KUALA LUMPUR – Timor-Leste is on the verge of attaining full membership in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), said Timor-Leste Ambassador to Malaysia Lisualdo Gaspar. Talking to Malaysian news agency Bernama, the ambassador said Timor-Leste has actively participated in ASEAN affairs since being granted observer status in 2022. In 2023, ASEAN members endorsed a roadmap for its accession, and since then, the country has been intensively working to meet the outlined criteria, the diplomat added. He said Timor-Leste has fulfilled nearly seven out of ten criteria required. Gaspar stated that while the country has expressed full adherence to…
Author: Asia News Network
TOKYO – A series of cyberattacks targeting airports, financial institutions and other key infrastructure in Japan during the year-end and New Year seasons were “carpet-bomb” attacks that targeted a wide range of corporate servers and network devices, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned from interviews with people familiar with the matter. A carpet-bomb type of strike is a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack in which large amounts of data are sent to paralyze systems. It is unusual for carpet-bomb attacks to be carried out on such a large scale in Japan. They are more difficult to counter than conventional attacks…
SINGAPORE – About $2.4 million is being set aside by the authorities to fund a research initiative that will help in gaining a deeper understanding of ticks and tick-borne diseases that infect animals and humans in Singapore. Doctors are not required to report tick bites in Singapore, but a recent study found that native ticks that bite humans can turn into ticking time-bombs by carrying disease-causing microbes, also known as pathogens. These bead-size bloodsuckers typically lurk in leaf litter near wildlife corridors, posing a threat to hikers, cyclists and dog owners who frequent these places. Responding to queries from The…
SEOUL – Industry insiders and music critics had already anticipated that no K-pop group would make it to the 67th Grammy Awards — not even as performers — at the ceremony held in Los Angeles on Sunday. Acknowledging that K-pop is still perceived as a subculture in the US, enjoyed mainly by dedicated fans, experts believe that instead of striving for Grammy recognition, K-pop artists should focus on forging their own paths. As one of the most prestigious music awards in the world, this year’s Grammys saw top global artists nominated across various categories. Beyonce, who led with 11 nominations,…
DHAKA – Thousands of Bangladeshi development professionals face uncertainty as US government-funded projects have been halted following an executive order by the Trump administration on January 20. Though the order mandates a 90-day review, many employees have already been terminated, and all project activities have come to a standstill. The USAID website has also gone offline. Project personnel have been advised to avoid office visits. In some cases, staffers attend offices to maintain appearance but are not engaged in any work. Authorities have instructed employees not to comment publicly on the executive order or its implications, said a diplomatic source.…
SEOUL – ChatGPT Creator OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman, who is currently visiting Korea, is set to hold a meeting with Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Softbank Group CEO Masayoshi Son on Tuesday to share industry insights and technological collaboration, possibly including development of the world’s first AI-specific device. According to industry sources, the three-way meeting has been organized upon Altman’s Seoul visit, coming after almost a year, to attend “Builder Lab,” Open AI’s technology forum with local developers. The three leaders are expected to discuss potential collaboration on cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology, possibly including producing an AI-specific device, given…
BANGKOK – After chairing a National Security Council (NSC) meeting on cutting electricity to Myanmar border areas to curb transnational crime and call-centre scams, Defense Minister Phumtham Wechayachai announced that the meeting had resolved to cut electricity, internet, and fuel supplies starting at 9am on February 5. The measure will be enforced at five locations along the Thailand-Myanmar border, which are suspected of serving as bases for call-centre scam operations. The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who oversees the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA); Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong; Deputy Defense Minister Gen Nattaphon Narkphanit;…
A Western tourist was captured on a security camera allegedly breaking into a ganja shop in Pattaya and stealing marijuana worth 10,000 baht on Sunday. The owner of Bud Box Pattaya, Atipol Narerk, 35, filed a complaint at Pattaya Police Station after checking his shop’s security footage and seeing the tourist break in at 11 am on Sunday. Atipol stated that the alleged burglar was a regular patron of his shop, located on Soi Chalerm Phrakiart 3 in Tambon Nong Plue, Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri. The burglary reportedly took place at 11 am on Sunday when the shop was…
Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai confirmed on Tuesday that the Thai power supply to Myanmar’s border region will be cut today, saying that the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) has authority to do so. Thailand is collaborating in a multinational crackdown on telecom scam centres operating in neighbouring Myanmar’s Myawaddy border township. Phumtham, who chairs the National Security Council (NSC), emphasised that this issue caused severe impact to Thailand, claiming that more than 500,000 Thais have become victims of call centre scams in June 2022-2024. Call centre scams had caused more than 60 billion baht in damages to the country, he said,…
SEOUL – On the heels of two safety incidents involving South Korean budget airlines within a month, concerns over air travel safety are growing among passengers, prompting many to forgo cheaper fares in favor of legacy carriers. Among them is 27-year-old Lee Ji-yun, who, while booking her upcoming trip to Osaka, Japan, with a friend, opted for round-trip tickets priced at 400,000 won ($275) instead of a budget option half that price. “Normally, I’d go for the cheapest option because going to Japan from Korea is such a short flight,” Lee told The Korea Herald. “But the recent incidents involving…