Ayumi lives alone in a spacious suburban house originally bought to raise a family, her two cats now her only full-time companions. Her two daughters have grown up and left home, and her husband of more than two decades moved out nearly a year ago as they finalise a divorce.
For the 62-year-old Kawasaki resident, who spoke on condition that her surname be withheld, this was not how she envisioned her later years.
“He worked very long hours, including on weekends, and I was always busy taking…
Singapore embraces AI for cyber defence, with one caveat: breach transparency
Singapore is turning to major technology firms to strengthen its cyber defences, even as it presses them for greater transparency over security breaches – a balancing act facing regional governments as they seek to harness artificial intelligence while guarding against the risks it introduces.
Those risks were highlighted by an AI agent linked to OpenAI that gained unauthorised access to files on an Australian government website earlier this year, raising questions over how quickly companies…
French cooking schools fuel fine-dining dreams of India’s young chefs
Fiercely proud of its culinary traditions, India is increasingly open to foreign influences, with French cooking schools attracting students eager to make their mark on the country’s growing fine-dining sector.
“Ten or 15 years ago, there were far fewer young people dreaming of becoming chefs,” said Aabhas Jain, director of bakery and pastry training at Ecole Ducasse, a French culinary school also operating in India.
“But with the rise of social media … today’s students have greater ambitions in…
Big dreams, growing pains in Indonesia: Prabowo’s turbulent 2 years in power
When 35-year-old Bekasi resident Ika Kartika voted for Prabowo Subianto in Indonesia’s 2024 presidential election, she hoped the former general would restore a “Suharto-like” era of stability, when everyday essentials were affordable and life felt more predictable.
Growing up, she had often heard her parents reminisce about the “good old days” under the late strongman, whose rule had brought a sense of order to their lives.
Two years into his presidency, however, rising food prices have left Ika…
Body stigma and depression content earmarked for stricter UK regulation
Online service providers would have to more closely control the extent to which children can access body stigma or depression content on their platforms, under proposals put forward by the UK’s online safety regulator.
Future Infrastructure Leaders Forum calls for rethink to unlock innovation and tackle cross-sector barriers
A new report highlights the growing need for industry and government to drive forward innovation in the UK’s infrastructure sector.
Australia sanctions 2 over North Korean fake IT workers scheme for nuclear funds
Australia said on Friday it had sanctioned two North Korean individuals and companies over the use of “fraudulent” IT workers and cybercrime to earn cash for the isolated nuclear-armed state.
The two men are alleged to be key operators in Pyongyang’s cybercriminal activities overseas, estimated by analysts to bring in billions for the country’s weapons programme.
“The North Korean entities and individuals sanctioned today facilitate North Korea’s use of fraudulent IT workers to raise revenue for…
Rare Suu Kyi phone call to son signals shift in Myanmar junta strategy
The son of Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi said she sounded “fairly healthy” after speaking to the detained ex-democratic leader on Thursday for the first time in more than five years.
Suu Kyi, 81, is under house arrest in the capital, Naypyidaw, according to Myanmar authorities, where she has been sequestered since being unseated in a 2021 military coup.
“She was sounding fairly healthy,” Kim Aris, who lives in the UK, said after the telephone conversation. It was the first time he had spoken to his…
Qatari court weighs in on common clauses in construction contracts
A recent decision by Qatar’s highest court on the differences between common clauses in construction contracts will have wide-reaching significance for both contractors and sub-contractors, according to experts at Pinsent Masons.
Asean wants a single digital economy. Will different state laws hobble its goal?
Southeast Asian nations are seeking to make it easier for businesses and consumers to operate across borders in the digital economy, but achieving the goal will depend on whether governments can align their domestic laws under a proposed pact, according to analysts.
Targeted to be signed during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Manila in November, the Asean Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) is aimed at improving compatibility between rules and systems governing…