From Tokyo to Taipei, Ho Chi Minh to Seoul, Asia Pacific has long been a powerhouse in global esports. However, until now, the region's role in the League of Legends ecosystem lacked a central stage. That's all about to change with the inception of League of Legends Championship Pacific (LCP), Riot Games' ambitious new league for APAC. This is the game developer's most significant step yet in unifying its fragmented competitive landscape. To bring that vision to life, Riot partnered with brand and digital studio Koto to craft an identity that would speak to fans across cultures, languages, and gaming styles. The result is a full-spectrum design system shaped by the region, for the region, and built to evolve alongside the fast-moving world of esports. "At its heart, this project was about building pride and momentum," says Koto creative director Melissa Baillache. "Riot made it clear from the beginning: they wanted to give fans a brand that belongs to them." The LCP brand makes that intent clear from the get-go. Under the platform What We're Made Of, Koto constructed an identity rooted in regional passion, from Japan's Oshi-style fandoms to Southeast Asia's hyper-social esports culture. The line isn't just a slogan; it's a rallying cry, making it clear that APAC isn't just participating in global esports – it's here to lead. Designing for competition and community Visually, the brand needed to deliver across an incredible range of touchpoints, from social teasers and broadcast graphics to merch, memes, and fan-created content. The design system is centred on The Pinnacle: a five-player emblem representing unity and competitive intensity. Rendered in molten, 3D finishes, it's a symbol of regional ambition and the raw energy of top-tier play. That energy carries through a modular graphic system inspired by League's own gameplay, specifically the three in-game lanes that structure how matches unfold. This system offers a flexible yet distinctive frame for everything from stat-heavy broadcast overlays to highlight reels and in-arena hype moments. The motion language is just as purposeful. It's fast, focused, and reactive, designed to mirror the breakneck pace of in-game action and the way fans consume esports content in real-time. Whether counting down to kick-off or amplifying a clutch play, the system pulses with immediacy. Voice with impact Koto also worked to develop a voice that cuts through the noise of a crowded digital space. LCP's tone is raw, energised, and emotionally charged, with tight headlines and punchy copy that speaks directly to fans. It's not just branding; it's storytelling engineered for social moments, match trailers, post-game celebrations, and everything in between. The studio's verbal system extends to campaign slogans, hashtags, and commentary-style callouts, all of which work together to build momentum, fuel rivalries, and stoke regional pride. A custom typeface that sets the tempo At the core of the visual identity is LCP Ignite, a custom variable typeface designed to capture the rhythm and sharpness of League gameplay. Inspired by the 'fired up' ethos of competitive play, it flexes across every format, from match stats and player quotes to dynamic on-screen graphics. Given the region's linguistic diversity, the system also includes a suite of secondary typefaces (including Archivo, Kinkakuji and Thonglor Soi 4 Nr) to ensure legibility and consistency in languages across APAC. The goal here was to create a type system that speaks to everyone, from die-hard fans to casual mobile viewers wherever they are. Fuel for fandom Koto's system goes beyond expectations by creating tools that grow with the community. A suite of icons and illustrations—all drawn from the strokes and geometry of LCP Ignite—provides creative fuel for Riot and fans. These assets flex across platforms, helping commentators, players, and creators build content that feels cohesive but never prescriptive. Gerald Torto, senior strategy director at Koto, says: "The goal with LCP was to frame the league not just as a competition, but as a cultural force. The energy and sentiment captured in the idea 'What We're Made Of' is a fitting platform. It gives APAC an unapologetic and proud voice that looks ahead to an exciting future." The scale of the system matches that ambition. Alongside Riot's APAC PubSports team, Koto delivered a complete brand toolkit with hundreds of assets – spanning physical, digital, and broadcast formats – built to scale across seasons, teams, and evolving tournament formats. Setting the stage for APAC's next era What sets this project apart is its commitment to longevity. LCP is a vast infrastructure investment into the future of competitive gaming in APAC, and the brand has already begun rolling out teaser campaigns, test broadcasts, and live events, setting the stage for a new chapter in League of Legends. As Koto continues to expand its presence in the region, the LCP identity is a strong signal of what's possible when global ambition meets regional nuance. It's also a showcase of what the Sydney studio brings to the table: cross-cultural fluency, strategic storytelling, and a flair for building scalable, high-impact identities with soul. With the official launch of LCP now live, Riot and Koto are inviting the world to witness what the region is made of.

The Split House / Collage Architecture StudioSave this picture!© Harshan Thomson, Abhishek ChavhanHouses•Bengaluru, India Architects: Collage Architecture Studio Area Area of this architecture project Area:  578 m² Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2024 Photographs Photographs:Harshan Thomson, Abhishek Chavhan Lead Architects: Swapnil Valvatkar, Arunkumar Deivanayagam, Adwitha Suvarna More SpecsLess Specs Save this picture! Located in the Sunny Brooks community of Bengaluru, the Split-House by Collage Architecture Studio is designed for a family of four. It brings together nature and privacy through a simple but powerful design idea: a central split. Rather than dividing, this split connects the house with light, air, and greenery, while clearly separating public and private areas.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Set on an 80x83.5-foot plot, the house works around existing trees and blends with the natural surroundings. The west-facing site has both pedestrian and vehicle entries in the northwest corner. A parking space for two cars sits behind a wall, and a clear walkway leads to the front door. Staff have a separate entry from the southeast corner, giving them direct access to the utility and service areas.Save this picture!The entrance steps lead to a south-facing main door. Inside, a stairwell next to a planter acts as a calm, welcoming space. A bird sculpture on the wall adds a quiet artistic touch. From here, the living room opens up on the left. It's a bright and airy space with two glazed walls—one of which slides open to connect directly to a deck. The interiors use a simple palette: white walls, wood finishes, brown accents, and green views.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!At the center of the house is the split—a gravel bed between two built volumes, with a granite slab that acts as a stepping stone. A glass wall bends into a skylight, bringing in light. Three slender trees grow from this gravel bed, and a white puja room anchors the core. A bridge above links both volumes, with a curved teak ceiling adding warmth. Nearby, the dining area sits between greenery, with a teak table that seats eight.Save this picture!Save this picture!The private wing houses the kitchen, which is efficient and clean, with all utility spaces hidden. Next to it is the master bedroom on the ground floor, with large windows and a sliding door opening to the garden. It includes a dressing area and an elegant bathroom.Save this picture!The sculptural staircase leads to the upper level. Made of cantilevered concrete treads with a teak handrail, it feels light and open. The second master bedroom above the first follows a similar layout and opens to a west-facing balcony with granite louvers and a swing. The mother's room is also on this level, with its own balcony and a view into the puja and dining areas below. A bridge leads to the second volume, where a family room opens to a terrace and a guest suite has its own balcony and twin vanities.Save this picture!The terrace level includes a flexible lounge, Jacuzzi, steam room, and shaded deck on one side. The other side is left open to the sky, used for events, gatherings, or stargazing. A narrow bridge at the back connects the two volumes. The Split-House is a calm, clear, and functional home. It brings together family life and nature in a way that feels natural and easy to live in.Save this picture! Project gallerySee allShow less About this office Published on May 30, 2025Cite: "The Split House / Collage Architecture Studio" 30 May 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1030499/the-split-house-collage-architecture-studio&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save世界上最受欢迎的建筑网站现已推出你的母语版本!想浏览ArchDaily中国吗?是否 You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

May 30, 20252 min readSahara Dust Clouds Are Heading to Florida and BeyondClouds of dust blown off the Saharan Desert into the southeastern U.S. could affect local weather and make sunrises and sunsets particularly vividBy Meghan Bartels edited by Dean VisserEach year, seasonal winds carry tens of millions of tons of Saharan dust across the Atlantic and beyond. On February 18, 2021, NOAA-20’s VIIRS captured a dramatic display of airborne dust. NASA Earth Observatory image by Lauren Dauphin, using VIIRS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE, GIBS/Worldview, and the Suomi National Polar-orbiting PartnershipClouds of dust drifting from the Sahara Desert over the Atlantic Ocean could make for unusual-looking sunrises and sunsets, as well as potentially drier weather, over Florida and parts of the southeastern U.S. in the coming days.What’s HappeningBetween late spring and early fall, dust from the Saharan gets blown out over the Atlantic Ocean every three to five days. When conditions are right, air masses that are filled with this dust can make it across the thousands of miles required to reach North America. Meteorologists call this type of air mass the Saharan Air Layer, or SAL.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.Currently, on Friday, a thin SAL is dispersing over Florida, says Ana Torres-Vazquez, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Miami office, who adds that this could interfere with some storms carried into the peninsula by a cold front on Saturday. Another layer of dust—this one thicker and denser—may then blow in next week, although that forecast is currently less certain, Torres-Vazquez notes.It’s worth noting that the Atlantic hurricane season officially begins on June 1. In general, the SAL tends to dry the atmosphere it drifts through—so some scientists think these dust clouds may actually impede hurricane development. For now, however, forecasters aren’t expecting any tropical storms to develop in the Atlantic within the coming week.Sunrise, SunsetThe effect that will be most noticeable to local residents as the dust lingers might be unusual sunrises and sunsets.“When you have Saharan dust or any other kind of particulate, if the sun is coming in at an angle, like during sunrise or sunset,” Torres-Vazquez says, “it can hit those particulates that are close to the ground just right and result in those different, kind of orangey-reddish colors.”Other parts of the country might also see enhanced sunrises and sunsets during the coming days from a different kind of particulate—wildfire smoke. Canada is experiencing yet another brutal year for wildfires, with nearly 700,000 hectares, or more than 2,500 square miles, burned to date.Right now fires are particularly bad in the provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba, in part because of high temperatures stuck over central Canada. Smoke from these blazes is expected to reach U.S. states, including Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan, in the coming days.Depending on how close the dust and smoke get to Earth’s surface, these kinds of particulate matter can be harmful to people’s health, particularly for people who are very young or very old and those who have asthma or heart or lung disease. The Air Quality Index can help you gauge whether you should take any precautions.

It’s official – Days of Play is back for 2025! We are kicking off the 2025 celebration on May 28, with community activities, new content coming to PlayStation Plus, and great offers on PS5 consoles, games, and accessories.  Days of Play is all about celebrating our players and the moments of play that make being part of the PlayStation community so special. With an exciting year ahead filled with new game releases, experiences, and milestones, it’s a great time to check out the latest PlayStation activities and promotions we have planned for this year’s celebration. Days of Play begins May 28 at 12:01AM through June 11 at 11:59PM local time in each region – below is an overview of 2025 activities. Be sure to visit the Days of Play 2025 website for details as we will be sharing regular updates starting on May 28. PlayStation Plus – Monthly Games for June, bonus titles, and more We’re excited to reveal the latest PlayStation Plus content that will be available during the Days of Play celebration – this includes upcoming Monthly Games, bonus Game Catalog titles, Classics Catalog additions, Game Trials, and more.  View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Monthly Games for June To start, here are the Monthly Games* for June, which will be available for all PlayStation Plus members beginning May 30: NBA2K25 | PS5, PS4 (available June 3) Alone and Dark | PS5 (available June 3) Bomb Rush Cyberfunk | PS5, PS4 (available June 3)  Destiny 2: The Final Shape | PS5, PS4 (available May 30) Bonus titles for Game Catalog and Classic Catalog, plus new Game Trials Create even more moments of play with bonus titles coming to the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog and Classics Catalog, as well as new Game Trials.* These titles are in addition to our regular Game Catalog content drops for June – stay tuned for our regular monthly Game Catalog announcement for next month’s lineup. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Game Catalog   (Available in Game Catalog on the specified dates for PlayStation Plus Extra and Deluxe members)  Another Crab’s Treasure | PS5 (available May 29)  Skull and Bones | PS5 (available June 2)  Destiny 2: Legacy Collection | PS5, PS4 (available June 4)  Grand Theft Auto III | PS4, PS5 (available June 10) View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Classics Catalog  (Available on June 5 for PlayStation Plus Deluxe members)  Myst | PS5, PS4 Riven | PS5, PS4  View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Game Trials (Available on May 28 for PlayStation Plus Deluxe members)  Kingdom Come: Deliverance II | PS5 Sid Meier’s Civilization® VII| PS5, PS4 View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image From June 3 through June 11, participate in special PlayStation Tournaments for NBA 2K25**, which is included in our PlayStation Plus Monthly Games lineup for June. Players can compete in multiple competitions each day for a chance to win prizes including NBA 2K Virtual Currency and Days of Play-themed PlayStation Network avatars. *PlayStation Plus Monthly Games lineup, availability of Classics, Game Trials and Game Catalog varies over time, region/country, and plan. PlayStation Plus is subject to a recurring subscription fee taken automatically until cancellation. Terms apply: play.st/psplus-usageterms.  **Internet and active PS Plus membership required. PS Plus is subject to recurring subscription fee taken automatically until cancellation. Terms apply: play.st/psplus-usageterms. Must be at least 16+ and a resident of an eligible country. Void where prohibited. See full rules on PS5 or PS4 console  Days of Play 2025 Deals We’re also celebrating Days of Play with exciting promotions across consoles, games, and from participating retailers (prices may vary), and on PlayStation Store. For more information on your local deals, be sure to check out the Days of Play 2025 website.  View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Deals directly from participating retailers  From May 28 to June 11 in Singapore/Malaysia/Thailand/Indonesia/Philippines/Vietnam, save on hardware and accessories including PS5 consoles, DualSense controllers, and more. You can find these offers at participating local retailers. Please note that offers and promotion dates may vary by region and retailer. Deals on PS5 console offerings include: PlayStation 5 console will be on promotion, with promotional price of SGD 605 / MYR 1,830 / THB 13,890 / IDR 7,419,000 for PS5 Digital Edition and SGD 735 / MYR 2,260 / THB 16,890 / IDR 8,919,000 / PHP 27,990 / VND 12,100,000 for PS5.   SGD 64 / MYR 239 / THB 1,800 off PlayStation 5 Pro console   There will also be offers for PS5 accessories and games, including: SGD 64 / MYR 239 / THB 1,800 / IDR 780,000 / PHP 2,800 / VND 1,191,000 off PlayStation VR2 and PlayStation VR2 Horizon Call of the Mountain Bundle SGD 39 / MYR 130 / THB 1,000 / IDR 470,000 / PHP 1,700 / VND 750,000 off Pulse Explore wireless earbuds SGD 39 / MYR 130 / THB 1,000 / IDR 470,000 / PHP 1,700 / VND 750,000 off DualSense Edge wireless controller SGD 28 / MYR 90 / THB 700 / IDR 340,000 / PHP 1,200 / VND 520,000 off Access controller SGD 20.10 / MYR 54 / THB 500 / IDR 250,000 / PHP 900 / VND 310,000 off DualSense wireless controller Various discounts on PS5 games including Astro Bot, The Last of Us Part II Remastered, and LEGO Horizon Adventures. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image PlayStation Plus memberships This Days of Play, save on a new or upgraded PlayStation Plus membership – players who join PlayStation Plus during this year’s celebration can save up to 33% (up to 30% for Thailand) on select 12-month memberships.* For players who are currently a PlayStation Plus Essential or Extra member, save 33% (30% for Thailand) on the remainder of your membership when upgrading to PlayStation Plus Deluxe.**  *Discounts vary by region/tier and are subject to certain eligibility restrictions. Game library varies over time, region/country, and plan. PS Plus is subject to a recurring subscription fee taken automatically (at the then current PS Store price) until cancellation. Terms apply: play.st/psplus-usageterms. **At the end of your current subscription, you’ll be charged recurring subscription fees (at the then-current PS Store price) for PlayStation Plus Premium/Deluxe at your current billing frequency, unless cancelled. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image PlayStation Store  Celebrate Days of Play with hundreds of digital games and add-ons on offer at PlayStation Store. You can find a list of PlayStation Store offers here.  We’re excited to celebrate Days of Play 2025 with you and hope you enjoy the activities, new content, and promotions we have in store! Be sure to check the Days of Play 2025 website for regular updates from May 28 through June 11.

May 30, 2025Ravie LakshmananVulnerability / Threat Intelligence The China-linked threat actor behind the recent in-the-wild exploitation of a critical security flaw in SAP NetWeaver has been attributed to a broader set of attacks targeting organizations in Brazil, India, and Southeast Asia since 2023. "The threat actor mainly targets the SQL injection vulnerabilities discovered on web applications to access the SQL servers of targeted organizations," Trend Micro security researcher Joseph C Chen said in an analysis published this week. "The actor also takes advantage of various known vulnerabilities to exploit public-facing servers." Some of the other prominent targets of the adversarial collective include Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. The cybersecurity company is tracking the activity under the moniker Earth Lamia, stating the activity shares some degree of overlap with threat clusters documented by Elastic Security Labs as REF0657, Sophos as STAC6451, and Palo Alto Networks Unit 42 as CL-STA-0048. Each of these attacks has targeted organizations spanning multiple sectors in South Asia, often leveraging internet-exposed Microsoft SQL Servers and other instances to conduct reconnaissance, deploy post-exploitation tools like Cobalt Strike and Supershell, and establish proxy tunnels to the victim networks using Rakshasa and Stowaway. Also used are privilege escalation tools like GodPotato and JuicyPotato; network scanning utilities such as Fscan and Kscan; and legitimate programs like wevtutil.exe to clean Windows Application, System, and Security event logs. Select intrusions aimed at Indian entities have also attempted to deploy Mimic ransomware binaries to encrypt victim files, although the efforts were largely unsuccessful. "While the actors were seen staging the Mimic ransomware binaries in all observed incidents, the ransomware often did not successfully execute, and in several instances, the actors were seen attempting to delete the binaries after being deployed," Sophos noted in an analysis published in August 2024. Then earlier this month, EclecticIQ disclosed that CL-STA-0048 was one among the many China-nexus cyber espionage groups to exploit CVE-2025-31324, a critical unauthenticated file upload vulnerability in SAP NetWeaver to establish a reverse shell to infrastructure under its control. Besides CVE-2025-31324, the hacking crew is said to have weaponized as many as eight different vulnerabilities to breach public-facing servers - CVE-2017-9805 - Apache Struts2 remote code execution vulnerability CVE-2021-22205 - GitLab remote code execution vulnerability CVE-2024-9047 - WordPress File Upload plugin arbitrary file access vulnerability CVE-2024-27198 - JetBrains TeamCity authentication bypass vulnerability CVE-2024-27199 - JetBrains TeamCity path traversal vulnerability CVE-2024-51378 - CyberPanel remote code execution vulnerability CVE-2024-51567 - CyberPanel remote code execution vulnerability CVE-2024-56145 - Craft CMS remote code execution vulnerability Describing it as "highly active," Trend Micro noted that the threat actor has shifted its focus from financial services to logistics and online retail, and most recently, to IT companies, universities, and government organizations. "In early 2024 and prior, we observed that most of their targets were organizations within the financial industry, specifically related to securities and brokerage," the company said. "In the second half of 2024, they shifted their targets to organizations mainly in the logistics and online retail industries. Recently, we noticed that their targets have shifted again to IT companies, universities, and government organizations." A noteworthy technique adopted by Earth Lamia is to launch its custom backdoors like PULSEPACK via DLL side-loading, an approach widely embraced by Chinese hacking groups. A modular .NET-based implant, PULSEPACK communicates with a remote server to retrieve various plugins to carry out its functions. Trend Micro said it observed in March 2025 an updated version of the backdoor that changes the command-and-control (C2) communication method from TCP to WebSocket, indicating active ongoing development of the malware. "Earth Lamia is conducting its operations across multiple countries and industries with aggressive intentions," it concluded. "At the same time, the threat actor continuously refines their attack tactics by developing custom hacking tools and new backdoors." Found this article interesting? Follow us on Twitter  and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post. SHARE    

News Animals Genetics might save the rare, elusive saola — if it’s not already extinct Environmental DNA could help scientists search for the large deerlike mammals in Southeast Asia The saola “Martha” was captured in Laos in 1996 and survived for a few weeks in a menagerie. She is the only living saola ever seen by Western scientists. World Wildlife Fund By Tom Metcalfe 2 hours ago It’s not looking good for the saola. If it still exists, it is one of the world’s rarest large mammals — a deerlike creature from the mountainous rainforests of Vietnam and Laos that’s been called “Asia’s unicorn” because of its scarcity. But the last living saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis) was seen in 2013, in photographs from a motion-triggered trail camera. Even hopeful experts think there are now fewer than 100 still alive. “That number is extremely optimistic,” says University of Copenhagen wildlife geneticist Rasmus Heller. “The real number is probably much lower … and it’s possible that there are actually zero.” Sign up for our newsletter We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.

Anemonoides blanda, the Balkan anemone, Grecian windflower, or winter windflower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae. The species is native to southeast Europe and the Middle East. It grows up to 10 to 15 centimetres (4 to 6 inches) tall and is valued for its daisy-like flowers, which appear in early spring, a time when little else is in flower. The flowers are found in various colors and are radially symmetrical, containing seven or more sepals and petals. This purple A. blanda flower was photographed in Bamberg, Germany. Photograph credit: Reinhold Möller Recently featured: Bluespotted ribbontail ray Black Lives Matter art Germanicus Archive More featured pictures