TOKYO – The successful test excavation of rare earth-bearing mud from the deep ocean floor by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) was a major step forward for Japan’s economic security. JAMSTEC announced Monday the excavation was conducted at a depth of about 5,700 meters off Minami-Torishima, a remote island about 1,900 kilometers from central Tokyo. Rare earth elements are indispensable to high-tech industries. China, which dominates the rare earth market, uses them as a diplomatic card, which has prompted the Japanese government and companies to diversify their procurement sources. According to one estimate, rare earth deposits…
Author: Asia News Network
SINGAPORE – A study has found higher rates of problematic gaming and related problems, such as excessive gaming and depression, among young adults in Singapore than those reported abroad. The study, led by Associate Professor in Psychology Peter Chew from James Cook University, looked at how common internet gaming disorder (IGD) and gaming disorder (GD) are among young adults here. Both are behavioural addictions involving excessive, compulsive gaming, and have been recently added to two classification systems for mental disorders. The study found that 10.3 per cent of participants met the criteria for IGD, while 5 per cent met the…
SEOUL – No crumbs are being left behind in South Korea’s latest craze over the Dubai chewy cookie – a treat that did not even originate in the city it is named after. It is not even really a cookie, but a marshmallow dough ball with a filling of pistachio and kadaif, a thread-like Middle Eastern pastry made from flour, corn starch and salt. The chewy ball is then dusted with cocoa powder. But the country has gone crazy over the dessert ever since K-pop star Jang Won-young of girl band IVE declared her love for the sweet snack on…
DHAKA – Judge Md Rabiul Alam of the Special Judge’s Court-4 of Dhaka also handed down seven-year prison terms to Hasina’s other niece Azmina Siddiq and nephew Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby, each in one of the two cases. The court pronounced the verdicts around 12:20pm, said ACC Public Prosecutor Mir Ahmed Ali Salam. Apart from Hasina and her three family members, the court sentenced 11 other accused to 10 years’ imprisonment and another to two years in jail in the two cases. In addition, six other accused were convicted for five years in jail in one case. The court fined…
NEW DELHI – US President Donald Trump on Monday announced a “trade deal” between the United States and India, saying that Washington will reduce the reciprocal tariffs on Indian imports from 25 per cent to 18 per cent. “It was an Honor to speak with Prime Minister Modi, of India, this morning. He is one of my greatest friends and a Powerful and Respected Leader of his Country. We spoke about many things, including Trade, and ending the War with Russia and Ukraine,” Trump said. The US President claimed that Prime Minister Modi has agreed to stop buying Russian Oil…
JAKARTA – Tensions have erupted at the palace in Solo in Central Java as two half brothers battled to claim the throne, in a dramatic showdown between rival family factions over tradition and cultural authority. The confrontation escalated on Jan 18 when Culture Minister Fadli Zon visited the palace to deliver a ministerial decree appointing the palace’s chief minister, Prince Tedjowulan, as the custodian responsible for the preservation and restoration of the palace, Keraton Surakarta, and to oversee public funding for the palace as a heritage institution. Prince Tedjowulan has been the caretaker since the death of his older brother,…
ISLAMABAD – Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti on Sunday expressed the firm resolve to eliminate terrorists after a spate of coordinated attacks across the province, adding that 145 militants were killed within a span of 40 hours. The military’s media affairs wing said terrorists of Fitna-al-Hindustan carried out a spate of attacks across Balochistan on Saturday, responding to which the security forces killed 92 terrorists. The state has designated Balochistan-based terrorist groups as Fitna-al-Hindustan to highlight India’s alleged role in terrorism and destabilisation across Pakistan. Addressing a press conference in Quetta on Sunday, CM Bugti said 145 terrorists were killed…
KATHMANDU – India’s free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union, concluded on Tuesday in New Delhi, could pose additional challenges for Nepal—particularly as the nation prepares to graduate from its least developed country (LDC) status—according to the Garment Association of Nepal. FTA is an agreement between countries or regional blocs to reduce or eliminate trade barriers through mutual negotiations with the aim of boosting trade. Speaking at a policy dialogue titled “Apparel Export: Competitiveness, Critical Challenges and the Way Forward”, organised by the South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE) in Kathmandu on Wednesday, the association said…
SINGAPORE – The Pikachu Illustrator, which depicts the iconic electric mouse wielding a pen and paintbrush, is the crown jewel of Mr Chew Zhan Lun’s Pokemon card collection, with only 39 copies believed to have been officially distributed. The cards were awarded almost three decades ago to the winners of a Japanese drawing contest. Today, such cards which have withstood the test of time hold tremendous value. Mr Chew, 33, acquired one of them from a private collector for US$600,000 (S$761,200) in 2025. He recently rejected a $1.3 million offer for the card – which would have given him a…
JAKARTA – After losing a couple of hours to doomscrolling through social media, I realized one of the most sought-after items in life today isn’t a fancy car or a luxury handbag. It’s an impossibly rare fidget toy: a glitter dumpling. I don’t know where it’s sold, how it found its way into my algorithm, or why I couldn’t scroll away from creators opening box after box of squishy toy buns. What I do know is that they’ve spent thousands of dollars on this hunt. For a toy. And they’re not alone. In 2021, the global blind box toys market…