Author: viking

A spate of powerful earthquakes across the Philippines has triggered widespread panic, sparked a flood of misinformation and prompted officials to take decisions that experts warn could undermine long-term disaster readiness.
Analysts say the anxious public reaction – from mass hysteria in schools to viral conspiracy theories about “The Big One” – underscores a pressing need for better science communication and coordination between government agencies, especially in a country highly exposed to…

Indonesia is pushing back against calls to tap the state budget to cover mounting debt from its China-backed high-speed railway, while Beijing has signalled it is open to repayment restructuring talks to ensure the line remains operational.
The dispute over who should shoulder the debt highlights deeper concerns about the project’s long-term viability, the role of Indonesia’s sovereign wealth fund and whether the current financing model risks setting a troubling precedent for future…

Public consultation has opened on new security of payment legislation in Western Australia.

As the legal sector’s competitive landscape continues to evolve, the Nobel laureates remind us that innovation is not inevitable, and that competition may not always be an incentive to innovate.

Experts and officials at a major cybersecurity summit in Singapore have called for deeper collaboration between governments and tech giants, warning that fragmented efforts are no match for increasingly sophisticated digital threats.
Speaking at the Singapore International Cyber Week, policymakers and industry leaders said closer partnerships were essential to sharing threat intelligence, innovating jointly and mounting coordinated responses to cyberattacks.
These partnerships were crucial as…

Thai immigration officials have denied claims that a Belarusian model was abducted while in Bangkok and forcibly taken to Myanmar, where tabloids claim she was reportedly killed by a criminal gang.
The unconfirmed death of 26-year-old Vera Kravtsova has gained international attention in recent days after Russian and British tabloids reported that, following her arrival in Thailand, she was kidnapped and brought to northern Myanmar, where she was tortured and had her organs harvested while being…

Three women who took part in a walk to Singapore’s presidential estate to deliver letters calling for changes to the country’s stance on Israel have been acquitted of holding a public procession without a permit.
Legal observers say the ruling, which has drawn interest given the city state’s strict regulation of public assemblies, reflects the evidentiary thresholds under its public-order laws and is consistent with court precedent.
District Judge John Ng ruled on Tuesday that the defendants had…

A recent announcement by the Office of Trade Sanctions Implementation (OTSI) that the UK branch of an multinational bank had discovered potentially illegal transactions highlights the trade sanctions risks the financial services market faces without due diligence, an expert has warned.

As Prabowo Subianto marks his first year as Indonesia’s president, the former general is grappling with the challenge of turning his populist campaign promises into lasting policy.
While early initiatives such as free meals for children have drawn praise, concerns over civil liberties, economic sluggishness and foreign policy decisions threaten to overshadow his administration’s achievements.
Prabowo, who was sworn in on October 20 last year, campaigned on a platform of ambitious social…

Nepal’s interim prime minister on Monday draped a national flag over the coffin of returned Gaza hostage Bipin Joshi, released under the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
“Bipin is a son of all Nepali mothers,” Sushila Karki said at a ceremony held at the airport in Kathmandu, after his body was flown back to the capital from Tel Aviv.
“The name Bipin will be immortal, no one can forget him for his bravery and the hardships he had to face.” Joshi, an agriculture student who was 22 when…