HONG KONG
No password protection
Effective yesterday, people who refuse to give police their phone or computer passwords in investigations involving the National Security Law face a year in jail and a fine of HK$100,000 (US$12,772). Previously, refusal to give police a password to unlock a phone or other electronic device did not constitute obstruction. The new rule applies to people under investigation for endangering national security and people who own or possess the equipment involved, as well as those authorized to access the equipment and anyone who knows the password or decryption method. It is designed to ensure that “activities endangering national security can be effectively prevented, suppressed and punished, and at the same time the lawful rights and interests of individuals and organizations are adequately protected,” a government spokesperson said.
SOUTH KOREA
BTS turnout falls short
Hybe Co’s shares yesterday plunged as much as 15 percent after a heavily promoted comeback concert by K-pop megastars BTS drew a smaller crowd than authorities initially expected. Stock in BTS’ agency recorded its biggest intraday decline since June 2022. The group’s event at Gwanghwamun square attracted 104,000 fans versus the 260,000 initially estimated by police, Chosun Ilbo reported. Stringent crowd control measures — reflecting in part the authorities’ focus on avoiding a repeat of the Itaewon incident years ago — might have played a part. The concert was live-streamed by Netflix Inc, which should release viewership figures later this week. The group performed 12 songs during the hour-long show, ranging from new tracks on their album Arirang to hits such as Butter and Dynamite.
INDONESIA
Prabowo denies US$1bn fee
President Prabowo Subianto, under fire at home for signing up to US President Donald Trump’s so-called “Board of Peace,” on Sunday said his country would not pay the US$1 billion joining fee for permanent membership. Jakarta had only committed peacekeeping troops for the initiative, Prabowo said in a statement published on the presidential YouTube channel. Countries that want to be permanent members must pay US$1 billion, sparking criticism it could become a “pay-to-play” version of the UN Security Council. Prabowo has come under criticism from Indonesian Muslim groups for joining the board and pledging to send 8,000 peacekeeping troops to Gaza. He attended the inaugural meeting of the board in “Board of Peace” in Washington last month. However, he later said he would withdraw from the board if it does not bring benefits to Palestinians or align with Indonesia’s national interests.
UNITED STATES
Trump revives Columbus
The White House has installed on its grounds a statue of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus in the latest bid by President Donald Trump’s administration to reshape depictions of US history and culture. The campaign against an ideology Trump calls “anti-American” has encompassed the dismantling of slavery exhibits, restoration of Confederate statues and other moves that civil rights advocates say could reverse decades of social progress. “The statue is now residing on the north side of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus,” Trump told the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations in a letter on Sunday. He thanked the group for its gift of the statue to the government.
A ship that appears to be taking on the identity of a scrapped gas carrier exited the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, showing how strategies to get through the waterway are evolving as the Middle East war progresses. The vessel identifying as liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier Jamal left the Strait on Friday morning, ship-tracking data show. However, the same tanker was also recorded as having beached at an Indian demolition yard in October last year, where it is being broken up, according to market participants and port agent’s reports. The ship claiming to be Jamal is likely a zombie vessel that
Cannabis-based medicines have shown little evidence of effectiveness for treating most mental health and substance-use disorders, according to a large review of past studies published in a major medical journal on Monday. Medical use of cannabinoids has been expanding, including in the US, Canada and Australia, where many patients report using cannabis products to manage conditions such as anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and sleep problems. Researchers reviewed data from 54 randomized clinical trials conducted between 1980 and May last year involving 2,477 participants for their analysis published in The Lancet. The studies assessed cannabinoids as a primary treatment for mental disorders or substance-use
NATIONWIDE BLACKOUT: US President Donald Trump cut off Venezuelan oil shipments to Cuba, strangling the Caribbean island’s already antiquated grid Cuba’s national electric grid collapsed on Monday, the nation’s grid operator said, leaving about 10 million people without power amid a US-imposed oil blockade that has crippled the already obsolete generation system. Grid operator UNE on social media said that it is investigating the causes of the blackout, the latest in a series of widespread outages that last for hours or days and that this weekend sparked a rare violent protest in the communist-run nation. Officials ruled out a major power plant failure, but had still not pinpointed the root cause of the grid collapse, suggesting a problem with transmission. Officials said that
CONSERVING FUEL: State institutions are to operate only four days a week starting tomorrow, with the measures also applying to schools and universities Sri Lanka on Monday announced a shorter working week to conserve its scarce fuel reserves as it prepares for a prolonged war in the Middle East. The Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway through which about 20 percent of global exports pass in peacetime, has been effectively closed by Iran in retaliation over the US and Israeli war against it, now in its third week. Sri Lankan Commissioner-General of Essential Services Prabath Chandrakeerthi said state institutions would operate only four days a week starting tomorrow. The new austerity measures would also apply to schools and universities, and would remain in place indefinitely. “We are
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