Death toll from powerful Afghan quake tops 2,200 as search for survivors continues
The death toll from Sunday’s powerful earthquake in eastern Afghanistan has risen above 2,200, with search and rescue operations ongoing. Local offi...
In a quiet but unmistakable wave, Labubu - the mischievous, wide-grinned character from Hong Kong-based toy studio Pop Mart - is carving out a niche for itself in the American cultural imagination.
With its unruly fur, goblin-like features, and oddly endearing expression, Labubu represents a brand of soft power that doesn’t shout, but creeps in with a wink, a snarl, and a limited-edition box.
What makes Labubu remarkable isn’t just its visual weirdness - though its spindly limbs and impish smile set it apart from the glossy perfection of American mascots. It’s that it is part of a broader trend known in East Asia as "ugly-cute" or “kimo-kawaii,” a design ethos that defies conventional aesthetics and finds charm in the awkward, the asymmetrical, and the unsettling. In Japan, characters like Gloomy Bear and even Gudetama tread this line; Labubu, with its chaotic gremlin energy, takes it even further. It’s a cultural export that asks not to be loved in the traditional sense - and in doing so, makes itself unforgettable.
Pop Mart’s growing presence in the US, from physical stores to increasingly sold-out online drops, reflects a larger shift in the global toy and collectibles market. While Japan and Korea have long exported cultural icons - think Hello Kitty, BTS, or Pokémon - Labubu’s success suggests that consumers, especially younger ones, are hungry for something more offbeat, more personal, and less corporate. It's a form of cultural diffusion that sidesteps official diplomacy or mainstream entertainment channels. Instead, it reaches hearts (and wallets) via fandom, Instagram unboxings, and subcultural aesthetics.
Labubu also taps into a generational craving for authenticity and emotional resonance. Its blank stare and toothy grin are strangely relatable in a world defined by overstimulation and emotional burnout. It is a character that offers no lessons, no aspirations, no performative cuteness - only attitude. In that way, it functions as an anti-hero of the collectible world, and its fans love it all the more for it.
There’s a quiet brilliance to how Labubu is marketed. Pop Mart’s use of blind boxes , small packages where the buyer doesn’t know which figure they’re getting adds an element of chance and thrill, turning every purchase into a mini ritual. It’s this blend of surprise, scarcity, and strangeness that gives Labubu its cult-like appeal. Unlike Western toy giants who bank on nostalgia and franchising, Labubu comes with no baggage, no cartoon series, and no moral. It just exists - and that’s enough.
As American collectors increasingly turn toward Eastern designer toys and subcultural aesthetics, Labubu stands as a symbol of a shifting tide. This is soft power in its most subtle form: not backed by billion-dollar entertainment franchises, but by emotion, design, and a sense of “you get it or you don’t” cool. Whether sitting on a shelf, featured in an art toy expo, or grinning from a limited-edition holiday drop, Labubu’s strange charm is winning fans and markets without ever trying to be pretty.
In doing so, it quietly redefines what influence looks like in the cultural age: not slick, not loud, but sneakily unforgettable. Ugly-cute might just be the new beautiful.
AnewZ has learned that India has once again blocked Azerbaijan’s application for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while Pakistan’s recent decision to consider diplomatic relations with Armenia has been coordinated with Baku as part of Azerbaijan’s peace agenda.
A powerful eruption at Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano sent an ash plume more than 3,000 metres high on Sunday morning, prompting safety warnings from authorities.
A day of mourning has been declared in Portugal to pay respect to victims who lost their lives in the Lisbon Funicular crash which happened on Wednesday evening.
The UK is gearing up for Exercise Pegasus 2025, its largest pandemic readiness test since COVID-19. Running from September to November, this full-scale simulation will challenge the country's response to a fast-moving respiratory outbreak.
A Polish Air Force pilot was killed on Thursday when an F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight ahead of the 2025 Radom International Air Show.
Thailand’s royal authority has blocked a move by acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai to dissolve parliament and call snap elections, citing legal concerns over his authority to submit such a request, local media reported on Wednesday.
More than 100,000 people are expected to take part in France’s “Block Everything” movement on 10 September, broadcaster France Info reported on Thursday. Energy, transport, and defence sectors are likely to be the most affected.
The death toll from Sunday’s powerful earthquake in eastern Afghanistan has risen above 2,200, with search and rescue operations ongoing. Local officials warn that many people remain trapped under rubble, and the number of fatalities is likely to climb further.
Colton Herta, nine-time IndyCar race winner, is set to compete in Formula Two next year while also taking on a test driver role for Cadillac.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced plans to propose updates to the certification process for new commercial aircraft, according to a notice released by the Trump administration on Thursday.
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