MONTH IN BRIEF
Frontier clash
India and Pakistan have summoned each other’s top diplomats over an October 2 border incident. New Delhi rebuffed a claim by Islamabad that Indian forces had killed two unarmed Pakistani civilians, saying those involved had crossed illegally into Indian territory, while Pakistan’s foreign ministry said personnel from India’s Border Security Force (BSF) had used ‘unprovoked lethal force’ against two unarmed Pakistani civilians in the Bedian sector along the international border, and insisted that Pakistan ‘categorically rejects any attempt to mischaracterise the deceased as “infiltrators”.’
Indonesia’s ‘terror’arrests
Counter-terrorism police in Indonesia have arrested 11 suspected militants across six provinces, uncovering what appears to be a web of online recruitment and weapons training that has renewed concerns over the country’s terrorism threat. The arrests were carried out in West Java, Central Java, Central Sulawesi, South Sulawesi, Riau and North Maluku, the police’s Densus 88 counter-terrorism unit said in an Oct. 4 statement. Although Densus 88 did not disclose evidence of plans for a specific attack, they said the suspects were involved in varying levels of coordination, recruitment and training across several regions.
Ahead of the tech
Malaysia is toughening up its regulatory frameworks and building dedicated enforcement agencies to stay ahead of rapid advances in artificial intelligence, including the rise of smart glasses. Speaking about the challenges of emerging tech, Malaysian Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo stressed that the government is approaching the issue from a proactive stand point rather than reacting on a case-by-case basis, adding that ‘when we build the regulatory frameworks, we build it in anticipation of new technology. We cannot be operating the other way around, where technology comes in and we decide what we do for the purposes of being safe’.
Fighting the floods
Nepal is set to initiate a high-stakes effort this fiscal year to drain four glacial lakes high in the mountains, as it tries to reduce flood risks following a recent catastrophe in which more than 1,400 were killed. Rescuers are still searching for more than 5,000 missing in the border region with China after August’s glacier collapse unleashed landslides and a flash flood that tore through valleys. The aim of the drainage is to lower the risk of the lakes breaching their natural dams and reducing the risk of downstream floods, according to Subash Tuladhar, an expert with a government research centre tasked with overseeing the project.
Unsocial media
A South Korean study has found that active use of social media may have a greater impact on the loneliness of those aged at least 60, as a significant correlation was found between use of social media and the tendency to feel lonely in this age group. The research team, led by Min Kyoung-bok, a professor of preventive medicine, analysed data from 34,142 Seoul residents aged 20 and older, andexamined five social media behaviours, including prioritising online communication over offline interaction, and feelings of exclusion.Among people aged 60+ who said they tended to share their daily lives on social media, the odds of loneliness were 1.83 times those of social media non-users in the same age group.
Star shark
A 3.5-metre stray shark has become an unlikely celebrity in South Korea, attracting huge crowds and even shifting the stock market. The marine predator, believed to be a bull shark, emergedin September in an artificial waterway in the port city of Busan on South Korea’s south-east coast.While coast guard boats tried to guide the fish back, itstayed put, drawing in crowds that have given an unexpected boost to the local economy. Sales of shark-shaped ice cream bars spiralled, and the mayor of Busan thanked the creature for publicity that would have cost ‘trillions’.