About 50 residents of a community outside Chile's capital spent Saturday trying their best to power an entirely human-operated chatbot that could answer questions and make silly pictures on command, in a message to highlight the environmental toll of artificial intelligence data centers in the region. Read full story
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Feb. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Fraud in Southeast Asia has passed a tipping point, evolving from isolated scams to highly commercial operations run by organized syndicates operating with the scale and efficiency of modern, legitimate businesses. This warning was delivered by Niki Luhur, Founder and CEO of VIDA Group, at CISO Malaysia 2026, an event that brings together Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) in Malaysia. Niki Luhur, Founder and Group CEO of VIDA, during a session with CISOs in Malaysia highlighting the risks of AI-generated images being misused for fraud. In his presentation, "From Fraudster to Syndicate: The Rise of Commercial Fraud in Southeast Asia," Niki detailed how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is fundamentally reshaping the digital crime economy, automating and scaling fraud into a structured, industrialized threat. "Fraud today is no longer about individuals seeking quick profits; it has become a business," said Niki Luhur. "When crime operates like an industry, security cannot rely on assumptions built for a different era." This message resonates with CISOs, as AI-powered threats like deepfake attacks and synthetic identity fraud erode traditional security models. And in line with Bank Negara Malaysia's (BNM) decision to phase out SMS OTPs by June 2026, which underscores the inadequacy of legacy authentication and requires a fundamental redesign of defense strategies for banking leaders. Niki emphasized layered and coordinated identity defense. Effective fraud prevention requires unifying identity verification, device integrity checks, liveness detection, and PKI authentication into a cohesive system that can withstand large-scale AI-based attacks. Device trust is now a critical frontline control. For more information, visit www.vida.id About VIDA VIDA is a leading company in Indonesia in the field of digital identity and fraud prevention, licensed Certification Authority (CA) registered under the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia. Founded in 2018, VIDA provides digital identity services that integrate electronic certificates, digital signatures, identity verification, and transaction authentication, all adhering to world-class security standards, including Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and biometric verification. VIDA verifies more than 2.5 million identities every day. For more information, visit www.vida.id
My head is already spinning after last week's three-episode drop, but when does School Spirits season 3 episode 4 hit Paramount+?
Federal prosecutors are done reviewing the Jeffrey Epstein-Ghislaine Maxwell sex-trafficking case, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told ABC News on Sunday, but key Democrats insist the public still isn't seeing the full picture, the Guardian reports. Blanche said the Justice Department's review of the case "is over," even as survivors...
This renovation project reinterprets a 60-year-old house in Hakone by transforming layers of enclosure—ranging from valley-scale topography to interior living spaces—into a continuous spatial experience.
The National Space Agency of Singapore will front the Republic’s ambitions to be a leader in space technologies
HONG KONG, Feb. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Wonder, a leading fintech and payments platform for merchants in Hong Kong and Asia Pacific, today announced it has raised a USD 12 million venture debt from HSBC Innovation Banking in Hong Kong. This multi-year debt capital commitment will support...
SHANGHAI, Feb. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Headquartered in Shanghai, Arctic Vision (Cayman) Limited ("Arctic Vision"), a global ophthalmic company, announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire the innovative ophthalmic device business of MDCO Technology, a Hangzhou-based ophthalmic medical-device company.The proposed transaction will bring MDCO's premium intraocular lens (IOL), implantable contact lens (Phakic Lens), and refractive-device platforms into Arctic Vision's global ophthalmic innovation framework. It strengthens Arctic Vision's global ophthalmic business by integrating advanced device engineering and intelligent manufacturing with its existing innovation capabilities.Accelerating Ophthalmic Innovation Globally across Drug & DeviceThe proposed transaction aligns with the long-term strategy of Arctic Vision, expanding the company's pipeline with innovative therapeutics with high unmet need.The transaction is expected to create an industry-leading pipeline, building on Arctic Vision's deep R&D capabilities in retinal, ocular surface, and neuro-ophthalmic areas, together with MDCO's design and manufacturing expertise in IOL and Phakic Lens.Under the terms of the transactions, MDCO will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Arctic Vision. The group will maintain key operations in Shanghai (biopharmaceutical R&D ...Full story available on Benzinga.com
Five-country initiative addresses emerging compliance challenges as ASEAN tightens AI oversight SINGAPORE, Feb. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Singapore has become the first country to release a governance framework for agentic AI. Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo announced the Model AI Governance Framework for Agentic AI at the World Economic Forum. The framework requires organizations to maintain human accountability for AI agents, implement technical controls, and ensure transparency. Armor and Microsoft Security leaders at the Microsoft Digital Trust & Global Regulation Roadshow in Singapore, January 2026. Armor Initiative Helps Enterprises Respond Armor, a global leader in cloud-native managed detection and response and Microsoft Solutions Partner for Security, today announced an initiative spanning Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines to help enterprises operationalize these new requirements. Armor brings direct experience securing AI-driven enterprises. A healthcare technology company using GenAI tools to serve 800+ health systems achieved a 29x reduction in mean time to respond (MTTR) after partnering with Armor for 24/7 managed detection and response. "Singapore's Model AI Governance Framework for Agentic AI (MGF) recognizes what we've been telling clients: AI agents that can act autonomously need the same security rigor as any privileged user," said Chris Drake, Founder and CEO of Armor. "You wouldn't give an employee access to sensitive systems without visibility and controls. The same logic applies to AI." Armor Nexus: Security Operations Reimagined Central to Armor's approach is Nexus, its unified security operations platform built for teams who run their own SOCs. Unlike traditional SOCs that rely on manual processes and fragmented ticketing systems, Nexus was built by practitioners who defend organizations from the inside. Nexus unifies operations and technology on a single platform because real incidents always involve both. The platform demystifies Microsoft security environments, giving organizations full visibility into their data. Customers can jump into the underlying intelligence and maintain the transparency that governance frameworks demand. Organizations interested in participating can contact Armor's team at armor.com. About Armor Armor is a global leader in cloud-native managed detection and response. Trusted by over 1,700 organizations across 40 countries, Armor delivers cybersecurity, compliance consulting, and 24/7 managed defense built for transparency, speed, and results. By combining human expertise with AI-driven precision, Armor safeguards critical environments to outpace evolving threats and build lasting resilience. For more information, visit armor.com or request a free Cyber Resilience Assessment. Follow us on LinkedIn, X. Media Contact:Michele GlassmanMarketing Director, ArmorEmail: michele.glassman@armor.comWebsite: www.armor.com Armor team members join Microsoft partners at Microsoft's ASEAN offices as part of Armor's five-country initiative to help enterprises operationalize Singapore's new Model AI Governance Framework for Agentic AI.
The Central Bank of Cyprus projects gross domestic product growth to average 3% annually in the period from 2026 to 2028.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced significant increases to securities transaction tax rates. The Budget increased the outlay for the electronics components manufacturing scheme to Rs 40,000. The finance minister unveiled a new Rs 10,000-crore “Biopharma Shakti” programme.
Risk-off sentiment strengthened Sunday, triggered by a massive sell-off in leading cryptocurrencies and precious metals.Cryptocurrency24-Hour Gains +/-Price (Recorded at 8:20 p.m. ET)Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC)-1.54%$77,147.38Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) -6.35%$2,275.90XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) -3.17%$1.59Solana (CRYPTO: SOL) -3.11%$101.47Dogecoin (CRYPTO: DOGE) +0.63%$0.1044Crypto BloodbathBitcoin dived below $76,000, marking its worst sell-off since early April, when President Donald Trump's sweeping tariff measures sent the market into a tailspin. The apex cryptocurrency is down 11.42% year-to-date.Ethereum crashed below $2,300, hitting levels last seen more than 7 months ago. The second-largest cryptocurrency has cratered 23% since the year began.Meanwhile, Bitcoin's market share stood at 59.3%, while Ethereum's dominance fell below 11%.Over $500 billion was liquidated from the market in the last 24 hours, according to Coinglass, with $373 million in levered longs wiped out.Bitcoin's open interest fell more than 10% last week, reaching $52.43 billion, as market sentiment plunged into "Extreme Fear."Top Gainers ...Full story available on Benzinga.com