SINGAPORE — Singapore’s four telecom companies, Singtel, StarHub, M1 and Simba Telecom, were targeted by cyber espionage group UNC3886 in attacks last year, Singapore’s Cyber Security Agency said on Monday.

The agency said the hackers were able to penetrate and gain access to some parts of the telecom systems but could not disrupt services and did not access personal data.

“They also managed to exfiltrate a small amount of technical data; this is believed to be primarily network-related data to advance the threat actors’ operational objectives,” the agency said.

Google-owned cyber security firm Mandiant has described UNC3886 as a “China-nexus espionage group” that has attacked defense, technology and telecommunications organizations in the US and Asia.

Beijing routinely denies any allegations of cyber espionage, and says it opposes all forms of cyberattacks and is in fact a victim of such threats.

The Chinese Embassy in Singapore did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Monday’s statement was the first time the government has revealed the type of infrastructure that UNC3886 targeted. Last July, the government said it was responding to cyberattacks from the group targeting high-value strategic assets. — Reuters

SEOUL — A South Korean Army AH-1S Cobra attack helicopter crashed on Monday during a training flight in the northern county of Gapyeong, killing both crew members on board, the country’s military said.

The helicopter went down shortly after 11 a.m. (0200 GMT) for reasons that remain unclear, it said in a statement.

The two crew members were evacuated to nearby hospitals but were later pronounced dead.

The Army has suspended operations of all AH-1S helicopters following the accident and set up an emergency response team to investigate the cause of the crash.

The training involved practicing emergency landing procedures without shutting down the engine, according to the military. — Reuters

SYDNEY — Thousands gathered across Australia on Monday to protest the arrival of Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who is on a multi-city trip aimed at expressing solidarity with Australia’s Jewish community following a deadly mass shooting last year.

Mr. Herzog is visiting Australia this week following an invitation from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in the aftermath of the December 14 shooting at a Hanukkah event at Sydney’s Bondi Beach that killed 15.

The visit has attracted the ire of some people in Australia, who accuse Mr. Herzog of being complicit in civilian deaths in Gaza. Pro-Palestine groups have organized protests in cities and towns across the country on Monday evening.

In Sydney, thousands gathered in a square in the city’s central business district, listening to speeches and shouting pro-Palestine slogans.

“The Bondi massacre was terrible but from our Australian leadership there’s been no acknowledgment of the Palestinian people and the Gazans,” said Jackson Elliott, a 30-year-old protestor from Sydney.

“Herzog has dodged all the questions about the occupation and says this visit is about Australia and Israeli relations but he is complicit.”

There was a heavy police presence with a helicopter circling overhead and officers patrolling on horseback.

About 3,000 police personnel will be deployed across Sydney during Mr. Herzog’s visit to the city.

PRESIDENT COMMEMORATES LIVES LOST
Mr. Herzog began his visit at Bondi Beach, where he laid a wreath at a memorial for the victims of the attack. He also met survivors and the families of 15 people killed in the shooting.

“This was also an attack on all Australians. They attacked the values that our democracies treasure, the sanctity of human life, the freedom of religion, tolerance, dignity and respect,” Mr. Herzog said in remarks at the site.

In a statement, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry Co-Chief Executive Alex Ryvchin said Mr. Herzog’s visit “will lift the spirits of a pained community.”

Some Jews oppose the visit.

The Jewish Council of Australia, a vocal critic of the Israeli government, released an open letter on Monday signed by over 1,000 Jewish Australian academics and community leaders, urging Mr. Albanese to rescind Mr. Herzog’s invitation.

POLICE DEPLOY SPECIAL POWERS
Authorities in Sydney have declared Mr. Herzog’s visit a major event and have been authorized to use rarely invoked powers during the visit, including the ability to separate and move crowds, restrict their entry to certain areas, direct people to leave and search vehicles.

The Palestine Action Group organizing the protest failed in a legal challenge in a Sydney court on Monday against restrictions placed on the expected demonstration.

“We’re hoping we won’t have to use any powers, because we’ve been liaising very closely with the protest organizers,” New South Wales Police Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna told Nine News on Monday.

“Overall, it is all of the community that we want to keep safe … we’ll be there in significant numbers just to make sure that the community is safe.” — Reuters

TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s thumping election win has blunted domestic opposition to her hawkish security agenda, encouraging plans to press ahead with a defense expansion that China has condemned as a return to militarism.

As the scale of her government’s historic victory became clear on Sunday — capturing 352 of the 465 seats in the lower house — Ms. Takaichi said she would “work flat out to deliver” an agenda that includes building a military strong enough to deter Chinese threats to its islands, including those close to Taiwan.

In November, Ms. Takaichi touched off a diplomatic storm with Beijing by suggesting Japan could respond militarily to any Chinese attack on the democratically governed island if it also threatened Japanese territory.

STANDING UP TO CHINA
“I expect to see Japan very forward-leaning on defense policy, such as her statements on a Taiwan contingency,” said Kevin Maher, a former US diplomat now with NMV Consulting in Washington. “One impact could be that President Xi Jinping comes to understand her strong stance,” he added.

China responded furiously to Ms. Takaichi’s Taiwan comment, promising to “resolutely prevent the resurgence of Japanese militarism” if Tokyo continued on its “wrong path”. Beijing also imposed a series of economic countermeasures including a boycott on travel to Japan and export restrictions on items such as rare earths it says Tokyo could use in military equipment.

Shingo Yamagami, a senior fellow at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation and a former Japanese ambassador to Australia, said the “hidden agenda” of the Sunday election was China.

“In light of belligerent actions and waves of economic coercion, should Japan acquiesce or stand tall?” he wrote on X. “The Japanese people clearly chose the latter.”

Taiwan’s de facto ambassador to Japan, Lee Yi-yang, was among the first foreign dignitaries to congratulate Ms. Takaichi, writing on Facebook that her victory showed Japan was not intimidated by China’s “threats and pressure.”

China’s foreign ministry on Monday again urged Ms. Takaichi to withdraw her remarks on Taiwan and said its policy towards Japan would not be changed by one election.

“We urge Japan’s ruling authorities to take seriously, rather than ignore, the concerns of the international community, and to pursue the path of peaceful development instead of repeating the mistakes of militarism,” foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said.

SECURITY STRATEGY
Ms. Takaichi, a fan of Britain’s former leader Margaret Thatcher, is already accelerating defense spending to bring it to a record 2% of gross domestic product by the end of March. She has also pledged to ease restrictions on arms exports and allow Japan to pursue joint defense equipment projects with other countries.

Her administration plans to formulate a new national security strategy, likely by year end, that would further accelerate military spending.

That could lift defense outlays to around 3% of GDP, an LDP lawmaker told Reuters ahead of Sunday’s election, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity surrounding such a move.

The potential increase would follow pressure from US President Donald Trump on Washington’s allies to raise defense spending.

Drawing lessons from nearly four years of war in Ukraine, Japan wants to build up munitions stockpiles and buy new equipment, including drones, to prepare for any prolonged conflict against a more powerful adversary, analysts say.

The scale of Ms. Takaichi’s security ambitions could, however, be constrained by tax cuts and economic stimulus measures that would strain public finances, said Jeffrey Hornung, an expert on Japanese security policy at the RAND Corporation.

“Maybe you’ll see an effort to spend more, but because of her plans to spend on consumer measures, they may not choose to push much further,” he said.

The landslide victory could also bring a long-taboo security goal into view, one that would not burden public finances.

With more than a two-thirds majority in the lower house, she could table an amendment to Japan’s pacifist constitution to formally recognize the Self-Defense Forces as a military. Any such change would still require a two-thirds majority in the upper house – which she does not currently control – and approval in a national referendum.

“It’s not a slam dunk,” Mr. Hornung said, “but probably the best chance for any prime minister.” — Reuters

LONDON — Britain’s Prince William will meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a three-day visit to Saudi Arabia starting on Monday, an official trip on behalf of the government to deepen ties with the country.

The royal’s visit follows a 2025 trip to Saudi by Britain’s finance minister, which London said had unlocked trade and investment agreements worth 6.4 billion pounds ($8.71 billion).

During his trip, Prince William will hold an audience with the crown prince and take part in engagements focused on Saudi Arabia’s economic reforms, cultural initiatives, and environmental programs, his office Kensington Palace said on Monday.

This would not be Prince William’s first meeting with the crown prince. In March 2018, he and his father, then-Prince Charles, hosted Crown Prince bin Salman for a dinner at Clarence House in London, on the same day the late Queen Elizabeth held a separate lunch with the Saudi royal.

During his visit to Saudi, Prince William, King Charles’ eldest son, is also expected to meet young Saudis, learn about the country’s plans for sustainability and urban development, and visit projects linked to women’s sport, e-sports, conservation, and cultural cooperation, the palace said.

The British prince will also travel to AlUla, an ancient Arabian oasis city, where he will visit wildlife reserves, meet local communities and tour “Prince of Wales House” – a new UK cultural space promoting collaboration in arts and heritage. — Reuters