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LABUAN BAJO – Asean countries cooperated well during the Covid-19 pandemic and the grouping must stay cohesive and united at the highest levels given the troubled global outlook, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Wednesday.

Addressing fellow South-east Asian leaders on the first day of the 42nd Asean Summit, PM Lee called on them to continue providing opportunities for the regions people to prosper and engage external partners.

Leaders of the regional grouping are in Labuan Bajo, a town on the western tip of Indonesias Flores island, for the two-day summit chaired by Indonesian President Joko Widodo.

Said PM Lee: The world has come through the Covid-19 pandemic, but the global environment is increasingly troubled. Against this backdrop, Asean must press on with our regional integration efforts.

One way for the bloc to do so is to deepen its economic collaboration and expand into new growth areas, such as the digital and green economies.

PM Lee stressed that economic integration must always remain Aseans priority.

Underscoring how effective regional integration underpins Asean centrality, he said the grouping needs to upgrade its core agreements, such as the Asean Trade in Goods Agreement, to keep them relevant to evolving business practices.

PM Lee also said Singapore strongly supports Indonesias efforts to develop the Asean Digital Economy Framework Agreement, and welcomes the proposed Leaders Statement to develop the agreement, which is targeted to be issued later this year. We can reap tremendous economic gains by improving the digital connectivity and literacy of our peoples, he said.

Turning to the green economy, he said Singapore supports the strengthening of energy interconnectivity under Indonesias chairmanship of Asean. PM Lee held up the success of the Lao PDR-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore Power Integration Project, and said it shows that multilateral power trading in the region is feasible.

The intergovernmental project was set up in 2014 to study the feasibility of cross-border power trade, and Singapore began importing renewable energy from Laos via Thailand and Malaysia in 2022.

We should build on this and work towards an Asean Power Grid, which will strengthen member states energy security and resilience, and advance regional decarbonisation, said PM Lee.

On Aseans external partners, PM Lee noted that negotiations on the Second Protocol to Amend the Agreement Establishing the Asean-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA) were recently concluded, and negotiations on a second upgrade of the Asean-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA) have begun.

Both upgrades include new areas such as the digital economy, green economy and supply chain connectivity, he said. More On This Topic Asean leaders want immediate end to violence in Myanmar, urge inclusive talks Asean to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation and international position at summit Beyond the economic sphere, Asean should also step up cooperation on transnational issues. PM Lee said this includes protecting the regions people from increasingly sophisticated cross-border threats.

Singapore supports Indonesias initiative for a Declaration on Combating Trafficking in Persons Caused by the Abuse of Technology, he said. Indonesia had earlier announced that human trafficking will be one of the main issues discussed at this weeks summit, amid growing concern over the rising number of cases in the region.

Asean also should enhance cyber security cooperation, said PM Lee, who added he was happy that good progress has been made on the Asean Regional Computer Emergency Response Team (Cert) proposal. This team will strengthen regional cyber cooperation and incident response capabilities against sophisticated cyber threats, he added.

Deepening cooperation in Asean requires strong political support, said PM Lee as he called on the leaders to stay united and embrace a shared vision for Aseans future.

He welcomed statements from the leaders on the development of the future Asean community as well as strengthening the blocs capacity for institutional effectiveness. The statements, which are planned to be adopted at the summit, affirm the blocs shared commitment to the proposed core elements of the Post-2025 Vision submitted to Asean last year, said PM Lee.

He added that among other things, this vision calls on the Asean community to remain open, transparent, inclusive and rules-based, with deeper external engagements, as well as to pursue new areas of cooperation.

The vision also seeks to strengthen Asean as an institution, and PM Lee said that Singapore welcomes efforts to review the groupings capacity and institutional effectiveness. We should streamline and optimise Asean processes, and strengthen the Asean Secretariat and the role of the Asean secretary-general to enable them to more effectively implement our key priorities, he said.

Timor-Leste Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak attended this weeks Asean Summit for the first time as an observer. This comes after the grouping decided at its previous summit in Cambodia to admit the island-nation in principle as its 11th member.

PM Lee said Asean looks forward to welcoming Timor-Leste into the grouping, adding that the bloc took a significant step on Wednesday by adopting the road map to its membership. Timor-Leste Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak attended this weeks Asean Summit for the first time as an observer. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO This plan sets out the obligations and commitments of membership which Timor-Leste needs to fulfil. PM Lee said the road map is robust and comprehensive, and has been extensively discussed and carefully designed.

He noted that the road map also has Aseans full support, and Singapore looks forward to working with Timor-Leste to complete all the requirements, including negotiations to accede to Aseans extensive set of treaties and agreements, so that Timor-Leste can join the grouping soon.

Singapore will continue to support Timor-Leste to build its capacity as it prepares to join Asean. I am sure fellow member states and our external partners will do so too, he said. More On This Topic Asean faces a big test at its summit: Will it rise to the challenges? Indonesias Jokowi urges dialogue for Myanmar crisis ahead of Asean Summit

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NASA’s Hubble and Webb Discover Bursting Star Formation in Small Magellanic Cloud

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NASA’s Hubble and Webb Discover Bursting Star Formation in Small Magellanic Cloud

Scientists from NASA observed the bursting expansion of gas, stars, and dust from the glittering territory of the dual star clusters using Hubble and Webb space telescopes. NGC 460 and NGC 456 stay in the Small Magellanic Cloud, which are open clusters, with dwarf galaxies and orbit the Milky Way. These clusters are part of the extensive star complex clusters and nebulae that are most likely to be linked to each other. Stars are born upon the collapse of clouds.

Hubble and Webb Reveal Explosive Star Births in Small Magellanic Cloud

As per a report from NASA, the open clusters are from anywhere from a few dozen to many young stars, which are loosely bound by gravity. The images captured by Hubble capture the glowing and ionised gas, which comes from stellar radiation and blows bubbles in the form of gas and dust, which is blue in colour. The infrared of Webb shows the clumps and delicate filament-like structures and dust, which is red in colour.

NGC 460 and NGC 456: A Window into Early Universe Star Formation

Hubble shows the images of dust in the form of a silhouette against the blocking light; however, in the images of Webb, the dust is warmed by starlight and glows with infrared waves. The blend of gas and dust between the stars of the universe is called the interstellar medium. The region holding these clusters is known as the N83-84-85 complex and is home to multiple, rare O-type stars. These are hot and extremely massive stars that burn hydrogen like the Sun.

Such a state mimics the condition in the early universe; therefore, the Small Magellanic Cloud gives a nearby lab to find out the theories regarding star formation and the interstellar medium of the cosmos’s early stage.

With these observations, the researchers tend to study the gas flow from convergence to divergence, which helps in refining the difference between the Small Magellanic Cloud and its dwarf galaxy, and the Large Magellanic Cloud. Further, it helps in knowing the interstellar medium and gravitational interactions between the galaxies.

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Binance’s CZ threatens to sue Bloomberg over Trump stablecoin report

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Binance’s CZ threatens to sue Bloomberg over Trump stablecoin report

Binance’s CZ threatens to sue Bloomberg over Trump stablecoin report

Binance co-founder CZ has dismissed a Bloomberg report linking him to the Trump-backed USD1 stablecoin, threatening legal action over alleged defamation.

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Science

New Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS Could Reveal Secrets of Distant Worlds

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New Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS Could Reveal Secrets of Distant Worlds

The entry of a third known object into our solar system has been confirmed on July 1, 2025 by the astronomers. This object is named 3I/ATLAS, where 3I stands for “Third Interstellar”, having a highly hyperbolic (eccentricity ≈ 6.2) orbit, confirming it is not bound to the Sun but is a true interstellar visitor. Only two such visitors, 1I/ʻOumuamua (2017) and 2I/Borisov (2019), had been seen before. Notably, 3I/ATLAS appears to be the largest and brightest interstellar wanderer yet discovered.

Comparison with previous interstellars

According to NASA, astronomers from the ATLAS survey first spotted the object on July 1, 2025, using a telescope in Chile. It immediately drew attention for its unusual motion. Shortly after discovery, observers saw a faint coma and tail, leading to its classification as comet C/2025 N1 (ATLAS).

This comet-like appearance is shared with 2I/Borisov, the second interstellar visitor. Global observatories now track 3I/ATLAS. It poses no threat but offers a rare opportunity to study alien material. Since 1I/ʻOumuamua was observed only as it was leaving the solar system, it was difficult for astronomers to get enough data on it to confirm its exact nature — hence the crazy theories about it being an alien spaceship — though it’s almost certainly an asteroid or a comet.

Size and Significance

3I/ATLAS is much larger and brighter than earlier interstellar visitors. It is about 15 kilometers (km) [9 miles] in diameter, with huge uncertainty, compared to 100m for 1I/’Oumuamua and less than 1km for 2I/Borisov. This brightness and size makes it a a better target for study. Astronomers are planning to analyze its light for chemical signatures from its home system to get clues about the formation of distant planetary systems.

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Apple Maps in iOS 26 Beta Version Come With An Upgraded Search Feature: Report

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