Modi touts global ambition for Indian-made chips

SEOUL, September 13 (AJP) - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi outline his ambition for Indian-made chips to be used in devices worldwide at the country's semiconductor event. The statement was made during his opening speech at Semicon India 2024 on Wednesday, where he highlighted the potential of India's semiconductor industry and government support. "This is the right time to be in India. In 21st-century India, the chips are never down. When the chips are down, yo

September 13, 2024

Telegram: A hotbed for narcotics, digital sex crimes

SEOUL, September 13 (AJP) - It took this reporter just a few minutes to find a dozen channels selling illicit narcotics on Telegram. A simple search for "weed" in Korean on X (formerly Twitter) yielded several keywords and invitation links for Telegram chat groups. To maintain discretion, these groups used jargon like "ice" and "herbs" to refer to methamphetamine and marijuana, respectively. "MDMA, also known as ecstasy ... induces soft, warm, and

September 13, 2024

Southeast Asian markets surge as global investors anticipate Fed rate cut

SEOUL, September 13 (AJP) - Global investors are shifting their focus to Southeast Asian markets as the U.S. Federal Reserve's pivot on monetary policy approaches. Bloomberg reports that four of the top five performing Asian stock indices this month are from Southeast Asia, with Thailand leading the pack. Foreign capital has flowed into these markets for five consecutive weeks, pushing the MSCI ASEAN index near its highest level since April 2022. The index has outperformed the M

September 13, 2024

Typhoon Yagi death toll surpasses 270 in Southeast Asia

SEOUL, September 13 (AJP) - Super Typhoon Yagi's devastating impact on Southeast Asia continues to escalate, with the death toll now surpassing 270. Viet Nam, the hardest-hit country, has confirmed 226 fatalities, 104 missing, and around 800 injured. The storm's aftermath has left millions struggling with flooding, power outages, and widespread infrastructure damage. In Viet Nam alone, over 250,000 hectares of farmland have been affected, and UNICEF estimates that more than

September 13, 2024

Samsung plant strike in southern India enters 5th day

SEOUL, September 13 (AJP) - Unionized workers continued their strike Friday at Samsung Electronics' plant in southern India for the fifth day, demanding wage increases and improved working hours, news reports said. Hundreds of workers at the plant in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, began an indefinite walkout on Monday in one of the largest labor disputes in India in recent years. Tamil Nadu's labor minister, C.V. Ganesan, met with union representatives and Samsung officials o

September 13, 2024

North Korea discloses uranium enrichment facility

SEOUL, September 13 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspected a facility for producing weapons-grade nuclear materials including enriched uranium, Pyongyang's state-run Rodong Sinmun reported on Friday. During his "on-site guidance," Kim called for producing more nuclear weapons for "self-defense." Emphasizing the need to expand the number of centrifuges and their individual capacity, Kim expressed his great satisfaction with the facility. "Ju

September 13, 2024

Japanese, US researchers win Ig Nobel for anal breathing study

SEOUL, September 13 (AJP) - A team of Japanese and American scientists has been recognized for their groundbreaking research on intestinal breathing in mammals. The group, led by Professor Takanori Takebe of Tokyo Medical and Dental University, received the Ig Nobel physiology prize on Thursday for their work demonstrating that certain mammals can respirate through their intestines. The study, published in the journal Med in 2021, explored the potential of intestinal oxygen exchange

September 13, 2024

JobKorea's foreign recruitment platform surpasses 1,000 job postings

SEOUL, September 13 (AJP) – The number of job postings registered on JobKorea’s international service, KLiK (Kickstart Life in Korea), has surpassed 1,000, the online recruiting company said. KLiK, launched in July, provides job information in Korea for foreign nationals in 28 languages, including English, Chinese, French, German, and Dutch. JobKorea aims to solidify its position as the largest international recruitment platform in Korea by offering more effective and

September 13, 2024

WHO leads largest Gaza medical evacuation to UAE

SEOUL, September 13 (AJP) - World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced on Wednesday that 97 critically ill and injured individuals from Gaza were airlifted to Abu Dhabi, UAE, for urgent medical treatment. This large-scale evacuation, the biggest since October 2023, was conducted amidst heavy Israeli attacks. In a statement, Tedros explained that WHO, in collaboration with the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, successfully evacuated the patie

September 13, 2024

Chinese premier visits UAE to strengthen bilateral ties

SEOUL, September 13 (AJP) - Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrived in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday for an official visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), responding to an invitation from UAE Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Upon arrival, Li highlighted the robust growth in China-UAE relations over the 40 years since establishing diplomatic ties, noting the strengthening friendship between the two nations. Li referenced the recent meeting between Chin

September 13, 2024