Former Philippine President Duterte to run for Davao mayor

SEOUL, October 07 (AJP) - Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, 79, has announced his intention to run for mayor of Davao City in next year's midterm elections. Davao City, located on the southern island of Mindanao, has been the Duterte family's political stronghold for decades. Duterte previously served as mayor of Davao for 22 years before becoming president from 2016 to 2022. During a press conference in Davao on Saturday, Duterte suggested he might form a ticket

October 7, 2024

Former Singapore minister jailed for corruption

SEOUL, October 4 (AJP) - S. Iswaran, Singapore's ex-transport minister, was sentenced to one year in prison Thursday for accepting gifts worth about 74,000 Singapore dollars (approximately US$55,000) during his tenure. This marks the first imprisonment of a minister-level official for corruption in Singapore since 1975, sending shockwaves through the nation known for its low corruption rates. Iswaran pleaded guilty to four charges of receiving inappropriate gifts from business-r

October 4, 2024

Avian influenza outbreak kills 48 big cats in Vietnamese zoos

SEOUL, October 04 (AJP) - Nearly 50 tigers, lions, and leopards have died at multiple Vietnamese zoos, with some testing positive for the highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) virus. Since August, 44 tigers, three lions, and one leopard have perished at the Mango Garden Zoo in Dong Nai province and the My Quynh Zoo in Long An province. At Mango Garden Zoo, 17 tigers and one leopard died after showing symptoms of fatigue and weakness. Autopsies on two tigers suggested pneumonia

October 4, 2024

School bus fire claims 23 lives in Thailand

SEOUL, October 02 (AJP) - A tragic school bus fire in Thailand's Pathum Thani province has resulted in the presumed death of 23 students and teachers. The Thai government announced that the incident occurred Tuesday on a highway north of Bangkok, where a bus carrying 44 passengers, including 38 students and 6 teachers, caught fire during a field trip. Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul stated that the 23 missing individuals are likely deceased. Rescue workers discovered o

October 2, 2024

Google to invest $1 billion in Thailand data center, cloud AI Infrastructure

SEOUL, October 02 (AJP) - Google has announced a US$1 billion investment in Thailand to build a data center and cloud artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure. The tech giant said Monday it plans to construct a data center in Chonburi province near Bangkok and establish a Google Cloud region center in the capital city to meet the growing demand for cloud services and AI innovation in Southeast Asia. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra welcomed the investment, stating it &quo

October 2, 2024

Landslide kills 15 at illegal gold mine in Indonesia

SEOUL, September 30 (AJP) - A landslide triggered by heavy rains has claimed at least 15 lives and buried 25 others at an illegal gold mine on Indonesia's Sumatra island. The disaster occurred on Friday, in a remote area of West Sumatra province, according to news reports. Rescue efforts were initially hampered by blocked access roads to the remote mining site. Indonesian rescue officials reported three additional injuries and confirmed that search operations for those buried ar

September 30, 2024

Fake hotel websites plague Vietnamese resort town

SEOUL, September 30 (AJP) - Nha Trang, a popular resort town in southern Viet Nam, is facing a surge in hotel booking scams. Fraudsters are creating fake websites and social media pages for 4 and 5-star hotels and resorts, tricking tourists into paying for non-existent reservations. One victim from Hanoi lost about 700,000 won ($520) when attempting to book for a group of 12. Local police have reported nearly 100 similar cases. The scammers imitate pages of well-known establishments

September 30, 2024

Philippines aims to launch commercial nuclear power by 2032

SEOUL, September 27 (AJP) - The Philippine government has unveiled plans to start operating commercial nuclear power plants with a minimum capacity of 1,200 megawatts by 2032. Sharon Garin, Undersecretary of the Philippine Department of Energy, announced this goal at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference in Vienna, Austria. The country aims to gradually increase nuclear power capacity to 4,800 megawatts by 2050. In preparation for this nuclear initiative,

September 27, 2024

Indonesia applies to join CPTPP, aims for economic reform

SEOUL, September 27 (AJP) - Indonesia has officially applied to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a Japan-led multilateral free trade agreement in the Asia-Pacific region. Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto announced that the country had sent a letter of application to New Zealand, aiming to become the 13th member of the CPTPP. Minister Airlangga said, "This decision is to structura

September 27, 2024

Pope urges release of Suu Kyi, offers Vatican refuge

SEOUL, September 26 (AJP) - Myanmar's ongoing crisis has drawn international attention, with Pope Francis calling for the release of detained State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. According to Reuters on Wednesday, during his recent Asia tour, the pope revealed he had requested Suu Kyi's release and offered her safe haven in the Vatican. Suu Kyi, who led the National League for Democracy to victory in the 2020 election, has been imprisoned since the military coup in February 20

September 26, 2024