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A Congolese miner told Al Jazeera he saw his friends around him die as the mine they were working in collapsed in heavy rains, trapping dozens underground for hours. Rescuers pulled Grace Barata alive from the mud the following day.

A suicide bomb attack during Friday prayers at a Shia mosque in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad has killed dozens of people and injured at least 170 others.

Feb. 5 (Asia Today) — Artificial intelligence is no longer a distant prospect. It is rapidly advancing into areas once considered uniquely human, including translation, medical diagnosis, law and content creation. With the possibility of human-level general AI now openly discussed, its impact is widely viewed as greater than any previous technological breakthrough.

Optimists foresee a long-awaited utopia. Self-driving cars dominate roads, AI assistants handle household chores and administrative work, doctors deliver more precise care with AI support, and teachers focus on personalized education. Like electricity or the internet, AI is expected to function as a general-purpose technology that raises productivity across the entire economy. Some forecasts suggest it could add about one percentage point to annual productivity growth over the next decade, potentially accelerating research and development and sustaining long-term economic expansion.

History, however, offers a more complex picture. General-purpose technologies often depress productivity in their early stages because firms and workers need time to adapt and reorganize. This so-called productivity J-curve may also apply to AI, as high implementation costs and training requirements delay gains and concentrate benefits among a limited number of firms and industries.

More immediate concerns are emerging in labor markets. Automation is already replacing clerical and repetitive tasks, while mid-skilled jobs are shrinking. As AI evolves from generative models to autonomous agents and physical systems, even highly educated workers may struggle to find stable employment. A small group with advanced AI skills may enjoy rising wages, while many others face job insecurity, raising fears of a society where algorithms dominate and humans are treated as expendable.

The debate over whether AI leads to utopia or dystopia ultimately centers on a single question: will AI replace humans. The answer lies in understanding the fundamental differences between artificial and human intelligence. AI excels at processing vast data and making predictions, but humans interpret context, make judgments under uncertainty and weigh ethics and values. Humans also build trust through empathy, communication and responsibility.

What matters most in the AI era is not intelligence itself but wisdom – the capacity to reflect on purpose, distinguish right from wrong and respect others. Rather than competing with AI, humans must cultivate complementary abilities that guide technology in constructive directions.

The future shaped by the AI revolution remains open. Its outcome depends on whether individuals and societies can develop the knowledge, skills and wisdom suited to this era. Continuous learning is essential, as is education that moves beyond test scores to nurture curiosity, critical thinking, ethics and responsibility.

At the societal level, education systems must shift away from standardized knowledge delivery. As AI handles information retrieval and analysis, priorities should include creativity, problem definition, collaboration and lifelong learning. Universities need closer alignment with labor market needs, while labor systems must become more flexible and competency-based.

Vocational training and retraining are equally urgent. In an age of rapid job transformation, a single education cannot last a lifetime. Governments, businesses and schools must cooperate to support mid-career workers and vulnerable groups. At the same time, governance frameworks ensuring transparency, accountability and fairness in AI use are essential for building public trust.

Artificial intelligence can expand human capabilities rather than replace them. True competitiveness in the AI era will come not from algorithms alone, but from the intellectual synergy created when humans and AI work together. What is needed now is not abstract optimism or fear, but deliberate investment in people.

Lee Jong-hwa is a chair professor of economics at Korea University. The views expressed are the author’s own.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260205010002059

Feb. 5 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s Board of Audit and Inspection said Thursday it will begin a first-half audit of public institutions’ asset management, including the sale of broadcaster YTN, amid allegations that some state-linked assets were disposed of at below-market prices.

The audit agency released its 2026 annual plan and said it will focus on high-risk areas tied to financial soundness, including large public-sector projects, asset sales and the operations of overseas offices.

A Board of Audit and Inspection official said the agency will conduct a comprehensive review of cases in which assets were sold or leased at low prices without sufficient valuation, citing claims that public institution assets, including YTN, were subject to “fire-sale” pricing.

YTN became the center of controversy in October 2023 over allegations of forced privatization and a rushed or preferential sale after a 30.95% stake held by KEPCO KDN and the Korea Racing Authority was transferred to the Eugene Group, according to the report.

President Lee Jae-myung ordered ministries in November 2025 to halt and reexamine state asset sales, the report said.

The audit plan also includes reviews described as “visible to the public,” covering illegal drug customs clearance management, defect handling in multi-unit housing and the operation of information security certification systems.

In addition, the agency said it will conduct “innovation support audits” in new technology areas such as artificial intelligence and research and development. The plan also calls for an audit of relaxation facilities, including a cypress sauna and a bedroom, installed at the Yongsan presidential office during former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s tenure, according to the report.

An audit agency official said the board will aim to drive institutional changes that the public can feel.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260206010002246

DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY,

Rescue teams reach the site after blast reported at a mosque in Tarlai Kalan during Friday prayers.

At least 15 people have been killed and more than 80 wounded after a blast at a Shia mosque in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad, local officials say.

The explosion occurred at Khadija Tul Kubra mosque, in southeastern Islamabad’s Tarlai Kalan area, during Friday prayers.

Rescue teams have reached the site of the explosion.

At least 15 of those injured were taken to hospitals with some of them in critical condition, rescue official Mohamed Amir said, according to dpa news agency.

Islamabad police spokesperson Taqi Jawad said the cause of the blast has yet to be determined, local news outlet Dawn reported.

In November last year, a suicide bomber blew himself up at the entrance of the Islamabad District Judicial Complex, killing at least 12 people and wounding dozens.

Al Jazeera’s Abid Hussain contributed to this report.

A senior South Korean official said Thursday that he anticipates “some new progress in a few days” regarding North Korea-related issues, but he noted it is not about the resumption of dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang.

The official made the remarks during a meeting with reporters in Washington amid speculation that U.S. President Donald Trump could seek a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un when he visits China in April.

“There may be some new progress in a few days. It is not anything significant, but it is intended as a gesture of goodwill that can serve as a starting point (for progress in diplomacy with North Korea),” the official said.

“It doesn’t go as far as dialogue between the U.S. and North Korea,” he added.

He also pointed out North Korea’s lack of interest in diplomacy with Seoul or Washington.

“So we need to wait and see,” he said.

Both South Korea and the U.S. have expressed their desire to reengage with North Korea. But it remains uncertain whether Pyongyang would accede to dialogue overtures at a time when it has deepened cooperation with Russia and China to address its economic and other needs.

Copyright (c) Yonhap News Agency prohibits its content from being redistributed or reprinted without consent, and forbids the content from being learned and used by artificial intelligence systems.

New Pentagon guidance for defending critical infrastructure against drone attacks calls for the increased use of netting, cables, and other kinds of passive physical defenses. This reflects a notable shift in policy within the department. For years now, U.S. military officials have often pushed back on the utility and cost-effectiveness of investing more in the physical hardening of bases and other critical facilities, especially shelters to shield aircraft from drones and other threats.

The Joint Inter-Agency Task Force 401 (JIATF-401) released the three-page document on “Physical Protection of Critical Infrastructure” last Friday. The Pentagon established JIATF-401 last August to coordinate counter-drone efforts across the department and help accelerate the fielding of new capabilities. Last week, the Pentagon also announced new authorities for military base commanders, expanding their options for responding to drone threats more broadly.

The new guidance from JIATF-401 talks about “critical infrastructure” mostly in terms of civilian sites ranging from power plants to sports venues. Drones do present real and still growing threats to critical civilian infrastructure, something TWZ has been calling attention to for years now. The Pentagon explicitly said the document had been released as part of work it has been doing in cooperation with the White House’s FIFA Task Force, which is preparing for the United States to host the World Cup later this year. However, it is made clear that the contents are equally applicable to helping protect military facilities from uncrewed aerial systems.

“When we talk about Homeland defense, we’re not just talking about military bases, power grids and ports; we’re talking about places where Americans gather. With major international events like the World Cup on the horizon, the security of our stadiums, for example, is a national priority,” U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, Director of JIATF-401, said in a statement accompanying the release. “Whether it’s a forward operating base, an outdoor concert venue or a stadium hosting the World Cup, the principles of risk assessment and physical protection outlined in this guide remain the same. This new guidance provides a common playbook for our forces to work closely with federal and local partners to ensure a safe and secure environment against the growing challenge of nefarious drones.”

The new counter-drone guidance’s central concept is a framework called HOP, standing for Harden, Obscure, Perimeter.

“Hardening does not mean enclosing an entire facility, but selectively introducing obstacles that disrupt predictable aerial access,” the document explains. “Even modest obstacles can deter low-cost, consumer-grade drones and force higher-risk flight profiles.”

As noted, the guidance highlights nets and tensioned cables as examples of this kind of cost-effective hardening. It also recommends closing retractable roofs and otherwise covering any other roof openings where and when it is feasible to do so. Underscoring the immediate focus on the World Cup, the document notes that “netting used to protect fans from projectiles can be repurposed to disrupt sUAS [small uncrewed aerial systems] flight and observation.”

The guidance also recommends the construction of more substantial “permanent or semi-permanent structural shielding, including concrete walls, enclosures, or hardened roofs designed to protect critical systems from overhead approach, observation, or objects released from a UAS.”

We will come back to all of this in a moment.

The “Obscure” component of the HOP framework focuses on making it harder for drones and their operators to find their targets in the first place. This can include an array of different tactics, techniques, and procedures, such as physical camouflage and decoys, as well as regular changes to how personnel and assets move through a facility. “If a drone cannot easily identify targets, crowds, or critical systems, its effectiveness drops sharply,” the new guidance notes.

Lastly, there is the “Perimeter” portion of the HOP framework, which is centered on expanded security zones around a specific site and ways to improve general situational awareness. “Pushing the effective perimeter outward forces drones to operate at greater distance, which strains battery life, degrades video and control links, increases the chance of operator exposure, [and] creates a larger safety buffer if a drone is downed.”

As an aside, the recently announced new counter-drone authorities for the commanders of U.S. military bases include the ability to respond to threats inside expanded zones beyond the facility’s immediate “fence-line.” The right-sizing of perimeters around domestic facilities and their enforcement has been a particularly complex issue for the U.S. government when it comes to counter-drone policies in recent years. Potential second-order impacts to surrounding areas, especially in densely populated urban environments, have to be taken into account and mitigated. This all imposes limits on the kind of assets that can be employed to neutralize drone threats once they’ve been detected, as you can read more about here.

As mentioned, the “Harden” part of the HOP frame stands out given how U.S. military officials have treated the topic in the past, at least publicly.

“We will have the need for bases, the main operating bases from which we operate,” U.S. Air Force Gen. Kevin Schneider, head of Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), said during a panel at the Air & Space Forces Association’s (AFA) 2025 Warfare Symposium last March. “The challenge becomes, at some point, we will need to move to austere locations. We will need to disaggregate the force. We will need to operate out of other locations, again, one for survivability, and two, again, to provide response options.”

Schneider added at that time that his service was faced with the need to “make internal trades” in how to apply available funding, including “do we put that dollar towards, you know, fixing the infrastructure at Kadena [Air Base in Japan] or do we put that dollar towards restoring an airfield at Tinian.”

“I got tons of airfields from tons of allies, and we have access to all of them. The problem is, I can only protect a few of them,” now-retired Air Force Gen. James Hecker, then head of U.S. Air Forces in Europe (USAFE), another member of that same panel, had also said. “We can’t have that layered [defensive] effect for thousands of airbases. There’s just no way it’s going to happen.”

“I’m not a big fan of hardening infrastructure,” Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach, then head of PACAF, had also said at a media roundtable at the Air & Space Forces Association’s main annual symposium back in 2023. “The reason is because of the advent of precision-guided weapons… you saw what we did to the Iraqi Air Force and their hardened aircraft shelters. They’re not so hard when you put a 2,000-pound bomb right through the roof.”

It is worth noting here that traditional high-end guided missiles and other precision-guided munitions are no longer necessarily required to carry out strikes of this kind. Drones costing thousands of dollars, and able to be launched from very long distances away, can now execute precision attacks.

Wilsbach is now Chief of Staff of the Air Force, the service’s top officer.

The U.S. military has faced pushback from Congress on the topic of hardening. Multiple independent assessments have also raised alarms. TWZ has been following this often-heated debate closely.

There have been signs that the U.S. military’s position on hardening, and that of the Air Force’s more specifically, has been shifting already. In 2024, authorities at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia and Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina both put out contracting notices asking for information about nets and other physical barriers to stop potential drone attacks. Langley had become a focal point for the drone threat discussion by that point after the base was subjected to weeks of still largely unexplained drone incursions in December 2023, which we were first to report.

Last year, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) announced that it had developed upgrades for a family of modular, rapidly deployable protective structures specifically to improve their effectiveness against drone attacks.

“The technology is not going to solve this problem for us. We can’t field a system that will stop every drone,” JIATF-401 director Brig. Gen. Ross told TWZ and other outlets during a press call in December in response to a direct question about physical hardening from this author. “At the end of that would be protection, which would be netting or fencing or physical barriers that would prevent a [sic] unmanned system from having its intended effect.”

Brig. Gen. Ross had said that this was among the things JIATF-401 had discussed in meetings with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies as part of World Cup preparations, presaging the release of the new guidance last week.

“As you think about protection, I would go all the way down to protective protection type assets, those will be included in our marketplace. And so if somebody wants to buy a $10,000 radar that has limited range, they’ll be able to buy it on the marketplace. If they want to buy a low cost interceptor for … [small drones] that just uses kinetic energy to defeat a drone – that’s a drone that hits a drone for $1,000 – they’ll be able to buy it on our marketplace,” he added. “If they want to buy physical barrier material, whether it’s a fishing net or a chain link fence, they’ll also be able to buy that as part of that counter-UAS marketplace.”

The central “marketplace” mentioned here, through which elements of the military and other U.S. government agencies can source counter-drone capabilities, is a key initiative that JIATF-401 has been working on and that you can learn more about here.

It is important to stress that U.S. military officials are unified in their position that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to countering drones. Physical hardening is just one part of a layered approach and is not a ‘silver bullet’ solution to protect against all types of drone threats. Active defenses, including electronic warfare jammers, drone-like interceptors like Brig. Gen. Ross mentioned, and more traditional anti-aircraft assets, are still part of the equation, to differing degrees, for defending against drones at home and abroad.

At the same time, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine has shown that even limited, lower-cost measures like netting can be useful for disrupting attacks by smaller kamikaze drones and loitering munitions in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

In Shebekino, Belgorod region, 41 apartment buildings have been covered with anti-drone nets. The local creatures are loving it – they joke about it and, as always, endure it with classic patience. pic.twitter.com/Q26fwKX1ut

— WarTranslated (@wartranslated) April 3, 2025

Last year, near-simultaneous covert attacks by Ukrainian forces on multiple air bases in Russia utilizing quadcopter-type kamikaze drones underscored the level of damage that even lower-tier uncrewed aerial attackers can inflict on high-value targets. Mass drone attacks are only set to get more threatening as time goes on, as the barrier to entry on automated targeting and swarming capabilities lowers thanks to the steady proliferation of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies. This, in turn, only increases the challenges for defenders, including the prospect of simply being overwhelmed. For years, TWZ has been separately sounding the alarm on how aircraft sitting on open flightlines are especially vulnerable, in general.

The russian terrorist state no longer has the ability to produce Tu-95s or any kind of strategic bomber. This is a tremendous victory for Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/SVeQE78v0h

— Michael MacKay (@mhmck) June 1, 2025

Outside of the United States, among adversaries and allies alike, there has also been a growing trend toward more physical hardening at air bases and other facilities. China has embarked on a particularly extensive effort to build new hardened and unhardened shelters at air bases across the country. The Chinese have been observed building other kinds of hardened infrastructure, including a new pattern of protected air defense sites along their disputed border with India, as well. Even before the unprecedented drone attacks last year, Russia had also been working to add new shelters, hardened and unhardened, to various air bases, but with a focus on ones closer to the fighting in Ukraine.

Structures that are sturdy enough even just to protect against shrapnel could have broader value, too. Just over a year ago, the Hudson Institute think tank in Washington, D.C., published a report assessing that 10 missiles with warheads capable of scattering cluster munitions across an area with a 450-foot diameter could be enough to neutralize all exposed aircraft on the ground and critical fuel storage at various key airbases. Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Japan and Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, as well as Langley in Virginia, were specifically highlighted, as seen below.

Overall, the Pentagon’s counter-drone prescriptions are still evolving, especially when it comes to defending bases and critical civilian infrastructure within the United States. At the same time, despite public stances that officials have taken in the past, hardened structures and other kinds of physical defenses have become an important part of the current counter-drone playbook.

Contact the author: joe@twz.com

SEOUL, Feb. 6 (UPI) — U.S. President Donald Trump gave his “total endorsement” of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi ahead of a snap election in her country on Sunday and announced plans to meet with her at the White House on March 19.

Takaichi “deserves powerful recognition for the job she and her Coalition are doing,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform Thursday. “Therefore, as President of the United States of America, it is my Honor to give a Complete and Total Endorsement of her, and what her highly respected Coalition is representing.”

“SHE WILL NOT LET THE PEOPLE OF JAPAN DOWN!” he added.

Takaichi dissolved the lower house of parliament on Jan. 23, triggering a snap election set for Sunday. The 64-year-old hardline conservative leader and her ruling Liberal Democratic Party, or LDP, appear headed for a strong showing, according to a poll released Monday by the Asahi Shimbun daily.

The survey suggested the LDP is on track to secure an outright majority in the 465-member chamber. Along with its junior partner, the Japan Innovation Party, the coalition could capture around 300 seats, the poll indicated — well above the razor-thin majority it currently holds.

Such a result would strengthen Takaichi’s hand as she seeks to cement her leadership within the party and press ahead with her policy agenda.

In the 12-day campaign period ahead of the election, Takaichi has focused on economic measures to help households squeezed by rising prices.

She has floated the idea of temporarily suspending the consumption tax on food and expanding fiscal stimulus, while calling for increased public investment in strategic industries such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence as part of a broader growth strategy. Debate has also touched on foreign workers, tourism management and Tokyo’s security posture amid heightened tensions with China.

Takaichi is Japan’s first female prime minister. She took office late last year after winning a leadership contest within the LDP following the resignation of former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, whose approval ratings had cratered amid high inflation and a wide-ranging slush fund scandal.

A former heavy metal drummer, Takaichi has brought a populist flair to Japan’s typically staid political establishment. Her social media savvy has made her a surprising favorite among younger voters, as her personal approval ratings run far ahead of the broader LDP.

Direct endorsements by sitting U.S. presidents in foreign elections are unusual, although Trump has previously voiced support for conservative leaders abroad, including Argentine President Javier Milei last year. On Thursday, he also endorsed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in an April vote.

Trump and Takaichi met in October during his visit to Japan, just a week after she took office. The two reached agreements on trade and rare earth minerals, with Takaichi heralding a “new golden era” in bilateral ties.

Trump’s endorsement comes amid an ongoing rift between Tokyo and Beijing over comments Takaichi made in November, when she said a Chinese attempt to blockade or seize Taiwan could trigger a military response under Japan’s security laws.

During a phone call with Trump on Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Taiwan was “the most pressing issue” in their relationship, reiterating Beijing’s claim that the self-governing democratic island is “China’s territory.”

Japan’s Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kei Sato confirmed Friday that Trump had extended the March 19 invitation.

“Amid a turbulent international environment, we will reaffirm the unshakable unity between Japan and the United States with President Trump, further advance cooperation in diplomacy, economic and security fields, and open a new chapter in the alliance,” Sato said at a regular press briefing. “We will make thorough preparations to ensure the visit is meaningful.”

PM calls for civil debate as government faces backlash over efforts to roll back policies to support Maori community.

New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour has rejected criticism of his claims that colonisation was positive for the country’s Indigenous Maori population.

Dozens of people started booing and shouting when Seymour stood on Friday to offer a prayer during a dawn service at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, where New Zealand’s founding document was signed in 1840 by representatives of the British Crown and more than 500 Maori Indigenous chiefs, setting out how the two sides would govern the country.

Seymour made his controversial comments that colonisation had been an overall positive experience for Indigenous people on Thursday during a speech to mark national Waitangi Day, an annual political gathering that gives Indigenous tribes a chance to air grievances.

“I’m always amazed by the myopic drone that colonisation and everything that’s happened in our country was all bad,” said Seymour, who is leader of the right-wing ACT Party and a member of the Maori community.

“The truth is that very few things are completely bad,” Seymour had said, according to local online news site Stuff.

Describing his hecklers on Friday as “a couple of muppets shouting in the dark”, Seymour said the “silent majority up and down this country are getting a little tired of some of these antics”.

Following Seymour’s prayer on Friday, left-wing Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins was also loudly jeered by those in attendance.

On Thursday, Indigenous leader Eru Kapa-Kingi told parliamentarians “this government has stabbed us in the front,” and the previous Labour government had “stabbed us in the back”.

Seymour’s government has been accused of seeking to wind back special rights given to the country’s 900,000-strong Maori population, who were dispossessed of their land during British colonisation and remain far more likely to die early, live in poverty or be imprisoned compared with the country’s non- Indigenous population.

Controversial legislation that was tabled last year seeking to reinterpret the treaty’s principles and roll back policies designed to address inequalities experienced by Indigenous people led to protests and failed after two of the three governing parties did not vote for it.

Speaking on Friday, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon called for national unity and for steps to address challenges faced by the Maori community.

Luxon also said the national debate over the legacy of British colonisation should remain civil.

“We don’t settle our differences through violence. We do not turn on each other; we turn towards the conversation. We work through our differences,” Luxon said in a social media post.

Denial about the destructive legacy of colonialism and its connection to contemporary challenges faced by Indigenous communities remains a frequent subject of contentious debate in former colonies around the world, including Australia and New Zealand.

“People joke that I only did it because he didn’t do his homework,” says former Premier League referee Jon Moss about the time he sent off James Milner.

Twenty-four years after making his debut, Milner, 40, will equal the record for most Premier League appearances if he features for Brighton against Crystal Palace on Sunday.

A stellar career spanning more than two decades, six top-flight clubs, 652 Premier League appearances, 61 England caps, three Premier League titles, two FA Cups and one Champions League triumph has also delivered some unexpected moments.

Like the time Milner – known as ‘Millie’, external by those close to him – was sent off by Moss, his former teacher at Westbrook Lane Primary School in Horsforth, Leeds, while playing for Liverpool against Crystal Palace in 2019.

“He said I couldn’t wait to get my card out,” laughs Moss about dismissing his former pupil after switching careers.

“People say I’m the only teacher to send off one of his pupils in a Premier League game. We can both laugh about it now.”

Milner is set to go level with Gareth Barry, who played 653 times, at the top of the all-time Premier League appearance list some 8,491 days after making his debut for hometown club Leeds United soon after leaving school in 2002.

“I think that will be a special thing for him but he is focused on top of that on the ambitions from the club as well. He wants to be always successful like he was his whole life,” said Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler.

“He is a driver of this winning mentality and I think it’s very important to have these kind of players in the squad.

“They know how to win, they know what it needs to win, how you need to prepare a game, how you react in bad phases like on bad runs we have at the moment.”

Alan Shearer, who played with Milner at Newcastle, describes him as a model professional and a “manager’s dream”.

“You would do well if you had him in your squad because you knew exactly what you were going to get,” adds former England captain Shearer.

This is the story about a young lad from Leeds who evolved to set standards for hard work, professionalism and longevity – and earn respect from fans all over the world.

Feb. 5 (Asia Today) — K Bank has lowered its proposed offering price as it makes a third attempt at an initial public offering, betting that a stronger stock market and a deeper discount will help it clear investor demand.

According to the financial investment industry, K Bank is offering 60 million shares with a target fundraising range of 498 billion to 570 billion won (about $373 million to $427 million). The proposed price band of 8,300 to 9,500 won represents a 20.83% cut from the 12,000-won upper limit floated during its failed 2024 IPO attempt.

Lee Jun-hyung, the company’s chief financial officer, said the price was set at about a 20% discount and is “20% to 30% lower than peers such as Kakao Bank and Japan’s Rakuten Bank.”

Market attention is focused on whether K Bank can secure sufficient institutional demand this time. The book-building process, which began Tuesday, runs through Monday. Industry officials noted that participation often concentrates on the final day, making it too early to judge the outcome.

If listed, K Bank plans to accelerate a non-interest income strategy centered on small businesses, platform services and digital assets. At an IPO press conference in Seoul, Chief Executive Officer Choi Woo-hyung said the bank aims to expand its retail base and open ecosystem while broadening its portfolio to include sole proprietors and small and medium-sized companies.

Choi also said the lender is preparing for future stablecoin-related business, citing its ongoing partnership with Upbit and internal development of blockchain technology, including patent filings.

Following a successful listing, K Bank plans to enhance shareholder returns. Choi said the bank is targeting a return on equity above 15% and will consider dividends or treasury share buybacks once it achieves a sustained double-digit ROE.

The IPO is being led by NH Investment & Securities and Samsung Securities, with Shinhan Investment Corporation participating in the underwriting syndicate. The listing is scheduled for March 5.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260205010002198

Feb. 5 (Asia Today) — South Korean fashion platform Musinsa said Thursday that more than 2,000 people applied during the document submission stage of its open recruitment for “AI-native” entry-level developers.

Musinsa said the hiring drive, launched last month, will move into its full selection process this month. The company plans to introduce an AI-based evaluation method in second-round interviews, where practical skills are a key focus.

Musinsa said the process will use technology from global artificial intelligence company OpenAI to assess applicants’ problem-solving ability. Candidates who advance to interviews will be provided access to the AI coding agent Codex and asked to complete assignments designed to simulate real working conditions.

Applicants will be allowed to use a range of tools, including AI, rather than being restricted to specific software, Musinsa said. The company said it aims to evaluate “AI-native” capabilities, defined as the ability to integrate AI into practical work, not just coding proficiency.

Musinsa said the evaluation will run through its in-house AI assessment system and will focus on fairness and objectivity. The company said it is also considering expanding the use of OpenAI technology across its operations after the recruitment process.

A Musinsa official said the number of applicants reflects strong market interest in AI-native developers and that evaluating problem-solving with AI tools will be central to identifying the talent the company is seeking.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260205010002239

The Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt has finally partially opened this week after two years of Israeli-mandated closure. The news offers relief for many – particularly those Palestinians in urgent need of treatment abroad.

But for many elderly Palestinians in Gaza, staying in the enclave is an act of survival, resistance, and historical memory. Rafah may be open, but they are not planning to go anywhere.

In Kefaya al-Assar’s mind, that decision to stay is an effort to correct what she perceives to have been a historical mistake made by her parents – fleeing their village of Julis, which was depopulated in the 1948 Nakba, and is now within Israel.

“We blamed [our parents] a lot for leaving our home there,” said the 73-year-old Kefaya.

Kefaya has faced displacement during Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza five times. Originally from Jabalia in northern Gaza, she now shelters in a classroom at a school in central Gaza’s Nuseirat.

Widowed in early 2023 and without children, she said displacement revives the trauma she inherited from her parents.

“History repeats itself now,” she said. “My parents lost all their money when they were forced to flee. We also used to have money, but now we are displaced and have lost everything.”

When Kefaya was a child, her family lived in tents in Gaza’s refugee camps, before they became more permanent structures in later decades. Now, she says that she is reliving that same fate.

“I don’t want to repeat history, I want to die in my own country,” she said. “Even here, being in Nuseirat, I feel like a stranger. I wish I could go back to Jabalia.”

Her home in Jabalia was destroyed during the war, meaning that, for now, she is staying in Nuseirat. But she is still adamant that it will not mean her departure from Gaza.

“I will not leave for medical treatment outside … I choose to die on my own land rather than be treated outside,” she said.

That’s despite her own medical issues – Kefaya suffers from high blood pressure, and has not been able to receive adequate medical care because of the war.

Hidden crisis

The Rafah crossing partially opened on Monday after being largely closed by Israel since May 2024.

The opening of the crossing is part of the second phase of the Gaza “ceasefire”, even as Israel continues to violate the agreement by regularly attacking the Palestinian enclave, killing hundreds.

Only a few dozen Palestinians have been allowed to leave so far, all patients needing treatments accompanied by family members.

Other Palestinians have also put their names on the list, some hoping to go abroad for education or simply to escape life in Gaza, where Israel has killed more than 70,000 since the war began, and destroyed the majority of buildings, meaning reconstruction will likely be a years-long process, even if Israel cooperates.

“Israel is creating unlivable conditions in Gaza, denying Palestinians all essentials of life,” said Talal Abu Rukba, a political science professor at al-Azhar University in Gaza. “When people resist and stay in their homeland, they ruin the Israeli project of creating an Israeli state on a land ‘without a people’”.

Members of the Israeli right-wing, including members of the government, have repeatedly called for illegal settlements to be established in Gaza, and for Palestinians to be forced out.

The desire to stay in Gaza on the part of elderly Palestinians is despite a largely overlooked humanitarian crisis facing the demographic.

Research by Amnesty International and HelpAge International found that Israel’s blockade of aid and medicines to Gaza had contributed to a “physical and mental health crisis”.

“During armed conflict, older people’s needs are often overlooked. In Gaza, older people are enduring an unprecedented physical and mental health collapse as a direct result of Israel’s deliberate infliction of conditions of life calculated to bring about the physical destruction of Palestinians in Gaza,” Erika Guevara-Rosas, Amnesty International’s senior director of research, advocacy, policy and campaigns, said after the publication of the report.

The two organisations found that 76 percent of the elderly people interviewed live in tents, with 84 percent saying that their living conditions harmed their health and privacy. In addition, 68 percent of respondents had been forced to stop or reduce medication because of a lack of availability. Nearly half reported skipping meals so that others could eat.

Many are also suffering from mental health problems, with 77 percent reporting that sadness, anxiety, loneliness, or insomnia had reduced their appetite and impacted their wellbeing.

Tired and lonely

Nazmeya Radwan, 85, is one of those struggling.

Ill, underweight and unable to access medication, she still refuses to leave Gaza.

Nazmeya has her own previous experience of displacement at the hands of Israel – like Kefaya’s parents, she was forced to flee her home in the 1948 Nakba, along with about 750,000 other Palestinians.

Originally from Jerusalem, her family was displaced to Deir el-Balah, in central Gaza, after 1948.

“All my life was displacement and wars since the Nakba,” Nazmeya said. “I am 85, and tired, lonely, ill and displaced, but I would never leave Gaza. I would live as a beggar and homeless and never leave Gaza.”

US and Iranian officials are holding talks in Muscat amid escalating tensions and a US military buildup in the Gulf.

The U.S. Air Force has released details of a live-fire test of the Rusty Dagger, one of two new Extended Range Attack Munitions (ERAM) being developed under a crash program. The milestone suggests that Ukraine is a step closer to getting its hands on thousands of air-launched ERAMs that will provide the country with a powerful new and relatively low-cost standoff strike capability. The event is also significant in terms of the Pentagon’s focus on rapidly developing and bringing into operational service new, less-expensive weapons that can be built at scale.

The Air Force recently confirmed that the ERAM standoff cruise missile was tested at the Eglin Test and Training Range in Florida on January 21, 2025, less than 16 months from the program’s initial contract award. The service’s statement doesn’t mention the Rusty Dagger by name, but the weapon is clearly seen in a sequence of photos that show the missile heading vertically down to engage a static target before its live warhead detonates. It’s unclear what platform was used to launch the missile during the test.

ERAM is understood to have a range of between 150 and 280 miles. It is in the 500-pound class and has a blast/fragmentation warhead with at least some degree of penetrating capability.

Alongside industry, the Eglin test was run by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Armament Directorate and the 96th Test Wing, a unit that you can read more about in this TWZ article.

The manufacturer of the Rusty Dagger, Zone 5 Technologies, also announced the test on its LinkedIn page.

“The event, which met all primary objectives including a full warhead detonation, gathered critical data to mature a new, cost-effective, long-range strike capability,” the Air Force said.

“Moving from a contract to a live-fire demonstration in under two years proves we can deliver lethal, cost-effective capability at the speed of relevance,” said Brig. Gen. Robert Lyons III, Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Weapons, in an Air Force statement. “This is how we rebuild our military — by empowering our teams and industry partners to cut through bureaucracy and deliver the tools our warfighters need to prevail.”

“The future fight demands we create an asymmetric advantage by developing cost-effective, attritable systems like ERAM that give commanders the ability to generate mass,” added Brig. Gen. Mark Massaro, 96th TW commander. “This test is a critical milestone on that path. The expert teams who executed this complex mission provided the high-fidelity data we need to validate this system, ensuring that when it reaches the warfighter, it is a proven and ready tool for the right target. This is the cornerstone of building a more lethal and effective Joint Force.”

In January 2024, the U.S. Air Force issued its first public contracting notice regarding ERAM, a request for information (RFI), but made no mention at that time about any connection to Ukraine.

It was reported in August 2025 that Washington had approved the sale of 3,350 ERAM missiles to Kyiv. That package is said to be worth around $850 million, with most of the funds coming from Ukraine’s European allies.

As well as the Rusty Dagger from Zone 5 Technologies, CoAspire developed the Rapidly Adaptable Affordable Cruise Missile (RAACM) under the ERAM program. It’s unclear if Ukraine will receive only one of these designs or a mixture of both types. You can read more about the implications of the ERAM for Ukraine and the Ukrainian Air Force platforms that might be in line to carry the munitions here.

Two candidate weapon prototypes competing for the US Air Force’s Extended-Range Attack Munition program 👇. Both Coaspire and Zone 5 Technologies were awarded contracts late last year in support of the #ERAM program. Both are expected to enter testing this year. https://t.co/9cGBuB9z3s pic.twitter.com/gc3ZDtX54m

— AirPower | MIL-STD (@AirPowerNEW1) February 9, 2025

RAACM Cruise Missile Video Long Range Flights Summer 2025 Cleared for Public Release

Suffice it to say, the ERAM will provide the Ukrainian Air Force with an important new capacity to strike targets beyond the reach of many of the weapons currently in its arsenal, including Western-supplied precision-guided bombs. It will make Ukraine better able to hold at risk a range of Russian targets far from the front lines — command-and-control facilities, air defenses, logistics hubs, military-industrial capacity, and airfields, for example — helping offset Russian advantages in terms of manpower, weaponry, and resources.

However, it remains unclear whether or not Kyiv will be able to use ERAM to strike targets deep within Russia, with these previously having been designated off-limits, at least for the U.S.-donated Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS).

In addition to what it will provide Ukraine, the ERAM effort could well prove to be a big deal for other U.S. allies and partners, and the U.S. military itself.

In the RFP, it was said that ERAM would be “pivotal for accelerating Ukraine’s capability to meet warfighter needs efficiently and effectively and provides an affordable mass weapon to be produced at scale.” The Air Force added: “The Government is seeking to prototype and adapt commercial autonomous modular open-architecture vehicle [sic] that can deliver affordable long-range effects. The resultant prototype will provide a platform that is mass producible.”

Exactly the same concerns are increasingly at the front of war planners’ minds in the United States, too.

When it comes to planning around a potential future high-end conflict with China, the U.S. military is now looking closely at new kinds of weapons with standoff range. Importantly, these need to be rapidly developed and then their production capacity and stockpiles scaled up.

A number of U.S. efforts are now underway with the aim of reducing costs and speeding up large-scale production of weapons systems, especially uncrewed platforms. In parallel to these are plans to prepare missile stockpiles resilient enough for any future high-end conflict, especially one against China.

The original RFI for ERAM included the requirement that 1,000 examples of the new missile could be built within two years, for an average production output of around 42 missiles per month.

As such, ERAM is very much a test case for this kind of program.

Notably, Zone 5 is also involved in the U.S. Air Force’s Enterprise Test Vehicle (ETV). Under this program, four companies — the others are Anduril, Leidos subsidiary Dynetics, and Integrated Solutions for Systems, Inc. — were tapped to design and deliver prototype ETVs. Ostensibly low-cost cruise missiles, the designs in question skirt an increasingly blurry line separating traditional cruise missiles from uncrewed aerial systems, especially longer-range kamikaze drones, as well as decoys.

Looking at the same kind of space more broadly, it is clearly a growth area among defense contractors, both well-established ones like Lockheed Martin and relative newcomers such as Anduril and Kratos.

In August of last year, it was reported that the first ERAM missiles were expected to be delivered to Ukraine “in around six weeks.”

So far, there’s no sign that the missiles have arrived, but that possibility cannot be ruled out, especially bearing in mind an end-to-end test of the Rusty Dagger a little more than a year ago.

Whether it’s now in Ukrainian hands or not, the combat experience of ERAM in Ukraine will be hugely valuable, not just in terms of the technology that will be employed, but also as a prototype program for how the U.S. military might develop and field its next generation of weapons in this class.

Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com

BREAKINGBREAKING,

US says two people were killed in strike on a vessel in the Pacific Ocean, continuing a campaign denounced as illegal.

The United States military has said that it killed two people in its latest attack on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), which oversees US military operations in Latin America, said on Thursday that “two narco-terrorists were killed during this action”.

SOUTHCOM did not provide any evidence to support its claim that the vessel and the two victims were involved in drug trafficking.

US strikes on vessels in the Pacific and Caribbean, which have killed at least 126 people in 34 attacks since the first recorded incident in September 2025, have been widely denounced as illegal under international law.

The latest strike appears to be the first conducted by the Trump administration in 2026, according to records of the strikes tabulated by the watchdog group Airwars.

This is a breaking news story. More to follow shortly.

The world’s most popular cryptocurrency has lost about one-third of its value since the start of the year.

Bitcoin has fallen sharply, racking up more losses after a tumultuous week for the world’s most popular cryptocurrency.

The digital currency was down nearly 14 percent on Friday morning, hovering at about $62,900 as of 01:00 GMT.

The slide continues a run of steep losses that kicked off last weekend, when the digital currency fell below $80,000.

After the latest tumble, Bitcoin, which is famed for its dramatic price swings, is down about one-third in value since the start of the year.

Bitcoin soared after United States President Donald Trump’s re-election raised expectations that Washington would adopt a crypto-friendly regulatory regime after years of crackdowns, with the digital currency hitting $100,000 for the first time in December 2024.

But the digital asset has largely been on a downward spiral since October, when it hit an all-time peak of more than $127,000, amid geopolitical and regulatory uncertainty.

A Trump-backed bill to regulate the trade of digital assets has stalled in the US Senate amid divisions between banks and cryptocurrency firms.

The Trump family’s cryptocurrency firm, World Liberty Financial, has also come under scrutiny in the US Congress after The Wall Street Journal newspaper reported that representatives of an Abu Dhabi official had signed a deal to invest $500m for a major stake in the venture.

Bitcoin’s latest tumble comes amid a heavy sell-off in global stocks and commodities.

Wall Street’s benchmark S&P 500 dropped 1.2 percent on Wednesday, while the tech-focused Nasdaq Composite fell about 1.6 percent.

Shares of tech giant Amazon plunged more than 11 percent in after-hours trading after its plans to invest $200bn in artificial intelligence-related infrastructure stoked fears of a tech bubble.

In the Asia Pacific, South Korea’s KOSPI plunged about 5 percent in early morning trading, while Australia’s ASX 200 and Japan’s Nikkei 225 were down more than 1 percent and 1.6 percent, respectively.

Precious metals, which have been on a volatile ride after racking up huge gains in 2025, also continued their recent streak of losses.

Gold was down more than 4 percent on Thursday, trading at about $4,720 an ounce.

Silver, which has seen even more dramatic price swings, fell as much as 18.5 percent, trading at about $69.

Feb. 5 (Asia Today) — Business leaders, academics and policymakers gathering in Seoul agreed Thursday that South Korea’s push to become an artificial intelligence powerhouse will require a broad, system-wide response extending well beyond technological development.

The fourth Korea CEO Forum, hosted by the Korea Employers Federation, was held at the Westin Chosun Hotel under the theme “The AI Era: New Opportunities and Challenges.” The event drew large attendance from industry, academia and government, reflecting growing concern over how Korean industries should prepare for an AI-centered economic structure.

Participants repeatedly raised a central question: how Korea should respond strategically as industries move beyond the Fourth Industrial Revolution toward an AI-driven paradigm. Speakers argued that becoming an AI leader will require coordinated changes across politics, the economy, society and culture.

Opening the forum, Sohn Kyung-shik, chairman of the Korea Federation of Business Associations, underscored the need for long-term competitiveness. The first keynote was delivered by Kim Dae-sik, a professor of electrical engineering at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, who spoke on “The Era of AGI Market Dominance.”

Kim said advances in artificial intelligence will reshape not only productivity but also human thinking and decision-making, calling for education and industrial policies that can keep pace with the speed of technological change.

The forum’s highlight presentation came from Hyun Dong-jin, head of the robotics lab at Hyundai Motor Group, who outlined the expansion of human-centered AI robotics. He said the convergence of AI and robotics is transforming manufacturing and service industries, with collaborative robots and automation emerging as key competitive factors.

Hyun emphasized that robotics should complement human labor rather than replace it. He introduced the wearable robot “X-Schroder,” which adjusts assistive force based on a user’s posture, and “MobED,” an autonomous mobile platform under development. He noted that while robotic autonomy shares core elements with self-driving vehicles, robots must operate safely in spaces shared directly with humans.

Geopolitical and strategic dimensions of AI were also discussed. Kang Jun-young, a professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, analyzed the impact of U.S.-China technological rivalry on global supply chains, arguing that AI leadership is increasingly intertwined with diplomacy and national security.

The forum extended beyond industry to health and demographics. Yoo Tae-woo, director of the Dr. U Together Center, discussed how AI could transform healthcare and lifestyle management in a super-aged society, stressing prevention-focused approaches to physical and mental health.

An industry participant said AI is no longer an issue limited to specific sectors but a determinant of national competitiveness, adding that AI-driven robotics will be a core pillar of future manufacturing innovation.

Participants concluded that the AI era demands a multilayered strategy encompassing talent development, industrial ecosystem building and global cooperation, alongside technological advancement.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Speaking about Trump, she added: “But I think in terms of the news cycle, the fact that you have a president who is tweeting eight different things, eight different stories, eight different things to follow up … it’s like drinking out of a fire hose right now for us.”