25/02/2026

WEDNESDAY | FEB 25, 2026

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FBI leads charge against scam centres

hopes to leverage previous success to cooperate on scam compounds, he said, adding that he also had “fruitful discussions” with Vietnam. Scam centres are a regional issue and require regional cooperation, Schelble said. “The key is to make each area an inhospitable place for these compounds to operate.” “The FBI is committed to pursuing these syndicates wherever they operate. But it’s not a crime problem that the FBI can do alone. “And I am really grateful that we don’t have to. Our partnerships in Southeast Asia are strong and are unmatched.” – Reuters/Bernama

or geographical borders” and operate with “a degree of impunity because they take advantage of countries’ respective laws”, he said. Money laundering, corruption and human trafficking have become synonymous with transnational crime, which is threatening regional security. The FBI has deployed agents to work with Thai police on a joint anti scam taskforce which has disrupted networks, identified victims and targeted supporting financial infrastructure, Schelble said. The FBI has partnered with Cambodian police in the past and

where you are and we are coming for you.” Crime syndicates are targeting Americans with scams “every day” through “sophisticated, well resourced criminal enterprises that exploit borders, technology, and vulnerable people to generate enormous profits,” Schelble said. He described the magnitude of the crime as “astounding”, and revealed that the American Internet Crime Complaint Centre received over 80,000 complaints with monetary losses exceeding US$2.9 billion (RM11 billion) last year. The groups are “not bound by laws

o Regional security at stake

BANGKOK: A senior FBI official said yesterday that the United States was “committed to leading the fight” against multi-billion dollar Southeast Asian fraud factories targeting Americans. Scott Schelble, deputy assistant director of the FBI’s International Operations Division, was speaking at a press briefing after travelling to Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, where he visited several scam centres.

“It is impossible to fully grasp the magnitude of these operations until you see them yourself,” he said, referring to “industrial-scale” fraud factories that have proliferated across the region. “The FBI will continue to pursue aggressively wherever they operate, and we will do so in close partnership with trusted international allies. “Criminals should not believe that borders will protect them if they target Americans,” he said. “We know

Duterte authorised murders, ICC told THE HAGUE: Rodrigo Duterte personally authorised murders and hand-picked some of the victims of his “war on drugs”, the International Criminal Court heard.

Philippines marks key Asean treaty

MANILA: Philippines commemorated yesterday the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, a landmark agreement that has served as the foundation of peaceful interstate relations in the region, the Philippine News Agency reported. As the Asean chair for 2026, the Philippines is honoured to lead this historic milestone. The country was one of the five original signatories when the treaty was signed in 1976 during the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. The golden anniversary is historic and meaningful, as it is being marked during the Philippines’ Asean chairmanship, underscoring the continuity of the country’s role in shaping regional cooperation. From its five founding members, which also include Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand, the treaty has grown into a framework embraced by 58 high contracting parties. For five decades, the treaty has embodied the Asean model of peaceful engagement, anchored on mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, non interference in internal affairs, the peaceful settlement of disputes and the renunciation of the threat or use of force. These principles have helped foster stability, solidarity and closer relations among member states and partners, providing a secure and predictable environment that supports trade, investment and economic growth across the region. As part of the commemoration, the official 50th anniversary logo will be unveiled through Asean’s social media platforms. The main commemorative activity will be held on July 24 on the sidelines of the 59th Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and Related Meetings. The commemoration comes amid a series of key Asean engagements under the Philippines’ chairmanship. – Bernama The

ICC deputy prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang said Duterte played a “pivotal” role in the extrajudicial killings of suspected drug dealers and users, first as mayor of Davao City then as president. He “authorised murders and personally selected some of the victims”, said Niang. Duterte’s defence lawyer Nicholas Kaufman hit back, calling the charges “grievously misplaced and politically motivated”. Duterte “stands behind his legacy resolutely. He maintains his innocence absolutely”, said Kaufman. Kaufman acknowledged that his client was “a unique phenomenon” who was“gung-ho in his ways”and full of “hyperbole, bluster and rhetoric”. However, he accused the prosecution of “cherry-picking” Duterte’s speeches, adding that many of them insist on the importance of sticking to the law. Rival groups of demonstrators camped outside the court from early Monday. Patricia Enriquez, a 36-year-old researcher, said it was a “historic moment” for victims of Duterte’s alleged crimes. “It is emotional. It is hopeful. It is also very painful,” she said. “I’m hoping that all the Filipinos and everybody in the world will stand with us, stand with truth, stand with justice and stand with accountability.” However, 35-year-old chef Aldo Villarta said it was a “slap in the face” for the Philippines that an

A Duterte supporter stands with cardboard cutouts outside the ICC on Monday. – AFPPIC

Yoon Suk Yeol as a“faithful dog” of the United States. Her tone has softened since South Korea’s incumbent leader Lee Jae Myung, who has sought to mend ties with the North, took office last year. Kim Yo Jong’s latest advancement “amounts to promotion to ministerial rank”, said Lim Eul-chul from the Institute for Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University. Pyongyang has never officially disclosed any information about Kim Yo Jong’s marital status or children. – AFP murders carried out between 2013 and 2016 while he was mayor of Davao City. The second relates to 14 murders of so-called “High Value Targets” in 2016 and 2017 when he was president. The third charge covers 43 murders committed during “clearance” operations of lower-level alleged drug users or pushers across the Philippines between 2016 and 2018. – AFP

threatening to kill criminals, Nicholls said: “He repeatedly promised to kill people. He said it. He did it. That is who he is.” Duterte, who was president from 2016 to 2022, was arrested in Manila in March last year, flown to the Netherlands and has since been held at the ICC’s detention unit at Scheveningen Prison. The first of three counts against Duterte concerns his alleged involvement as a co-perpetrator in 19

international court was trying the country’s former leader. “We’ve already suffered so long from colonisation,” said Villarta, who also argued that Duterte’s human rights were being infringed by imprisonment. Another prosecutor, Julian Nicholls, said: “The evidence shows ... that Mr Duterte murdered thousands of his own people, Filippino men, women, and children.” Showing videos of Duterte

North Korea ruling party promotes Kim’s sister SEOUL: North Korea’s ruling party has elevated leader Kim Jong Un’s powerful younger sister to a top position, state media said yesterday, a sign of her far-reaching influence within the reclusive nation. Korean Central News Agency said. Although it was not clear which department she would lead, she has previously held a senior role within the party’s propaganda unit. experienced and seasoned,” he said. Kim Yo Jong burst on to

the international scene in 2018, when she was sent to Seoul as North Korea’s envoy for the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. She became one of the first members of the ruling Kim dynasty to set foot in the South since the Korean War. Since then she has gained a reputation for her denunciations of Washington and Seoul. She once derided the government of former South Korean president

Kim Yo Jong has in recent years emerged as one of the most powerful figures in North Korea, playing a visible role in diplomacy, nuclear talks and other matters of state. “Kim Yo Jong is one of the very few people Kim Jong Un can trust and rely on,” said Ahn Chan-il, a researcher originally from North Korea. “She also served as a working-level official for Kim’s summits with Trump in Singapore and Hanoi. She is

Thousands of party elites have packed the capital Pyongyang for a once-in-five-years summit of the ruling Workers’ Party, a gathering that directs state efforts on everything from diplomacy to war planning. Kim Yo Jong (pic) , long considered one of her brother’s closest lieutenants, was promoted to department director within the party’s apex central committee, the