KUALA LUMPUR: The United Nation (UN) aviation council on Monday (May 12) ruled that Russia was responsible for the downing of a Malaysian airliner over Ukraine that killed all 298 passengers and crew, including 196 Dutch citizens and 38 Australian citizens or residents, the Dutch and Australian governments said in separate statements, Reuters reported. According to the report, both governments said the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) would, in the coming weeks, consider what form of reparation was in order. Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur on July 17, 2014, was shot…
Author: Asia News Network
SEOUL – In a historic move, Teatro alla Scala in Milan announced Monday that South Korean conductor Chung Myung-whun will become its next music director — the first Asian musician to hold the post in the opera house’s 247-year history since its founding in 1778. Chung, 72, will take up the position following the conclusion of Riccardo Chailly’s tenure at the end of 2026 and will serve through February 2030. Chung’s appointment was unanimously approved by La Scala’s board of directors during Monday’s meeting on Monday. “Over the years, Maestro Chung has developed a particularly close relationship with the Orchestra…
KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysians are urging for increased wildlife protection after a mother elephant refused to leave her calf, which was killed by a lorry on the East-West Highway. A video of the incident went viral on Mother’s Day, moving many netizens to tears. Some tagged Transport Minister Anthony Loke, Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, and Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi in their posts. “To the driver, it is just an accident; he will move on with his day-to-day job, but to the mother elephant, she just lost her baby,” wrote Titanium Samarium…
SEOUL – Amid a surge in generative AI use, South Korea has seen a rise in Instagram accounts — allegedly run by sex workers — using ChatGPT-generated images to share stories related to illegal prostitution, prompting criticism toward Meta for failing to take appropriate action despite the accounts’ potential legal violations. On Instagram, numerous accounts can be found sharing AI-generated images and comics depicting the working environments of sex workers in Korea, where prostitution is prohibited by law. With account bios reading, “Based on real stories from the girls” and “Touching real-life experiences illustrated with AI,” the accounts show illustrations…
SINGAPORE – They detect intruders, inspect danger zones and guide the blind. Robot dogs have found no shortage of work in Singapore – taking on jobs in underground maintenance areas, construction sites and even in social services. During the Covid-19 pandemic, one such robot dog named Spot was deployed as a safe distancing ambassador in Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park. More recently, another robot dog accompanied PSP candidate Tony Tan on a walkabout as part of his election campaigning. The trend here reflects the robot dog’s popularity globally, where more of such devices have been deployed as police dogs, in war…
KIEN GIANG – Traffic police of the southern island city Phú Quốc have recommend that foreigners living, working or travelling here should strictly comply with traffic safety regulations, to avoid endangering themselves and the community. The recommendation was issued following an incidence involving a Russian tourist’s dangerous behaviour while driving a motorbike that was caught on video. At around 5pm last Sunday, a foreign male tourist drove a motorbike without a helmet and with both hands off the steering, endangering other road users on Highway 973 in Xóm Mới Hamlet, Bãi Thơm Commune, Phú Quốc City. Upon receiving the report,…
NEW DELHI – Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday issued a stern warning to Pakistan, asserting that India will “not tolerate any nuclear blackmail” and will deliver a “befitting response to any terror attack on its territory.” In his first address to the nation since the India–Pakistan ceasefire was announced, the Prime Minister outlined three key pillars of India’s security doctrine, emphasizing, “We won’t differentiate between governments that sponsor terrorism and terrorist masterminds.” Calling Operation Sindoor a “new precedent in the fight against terrorism,” Modi declared, “Operation Sindoor is an unwavering pledge for justice.” The address followed four days of…
SINGAPORE – The surprise tariff deal between the US and China, worked out after just two days of negotiations, was a positive development that could lift global market sentiment despite its temporary nature, analysts said. Ms Selena Ling, OCBC Bank’s chief economist and head of treasury research and strategy, called the deal a “positive start”. “But whether the 90-day reduction will yield something more permanent without further surprises will require patience,” she added. Under the deal announced on May 12, which will last for 90 days, US exports to China will see tariffs reduced to 10 per cent from 125…
WASHINGTON – It took the possibility of a nuclear war breaking out on the Indian sub-continent to jolt the Trump administration into rushing to play peacemaker in a conflict that it had dismissed as “none of our business” just a day earlier. The path that the conflict took from escalation to a ceasefire midwifed by the United States was predictable to analysts who follow the region. Although India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appeared more aggressive towards Pakistan than the previous governments, the country remains primarily a status quo defensive power. And the US, despite its stated reluctance to…
MOSCOW – China and Russia issued a joint statement on Thursday on further deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era, agreeing to push forward the high-level development of bilateral ties, uphold a correct historical perspective on World War II and firmly defend international fairness and justice. The statement was jointly signed by President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin following their talks in Moscow. The two heads of state witnessed the exchange of more than 20 bilateral cooperation documents covering such areas as global strategic stability, upholding the authority of international law, biosecurity, investment protection,…