(ANN/KOREA HERALD) – K-POP sensation Lisa of Blackpink is set to release her first full solo album, titled Alter Ego, on February 28, according to her agency, Lloud Company.
The agency announced that the album will showcase everything Lisa has perfected throughout her illustrious career, promising fans a musical experience that highlights her growth as an artist.
Since June, Lisa (pic, left courtesy of Lloud Company) has released a string of singles, including Rockstar, New Woman, and Moonlit Floor. Rockstar earned her a spot on Billboard’s Hot 100, ranking at No. 70, while her collaboration with Rosalia landed at No. 97. Notably, Rockstar marked Lisa’s first No. 1 on Billboard’s Global Excl. US chart. Additionally, New Woman secured two trophies at the 2024 MTV Europe Music Awards for Best Collaboration and Biggest Fans, further cementing her global popularity.
Lisa recently completed her first fan meetup tour, which included stops in Singapore, Bangkok, Jakarta, Kaohsiung, and Hong Kong. The tour was met with overwhelming enthusiasm from her fans across Asia.
In addition to her musical achievements, Lisa graced the cover of Vanity Fair’s Hollywood Issue alongside Nicole Kidman and Zendaya. Fans can also look forward to seeing her in the highly anticipated third season of HBO’s White Lotus.
As excitement builds for her solo album debut, Lisa continues to solidify her status as a global icon in both music and entertainment.
Brunei Darussalam marked a significant milestone in its economic diversification and bilateral relations with Singapore through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to produce, distribute, and market PDS and Pondok Abang products in both countries. This historic collaboration paves the way for Brunei’s first commercial-scale export of processed beef products to Singapore, reinforcing food security and strengthening economic ties.
The MoU was signed between PDS Abattoir Sdn Bhd and Pondok Abang of Singapore, reflecting a strategic partnership to boost trade and economic growth. Signing on behalf of PDS Abattoir Sdn Bhd was Board of Director of PDS Abattoir Asma Naqiyyah binti Haji Abdullah, while founder of Pondok Abang Haji Abdul Rahman bin Yad Ali, represented the Singaporean side. The ceremony was witnessed by Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism Hajah Tutiaty binti Haji Abdul Wahab, and Chief Executive Officer of the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) Damian Chan.
Board of Director of PDS Abattoir Asma Naqiyyah binti Haji Abdullah and Pondok Abang founder Haji Abdul Rahman bin Yad Ali signing the agreement. Witnessing the signing ceremony are Permanent Secretary of the MPRT Hajah Tutiaty binti Haji Abdul Wahab, and Chief Executive Officer of the SFA Damian Chan. PHOTO: MPRT
Held in conjunction with the 4th Food Supply Working Group Meeting in Singapore, the MoU, according to the Ministry of Primary Resource and Tourism (MPRT) represents a breakthrough in Brunei’s economic journey. It underscores Brunei’s dedication to enhancing its global competitiveness and food security by meeting stringent international quality standards.
The partnership highlights Brunei’s growing role in international food supply chains, with the processed beef exports slated to begin in the first quarter of 2025. The collaboration, made possible through efforts by the MPRT and relevant agencies, not only boosts Brunei’s food security but also reflects the nation’s focus on diversifying its economy.
This landmark agreement also reinforces bilateral ties between Brunei and Singapore, with the two nations working closely to ensure mutual benefits in trade and food security.
PDS Abattoir Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Darussalam Assets Sdn Bhd, will spearhead the export initiative. This move aligns with Brunei’s aspirations to grow its export economy and establish a robust presence in international markets.
The Brunei Salebration (BSb) 2024 will take place from 9 December 2024 to 9 February 2025, running for 63 days. The annual national sales event, organised by the Department of Economic Planning and Statistics (DEPS) under the Ministry of Finance and Economy, encourages the public to shop locally during the school holidays and festive season.
The event aims to support local businesses by promoting Brunei-made products and services. It also highlights the country’s tourism offerings, inviting both residents and visitors to enjoy local shopping experiences and explore Brunei Darussalam’s attractions.
According to the DEPS, the BSb 2024 is an important initiative to boost the economy, encourage local spending, and showcase what Brunei Darussalam has to offer. The department said that public is encouraged to take part and support local retailers during this event.
For illustration only. PHOTO: FREEPIK
Businesses from across sectors are encouraged to participate in BSb 2024 and take the opportunity to draw more shoppers through attractive promotions and discounts.
Participating stores will be featured in the PenggunaBijak mobile application for greater visibility.
Interested businesses may submit the completed Sales Notification Form through email at sales@jpes.gov.bn until 2 December 2024. The Sales Notification Form is downloadable on the DEPS website and the PenggunaBijak mobile application.
The Department also reminded participating stores to practice ethical business conduct by adhering to the Cheap Sale Price Regulations, the Price Display Order and the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act, Chapter 261. This includes displaying clear and accurate price tags and discounts to uphold price transparency and allow consumers to make informed purchase decisions.
FILES) A large Android logo head is displayed at Alphabet’s Google Android plaza booth during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada on January 5, 2023. The US government late November 20, 2024 asked a judge to order the dismantling of Google by selling its widely used Chrome browser in a major antitrust crackdown on the internet giant. Antitrust officials said in the filing that Google should also be made to sell Android if proposed remedies don't prevent the tech company from using its control of the mobile operating system to its advantage. (Photo by JOSH EDELSON / AFP)
WASHINGTON (AFP) – The US government late Wednesday asked a judge to order the dismantling of Google by selling its widely used Chrome browser in a major antitrust crackdown on the internet giant.
In a court filing, the US Department of Justice urged a shake-up of Google’s business that includes banning deals for Google to be the default search engine on smartphones and preventing it from exploiting its Android mobile operating system.
Antitrust officials said in the filing that Google should also be made to sell Android if proposed remedies don’t prevent the tech company from using its control of the mobile operating system to its advantage.
Justice officials “chose to push a radical interventionist agenda,” Google president of global affairs Kent Walker said in response to the filing.
(FILES) A large Android logo head is displayed at Alphabet’s Google Android plaza booth during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada on January 5, 2023. PHOTO: AFP
Calling for the breakup of Google marks a profound change by the US government’s regulators, which have largely left tech giants alone since failing to break up Microsoft two decades ago.
Google is expected to make its recommendations in a filing next month and rival sides will argue their positions at a hearing in April before US District Court Judge Amit Mehta.
Regardless of Judge Mehta’s eventual decision, Google is expected to appeal the ruling, prolonging the process for years and potentially leaving the final say to the US Supreme Court.
The case could also be upended by the arrival of President-elect Donald Trump to the White House in January.
His administration will likely replace the current team in charge of the DOJ’s antitrust division.
The newcomers could choose to carry on with the case, ask for a settlement with Google or abandon the case altogether.
Trump has blown hot and cold in how to handle Google and the dominance of big tech companies.
He has accused the search engine of bias against conservative content, but has also signaled that a forced break up of the company would be too large a demand by the US government.
Too extreme?
Determining how to address Google’s wrongs is the next stage of the landmark antitrust trial that saw the company in August ruled a monopoly by Judge Mehta.
The proposal “would break a range of Google products” and chill the company’s investment in artificial intelligence, according to Walker.
“DOJ’s approach would result in unprecedented government overreach that would harm American consumers, developers, and small businesses — and jeopardize America’s global economic and technological leadership,” Walker said.
Adam Kovacevich, chief executive of industry trade group Chamber of Progress, said the government’s demands were “fantastical” and defied legal standards, instead calling for narrowly tailored remedies.
The trial, which concluded last year, scrutinized Google’s confidential agreements with smartphone manufacturers, including Apple.
These deals involve substantial payments to secure Google’s search engine as the default option on browsers, iPhones and other devices.
The judge determined that this arrangement provided Google with unparalleled access to user data, enabling it to develop its search engine into a globally dominant platform.
From this position, Google expanded its tech and data-gathering empire to include the Chrome browser, Maps and the Android smartphone operating system.
The US government currently has five cases pending against big tech over antitrust concerns after the Biden administration adopted a tough stance on reining in the dominance of the companies.
If carried through by the Trump administration, the cases against Amazon, Meta and Apple, as well as two against Google, could take years to litigate.
TOPSHOT - US Alternate Ambassador to the United Nations Robert Wood raises his hand to veto a draft resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, during a United Nations Security Council meeting to discuss the situation in the Middle East on November 20, 2024, at UN headquarters in New York City. The United States on Wednesday vetoed a UN Security Council push to call for a ceasefire in Gaza that Washington said would have emboldened Hamas. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP)
UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) – The United States on Wednesday vetoed a UN Security Council push to call for a ceasefire in Gaza that Washington said would have emboldened Hamas.
The resolution demanded “an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire” in the war between Israel and the Palestinian group, along with “the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.”
But Israel’s UN ambassador Danny Danon said the resolution “was not a path to peace, it was a road map to more terror, more suffering and more bloodshed.
TOPSHOT – US Alternate Ambassador to the United Nations Robert Wood raises his hand to veto a draft resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, during a United Nations Security Council meeting to discuss the situation in the Middle East on November 20, 2024, at UN headquarters in New York City. The United States on Wednesday vetoed a UN Security Council push to call for a ceasefire in Gaza that Washington said would have emboldened Hamas. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP)
Robert Wood, deputy ambassador to the United Nations, said that the US position remained there had “to be a linkage between a ceasefire and the release of hostages.”
The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said the death toll from the resulting war had reached 43,985 people, the majority civilians. The United Nations considers the figures reliable.
Almost all of Gaza’s 2.4 million people have been displaced by the war, which has caused a humanitarian catastrophe.
Hamas condemned Washington as a “partner in the aggression against our people.”
“It is a criminal, kills children and women and destroys civilian life in Gaza.”
‘No justification’
Since the beginning of the conflict, the Security Council has struggled to speak with one voice, as the United States used its veto power several times, although Russia and China have as well.
“China kept demanding ‘stronger language,” said a US official who also claimed that Russia had been “pulling strings” with the countries responsible for pushing the latest resolution.
The few resolutions that the United States did allow to pass by abstaining stopped short of calling for an unconditional and permanent ceasefire.
In March, the council called for a temporary ceasefire during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, but this appeal was ignored by the warring parties.
And in June, the 15-member body pledged support for a US resolution that laid out a multi-stage ceasefire and hostage release plan that ultimately went nowhere.
“We regret that the Council could have incorporated compromise language the UK put forward to bridge the existing gaps… With that language, This resolution should have been adopted,” Wood, the US envoy, said following the vote.
Slovenia’s deputy ambassador to the UN Ondina Blokar Drobic said “we regret the veto was cast. Even more since this war, with its humanitarian impact and spillover effect, amounts to a serious threat to international peace and security.”
Some diplomats have expressed optimism that following Donald Trump’s election win, President Joe Biden might be more flexible in his few remaining weeks in power.
They hoped for a repeat of December 2016 when then-president Barack Obama’s second term was finishing and the council passed a resolution calling for a halt to Israeli settlement building in the occupied territories, a first since 1979.
The United States refrained from using its veto then, a break from traditional US support for Israel on the sensitive issue of settlements.
“Once again, the US used its veto to ensure impunity for Israel as its forces continue to commit crimes against Palestinians in Gaza,” Human Rights Watch said.
The resolution vetoed on Wednesday calls for “safe and unhindered entry of humanitarian assistance at scale,” including in besieged northern Gaza, and denounces any attempt to starve the Palestinians.
Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations Majed Bamya said Wednesday that “there’s no justification whatsoever for vetoing a resolution trying to stop atrocities.”
(FILES) Chairperson of Indian conglomerate Adani Group, Gautam Adani, speaks at the World Congress of Accountants in Mumbai on November 19, 2022. Billionaire Indian industrialist Gautam Adani has been charged with paying hundreds of millions of dollars of bribes and hiding the payments from investors, US prosecutors said on Wednesday.
With a business empire spanning coal, airports, cement and media, the chairman of Adani Group has been rocked in recent years by corporate fraud allegations and a stock crash.
The close acolyte of Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a fellow Gujarat native, is alleged to have agreed to pay more than $250 million in bribes to Indian officials for lucrative solar energy supply contracts. (Photo by Indranil MUKHERJEE / AFP)
MUMBAI (AFP) – Billionaire Indian industrialist Gautam Adani, whose business empire has been rocked by US bribery charges against him, is one of the corporate world’s great survivors.
The tycoon — a close ally of Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi — oversees a vast conglomerate encompassing coal, airports, cement and media operations.
The US court charges that he paid hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes sent his companies’ shares plunging. But Adani has seen off big threats before.
(FILES) Chairperson of Indian conglomerate Adani Group, Gautam Adani, speaks at the World Congress of Accountants in Mumbai on November 19, 2022. PHOTO: AFP
On New Year’s Day in 1998, Adani and an associate were reportedly kidnapped by gunmen demanding a USD1.5 million ransom, before being later released at an unknown location.
A decade later, he was dining at Mumbai’s Taj Mahal Palace hotel when it was besieged by militants, who killed 160 people in one of India’s worst terror attacks.
Trapped with hundreds of others, Adani reportedly hid in the basement all night before he was rescued by security personnel early the next morning.
“I saw death at a distance of just 15 feet,” he said of the experience after his private aircraft landed in his hometown Ahmedabad later that day.
Adani, 62, differs from his peers among India’s mega-rich, many of whom are known for throwing lavish birthday and wedding celebrations that are later splashed across newspaper gossip pages.
A self-described introvert, he keeps a low profile and rarely speaks to the media, often sending lieutenants to front corporate events.
“I’m not a social person that wants to go to parties,” he told the Financial Times in a 2013 interview.
‘Stop Adani’
Adani was born in Ahmedabad, Gujarat state, to a middle-class family but dropped out of school at 16 and moved to financial capital Mumbai to find work in the lucrative gems trade.
After a short stint in his brother’s plastics business, he launched the flagship family conglomerate that bears his name in 1988 by branching out into the export trade.
His big break came seven years later with a contract to build and operate a commercial shipping port in Gujarat.
It grew to become India’s largest at a time when most ports were government-owned — the legacy of a sclerotic economic planning system that impeded growth for decades and was in the process of being dismantled.
Adani in 2009 expanded into coal, a lucrative sector for a country still almost totally dependent on fossil fuels to meet its energy needs, but a decision that brought greater international scrutiny as he rose rapidly up India’s rich list.
His purchase the following year of an untapped coal basin sparked years of “Stop Adani” protests in Australia after dismay at the project’s monumental environmental impact.
Similar controversies plagued his coal projects in central India, where forests home to tribal communities were cut down for mining operations.
‘Extraordinary growth’
Adani is considered to be close to Prime Minister Modi, a fellow Gujarat native, and offered the leader the use of a private company jet during the 2014 election campaign that swept him to power.
The tycoon has invested in the government’s strategic priorities, in recent years inaugurating a green energy business with ambitious targets.
In 2022, he completed a hostile takeover of broadcaster NDTV, a television news service considered one of the few media outlets willing to outwardly criticise Modi.
Adani batted away press freedom fears, but told the Financial Times that journalists should have the “courage” to say “when the government is doing the right thing every day”.
Last year a bombshell report from US investment firm Hindenburg Research claimed the conglomerate had engaged in a “brazen stock manipulation and accounting fraud scheme over the course of decades”.
Hindenburg said a pattern of “government leniency towards the group” stretching back decades had left investors, journalists, citizens and politicians unwilling to challenge its conduct “for fear of reprisal”.
Adani Group denied wrongdoing and characterised the report as a “calculated attack on India” but lost USD150 billion in market capitalisation in the weeks after the report’s release.
Its founder saw his own net worth plunge by USD60 billion over the same period, and he is now ranked by Forbes as the 25th-richest person globally.
US prosecutors on Wednesday charged the tycoon and two other board members with paying hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes and hiding the payments from investors.
The indictment accuses Adani Group’s leadership of bribing Indian government officials to secure lucrative government contracts.
The conglomerate and its founder have yet to respond to the charges.
FILE - People react to the artist Maurizio Cattelan's piece of art "Comedian" during an auction preview at Sotheby's in New York, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez, File)
NEW YORK (AFP) – A fresh banana taped to a wall — a provocative work of conceptual art by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan — was bought for USD6.2 million on Wednesday by a cryptocurrency entrepreneur at a New York auction, Sotheby’s announced in a statement.
The debut of the edible creation entitled “Comedian” at the Art Basel show in Miami Beach in 2019 sparked controversy and raised questions about whether it should be considered art — Cattelan’s stated aim.
Chinese-born crypto founder Justin Sun on Wednesday forked over more than six million for the fruit and its single strip of silver duct tape, which went on sale for USD120,000 five years ago.
“This is not just an artwork. It represents a cultural phenomenon that bridges the worlds of art, memes, and the cryptocurrency community,” Sun was quoted as saying in the Sotheby’s statement.
FILE – People react to the artist Maurizio Cattelan’s piece of art “Comedian” during an auction preview at Sotheby’s in New York, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. PHOTO: AP
“I believe this piece will inspire more thought and discussion in the future and will become a part of history.”
The sale featured seven potential buyers and smashed expectations, with the auction house issuing a guide price of USD1-1.5 million before the bidding.
Given the shelf life of a banana, Sun is essentially buying a certificate of authenticity that the work was created by Cattelan as well as instructions about how to replace the fruit when it goes bad.
The installation auctioned on Wednesday was the third iteration — with the first one eaten by performance artist David Datuna, who said he felt “hungry” while inspecting it at the Miami show.
Sun, who founded cryptomoney exahange Tron, said that he intended to eat his investment too.
“In the coming days, I will personally eat the banana as part of this unique artistic experience, honoring its place in both art history and popular culture,” he said.
As well as his banana work, Cattelan is also known for producing an 18-carat, fully functioning gold toilet called “America” that he once offered on loan to Donald Trump during his first term in the White House.
In this photo taken on September 26, 2024, people visit the K-drama series 'Mr Sunshine' set at Sunshine Studio in Nonsan. If you've ever binge-watched an entire season of a K-drama like Squid Game or Crash Landing On You, one Korean-American expert has good news: it's likely improved your mental health. (Photo by ANTHONY WALLACE / AFP) / TO GO WITH: SKorea-entertainment-health, FOCUS by Cat Barton and Hieun Shin
SEOUL (AFP) – If you’ve ever binge-watched an entire season of a K-drama like “Squid Game” or “Crash Landing On You”, one Korean-American expert has good news: it’s likely improved your mental health.
High production values, top-notch acting and attractive stars have helped propel South Korean TV shows to the top of global viewership charts, but therapist Jeanie Chang, says there are deeper reasons so many people are hooked.
With soap-like plotlines that tackle everything from earth-shattering grief to the joy of new love, watching K-dramas can help people reconnect with their own emotions or process trauma, she says, giving the shows a healing power that transcends their cultural context.
Korea-US therapist Jeanie Chang smiles as members of her K-drama tour speak about their experiences watching K-dramas, while on the road to Suwon. PHOTO: AFP
“We all have family pressures and expectations, conflict, trauma, hope,” she said, adding that watching heavy topics being successfully managed on screen can change people’s ability to navigate real-world challenges.
For Chang, who was born in Seoul but raised in the United States, K-drama was particularly helpful in allowing her to reconnect with her roots — which she rejected as a child desperate to assimilate.
But “the messages in Korean dramas are universal,” Chang said.
“Mental health is how you’re feeling, how you relate to others, psychologically, how your brain has been impacted by things. That’s mental health. We see that in a Korean drama.”
‘Soften my heart’
Global K-drama viewership has exploded in the last few years, industry data shows, with many overseas viewers, especially in major markets like the United States, turning to Korean content during the pandemic.
Between 2019 and 2022, viewership of Korean television and movies increased six-fold on Netflix, its data showed, and Korean series are now the most watched non-English content on the platform.
American schoolteacher Jeanie Barry discovered K-drama via a family funeral, when a friend recommended a series — 2020’s “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” — she thought could help her after a difficult time.
“There was something about it, the way that this culture deal with trauma, mental depression, just really struck a chord for me,” Barry, who had travelled to South Korea as part of a K-drama tour organised by therapist Chang, told AFP.
In this photo taken on September 26, 2024, people visit the K-drama series ‘Mr Sunshine’ set at Sunshine Studio in Nonsan. PHOTO: AFP
“I started to grieve when I had not been. It was a lot of tears during that drama, but it also made me see that there is a light at the end of the tunnel,” she said.
Immediately hooked, Barry said she had watched 114 K-dramas since discovering the genre, and effectively given up watching English-language television.
“They let me soften my heart,” she said.
Fellow tour member and American Erin McCoy said she had struggled with depression since she was a teenager, but K-drama helped her manage her symptoms.
With depression, “when you live with it that long, you’re just numb and so you don’t really feel bad necessarily but you don’t ever feel good either,” she said.
“You just don’t feel anything,” she said, adding that K-drama allowed her to experience emotions again.
“There’re so many highs and lows in every one of them, and as I felt the characters’ emotions, it just helped me relate to my own more,” she said.
“I feel like I was able to express and experience emotion again.”
‘Art therapy’?
The idea that a K-drama binge can help with mental health may seem far-fetched, but it chimes with decades-old psychotherapy ideas, one expert said.
“Watching Korean dramas can be beneficial for anxiety and depression from the viewpoint of art therapy,” Im Su-geun, head of a psychiatry clinic in Seoul, told AFP.
First used in the 1940s, art therapy initially involved patients drawing, but evolved to incorporate other artistic activities.
In this photo taken on September 25, 2024, members of a K-drama tour group wait to ride a cable car up to the popular filming location Namsan Tower (back C) in Seoul. PHOTO: AFP
“Visual media like Korean dramas have significant strengths that align well with psychotherapy,” he said.
K-drama — or television and cinema generally — can help viewers “gain insights into situations from a new perspective, fostering healthy values and providing solutions to their issues,” he said.
It is unlikely to be prescribed by a doctor, he said, but if a therapist were to recommend a specific drama that related to the patient’s case, it could be helpful.
For example, it can provide a roadmap for patients “facing specific situations, such as breakups or loss,” he said.
This photo shows the logo of the Bangkok Hospital in Bangkok on November 21, 2024. A young Australian woman has died and another is fighting for her life in hospital in Bangkok on November 21, 2024 after a suspected mass methanol poisoning in Laos, Australia's prime minister said. (Photo by Chanakarn Laosarakham / AFP)
BANGKOK (AFP) – A young Australian woman has died and another is fighting for her life in hospital Thursday after a suspected mass methanol poisoning in Laos, Australia’s prime minister said.
Two Danish citizens and an American have also reportedly died in Laos following what media said was a night out in a popular backpacker town where they had drunk suspected tainted alcohol.
“Tragically, Bianca Jones has lost her life. Our first thoughts at this moment are with her family and friends who are grieving a terrible and cruel loss,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told parliament.
“We also take this moment to say that we are thinking of Bianca’s friend Holly Bowles who is fighting for her life.”
This photo shows the logo of the Bangkok Hospital in Bangkok on November 21, 2024. PHOTO: AFP
The group of around 12 tourists became ill after a night out on November 12 in adventure capital Vang Vieng, according to British and Australian media.
Holly Bowles, a friend of Jones’, was on “life support” in a hospital in Bangkok, her father, Shaun Bowles, said Wednesday.
“She’s on life support,” he told Australia’s Nine News.
“We are comforted by the knowledge that her incredible spirit touched so many lives during her time with us,” Jones’ family said in a statement to Australia’s Herald Sun newspaper.
“The kindness shown to our family during this unimaginable time has been truly humbling.”
On Tuesday, Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet said two Danish citizens had died in Laos, citing the country’s foreign affairs ministry, which did not give any other details.
AFP has contacted the Danish embassy in Bangkok for comment.
The US State Department confirmed the “death of a US citizen in Vang Vieng, Laos,” and said it was “closely monitoring the situation and providing consular assistance.”
It did not give details on the date or cause of death.
Bowles and Jones, both aged 19 from Melbourne, became unwell while staying at the Nana Backpackers Hostel in Vang Vieng last week, Australian media reported.
The women drank at the hostel’s bar before they went out for the evening, the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper reported.
They failed to check out on November 13, when hostel staff rushed the pair to the hospital.
The Facebook and Instagram pages of the hostel had been deactivated as of Thursday and it was no longer taking bookings on booking websites.
AFP was unable to reach the hostel for comment.
UK media reported one British woman was also in hospital in Bangkok after drinking in Vang Vieng.
AFP has contacted the UK’s embassies in Thailand and Laos for comment.
Vang Vieng was once notorious for backpackers behaving badly at jungle parties before it re-branded as an eco-tourism destination.
A man wades past flooded houses due to a swollen river caused by heavy rains and induced by Super Typhoon Man-yi in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan province on November 19, 2024. Floodwaters reaching more than four metres high swamped thousands of houses in the storm-battered northern Philippines on November 19 after rivers overflowed following heavy rain and a dam release. (Photo by John Dimain / AFP)
MANILA (AFP) – The death toll from Super Typhoon Man-yi in the Philippines has risen to 12, the national disaster agency said Thursday as widespread flooding subsided.
Man-yi submerged villages and smashed flimsy buildings in the archipelago nation over the weekend, packing maximum sustained wind speeds of 185 kilometres (115 miles) an hour.
It was the sixth major storm in a month to strike the Philippines.
Together they have killed at least 175 people and displaced thousands, as well as wiping out crops and livestock
Most of the Man-yi deaths were in mountainous areas north of the capital Manila, including seven people killed after a landslide buried their house in Nueva Vizcaya province.
A boulder also crushed a house, burying three people alive, in the coastal town of Dipaculao, where Man-yi had made a second landfall, Ariel Nepomuceno, a senior official with the government’s civil defence office, told AFP.
Four people remain missing, he added.
“We are now in the recovery period, people have started to fix their houses,” Nepomuceno said.
“Construction materials have been arriving in hard-hit provinces.”
In the northern city of Tuguegarao, floodwaters induced by a dam release and a swollen Cagayan River have started to subside, after swamping thousands of houses in the days after the typhoon exited the country.
A man wades past flooded houses due to a swollen river caused by heavy rains and induced by Super Typhoon Man-yi in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan province on November 19, 2024. PHOTO: AFP
“The water level has subsided and is now just one foot (0.3 metres) high. Some evacuees have also gone back to their homes,” city disaster official Ian Valdepenas told AFP on Thursday.
Schools and government offices have reopened.
About 20 big storms and typhoons hit the Southeast Asian nation or its surrounding waters each year, killing scores of people, but it is rare for multiple such weather events to take place in a small window.
Since June, Lisa (pic, left courtesy of Lloud Company) has released a string of singles, including Rockstar, New Woman, and Moonlit Floor. Rockstar earned her a spot on Billboard’s Hot 100, ranking at No. 70, while her collaboration with Rosalia landed at No. 97. Notably, Rockstar marked Lisa’s first No. 1 on Billboard’s Global Excl. US chart. Additionally, New Woman secured two trophies at the 2024 MTV Europe Music Awards for Best Collaboration and Biggest Fans, further cementing her global popularity.
