13/09/2025

SATURDAY | SEPT 13, 2025

READ OUR

HERE

8

Malaysian Paper

/thesun

HANOI: A large database in Vietnam containing data on creditors has been attacked by hackers and the impact of the breach is still being assessed, according to the country’s cybersecurity agency as well as a document seen by Reuters. The incident involves Vietnam’s National Credit Information Centre (CIC), a unit managed by the State Bank of Vietnam, which stores sensitive information such as general personal details, credit payments, risk analysis and credit card data. “Initial investigation indicated signs of unauthorised access aimed at stealing personal data, with the extent of the breach still being assessed,”Vietnam’s cybersecurity agency said in a statement late on Thursday. In a separate letter dated Sept 11, sent to financial institutions and seen by Reuters, CIC said it was investigating the incident. It said it suspected the cyberattack had been orchestrated by the international hacker group Shiny Hunters, noting that the group was known for targeting global firms like Google, Microsoft and Qantas. “The incident has not disrupted operations or caused any damage and the credit information service system remains fully functional,” the letter said. Vietnam’s central bank did not respond to a request for comment. Reuters could not immediately contact Shiny Hunters. Authorities did not disclose how many accounts might have been affected by the breach. Investment bank JPMorgan said in a note to investors yesterday the incident could lead to higher costs for banks to improve cybersecurity and was a potential risk to deposit flows, but maintained its recommendation to stay invested in Vietnamese banks“barring a widespread impact or further incidents”. – Reuters Vietnam probes cyberattack on creditors data

Shelve Duterte case, defence team urges ICC

arrest said Duterte’s alleged crimes were “part of a widespread and systematic attack directed against the civilian population” in the Philippines. “Potentially tens of thousands of killings were perpetrated,” the prosecutor alleged of the campaign that targeted mostly poor men, often without proof they were linked to drugs. Kaufman said his client’s mental faculties had declined to

wrote Kaufman in a legal filing published on the ICC website. “Mr Duterte’s condition will not improve and, for this reason, the Pre-Trial Chamber must adjourn all legal proceedings in his case indefinitely,” he said. The former leader is suffering from “significant cognitive deficiencies” affecting his memory, his day-to-day functioning and his capacity for complex reasoning, according to Kaufman.

THE HAGUE: The defence lawyer for Rodrigo Duterte (pic) on Thursday urged the International Criminal Court to shelve its crimes against humanity case against the former Philippines president, who he said was mentally unfit for trial. Duterte, 80, was scheduled to appear at the ICC on Sept 23 to hear charges over his years long campaign against drug users and dealers that rights groups say killed thousands. The ICC ruled earlier this week to adjourn that hearing while judges assessed Duterte’s health, but lawyer Nicholas Kaufman urged the case be shelved indefinitely. Duterte “is not fit to stand trial as a result of cognitive impairment in multiple domains”, o Ex-president unable to understand accusations or defend himself, says lawyer

the point where he was unable to understand the accusations against him or defend himself in court. A lawyer for victims of Duterte’s “war on drugs” has voiced anger over the ICC’s postponement of the hearing originally scheduled for Sept 23. “We expected that Duterte would do this, but the fact that he was able to convince the pre-trial chamber to postpone that indefinitely is scary,” Kristina Conti told AFP.

Duterte was arrested in Manila on March 11, flown to the Netherlands that same night and has been held at the ICC’s detention unit at Scheveningen Prison since. At his initial hearing, he followed by video link, appearing dazed and frail, barely speaking. He is the first Asian former head of state charged by the ICC. He stands accused of 43 murders as a crime against humanity. The ICC prosecutor’s application for his

Lin with the handbook. – REUTERSPIC

Taiwan updates security handbook

TAIPEI: Taiwan will issue new guidelines next week in an updated civil defence handbook that, for the first time, will instruct citizens on what to do if they see enemy soldiers and clarifies that any claims of Taiwan’s surrender should be considered false. The handbook represents Taiwan’s latest effort to prepare its population for emergencies. The bright red-orange handbook, designed for people of all ages, features cartoon characters representing Taiwan’s population on the cover and across its 29 pages, and tells Taiwanese to “protect each other and safeguard our beloved home”. Reuters reviewed a copy before publication. “Whether it be natural disasters, epidemics, extreme weather, or the threat of invasion, the challenges we face have never ceased,” the handbook says, offering guidance on how to find bomb shelters via smartphone apps and tips for preparing emergency kits. Lin Fei-fan, deputy secretary-general of Taiwan’s National Security Council who oversaw the updated handbook, said Taipei has taken inspiration from survival guides published by the Czech Republic and France. The handbook, the first edition of which was published in 2022, gives a list of scenarios Taiwan might face, from sabotage of undersea cables and cyber attacks and inspections of Taiwanese vessels by an “enemy nation” as a prelude to conflict, to an all-out invasion. – Reuters

A soldier speaking to a crowd outside the President House in Nepal yesterday. – AFPPIC

Ex-CJ likely to be interim Nepal prime minister KATHMANDU: Nepal’s former chief justice, Sushila Karki, is likely to be appointed as interim prime minister, a source aware of the talks told Reuters yesterday, after intense anti-graft protests led to the resignation of K.P. Sharma Oli. prime minister,” said a constitutional expert consulted by President Ramchandra Paudel and army chief Ashok Raj Sigdel, who sought anonymity as the negotiations are sensitive. “They (protesters) want her. This will happen today,” the source said.

Wedged between India and China, Nepal has grappled with political and economic instability since the abolition of its monarchy in 2008, while a lack of jobs drives millions to seek work in other countries and send money home. Shops began reopening yesterday, among signs that normalcy was returning in the capital of Kathmandu, with cars in the streets and police personnel taking up batons instead of the guns they carried earlier in the week. Some roads stayed blocked, however, and soldiers continued to patrol the streets, though fewer than before. – Reuters

Karki’s appointment is likely to be formally made following a meeting at Paudel’s residence, according to a source involved in the talks. The president’s office and the army spokesperson did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The Himalayan nation’s worst upheaval in years, which killed 34 people this week and injured more than 1,300 as police fought to control crowds, was sparked by a social media ban, now rolled back. The violence subsided only after Oli resigned. “Sushila Karki will be appointed interim