South-East Asia start-ups missing out on region’s AI-fuelled tech boom

SINGAPORE: South-East Asia is fast emerging as an investment hot spot for AI leaders like Nvidia Corp. and Microsoft Corp., which are plowing money into cloud services and data centers. But the region’s own young tech companies are failing to capitalise on the boom. While the world’s biggest companies are set to splurge up to US$60...

QuickCheck: Will a ‘city-killer’ asteroid hit Earth in 2029?

SPACE is a dangerous place for us humans. The absence of oxygen that we need to breathe, extreme temperatures that can cook one side of your body and freeze the other side at the same time, and intense radiation that can fry your organs from the inside out. These are but a small taste of...

Malaysian ringleader, Thai wife arrested in 5 billion baht money laundering case

BANGKOK: (Bernama) Thai police believe they have cracked down on a major scam syndicate that laundered over 5 billion baht (US$145,754,000) through fraudulent transactions, following the arrests of a Malaysian ringleader and his Thai wife. The Commander of the Economic Crime Suppression Division (ECD) under the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), Pol. Maj. Gen. Puttidej Bunkrapue, said...

Malaysian social media personality Hu Chang Mun missing for a week while in Taiwan

BENTONG: A 31-year-old Malaysian influencer Hu Chang Mun, has been missing for a week while in Taiwan, leaving his family deeply concerned. A resident of Kuala Lumpur known for his frequent work travel, Hu shared updates of his journey to Nanning, China, on Facebook and Instagram at the start of this month, Sin Chew Daily reported. From...

Suspect confessed to murdering woman for money to watch football match, say cops

SHAH ALAM: The suspect behind the murder of Nurul Asikin Lan has confessed that he killed her because he needed money. The suspect, who is currently in police custody, made the confession to Sarawak Police Commissioner Datuk Mancha Ata, saying he intended to pawn the victim's gold bracelet and earrings to pay for his way to...

QuickCheck: Does Iceland really have no army?

IN A world where military power often defines a nation's strength, Iceland stands as an intriguing exception. Despite its small size and population, this island nation has opted out of maintaining a traditional military force. Could it be true that Iceland, a member of NATO, has no standing army? Verdict: TRUE Occupying merely 103,000sq km, Iceland is known to be...

South Korea military brought live ammunition to parliament during martial law: Reports

SEOUL: Troops mobilised under the Dec 3 martial law decree brought with them thousands of rounds of live ammunition for their operations, reports revealed on Dec 17. The 707th Special Missions Group of the Army’s Special Warfare Command brought 3,960 live ammunition rounds, 1,980 blank rounds and 100 cartridges for stun guns when they were deployed...

MY50 pass renewals suspended from Dec 23-Jan 31 for system upgrades

KUALA LUMPUR: Renewals for the My50 pass will be temporarily suspended from Dec 23 to Jan 31 at all rail customer service counters, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system and Rapid KL bus hubs. Prasarana Malaysia Berhad, as the operator of Rapid KL service, announced the temporary suspension to allow improvements to the My50 pass sales system. "The...

Dr Mahathir accuses three of his Cabinet of lying about Batu Puteh

PUTRAJAYA: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (pic) has accused three of his Cabinet ministers of lying about the decision to withdraw the application for review and interpretation of Pulau Batu Puteh. The former Prime Minister said he felt ashamed to have had such ministers in his Cabinet. "The leaked Cabinet meeting minutes show that the statements made by...

Proton to power on independently

KUALA LUMPUR: Proton will continue to operate independently without government interference, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. The Prime Minister gave this assurance following Proton’s recent success and the lessons learned from past government interventions. “Proton’s illustrious history, founded by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, has faced its share of challenges. The key lesson now is to...