign: From Jerry Pinto’s The Education of Yuri for Geminis to Nawaaz Ahmed’s Radiant Fugitives for Libras, here are books you should read based on your zodiac sign.
Umar Turaki’s Every Drop of Blood is Red: In this provocative novel based in Jos, Nigeria, Umar Turaki details a young woman’s quest for revenge and closure against a man who shattered her family.
Brandy’s First Memoir: Her currently untitled memoir gives fans an intimate look at her decade-spanning career (available for preorder only).
📺 Umjolo: My Beginning, My End!: In the third film of the South African franchise, Nirvana Nokwe-Mseleku stars as Mayi, a woman whose perfect life suddenly unravels when a potential suitor enters the scene. Watch on Netflix.
📺 Black Warrant: The Netflix series is a gritty look at Tihar jail in Delhi, Zahan Kapoor’s performance is getting positive reviews.
🎧 Her World: Vincent-born Canadian rapper Skiifall collaborates with Jorja Smith on this soulful Reggae-infused song, Her World.
🎧 Akanchawa: Right off her incredible COLORS Show performance, Qing Madi solidifies her place as one of the freshest Afrobeats talents out now with the romantic single, Akanchawa.
🎧 Are You Even Real?: Giveon joins Teddy Swims in this idyllic yet skeptic romantic tune titled Are You Even Real?
🎧 Full Moon: Moonchild Sanelly, the multigenre sex-positive singer from South Africa, has released her third album Full Moon, which features rich onomatopoeia and lots of sharp innuendo.
📖 Rising Indian Stars: Ishaan Khatter talks about taking over the world stage and Madhulika Sharma talks about becoming a model by accident.
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