In the southwest, sections of many national and provincial highways in Tibetan cities such as Shigatse and Nyingchi were blocked due to snow, ice and low visibility as the skies have dumped snow since Monday. The local government has mobilised 2,400 personnel, more than 3,300 metric tons of snow-melting agent,Continue Reading
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, in a separate statement, said that evidence from the probe is clear and that its conclusions objective and fair. “We support the relevant authorities to study and take corresponding measures in accordance with regulations based on the final findings of the investigation on trade barriers toContinue Reading
SEOUL: North Korea may test-launch an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) this month, a senior South Korean official said on Friday (Dec 15) before discussions with United States officials on responses to Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons threats. Kim Tae-hyo, South Korea’s deputy national security adviser, declined to elaborate based on his commentsContinue Reading
The leak of Chow’s medical records caused outrage from large swathes of the mainland internet, who were furious about the leak, saying it “disrespected the privacy of the deceased”. Chow was born and raised in Hong Kong and launched her acting career as a trainee with local broadcaster TVB. She rose toContinue Reading
In the months before my mother passed away from terminal illness in 2021, my bicycle became an unlikely companion. Plugged into a playlist of thumping tunes, I would lose myself in the rhythm of the ride, each pedal stroke taking me further away from the overwhelming demands of caregiving and the palpable sense of impending loss.
At her funeral, my uncle revealed that my mum had confessed to feeling guilty about being a constant burden to my father and me, and that she found solace in knowing that my new cycling hobby gave me a breath of freedom.
This knowledge left me torn. I stopped cycling for a while, weighed down by my guilt at realising that she had always sensed my need for a respite from my responsibilities – and, indirectly, from her – yet never held it against me.
When I later resumed riding occasionally, I never again experienced that feeling of liberation I used to have – until I went on an impromptu bikepacking trip around Jeju Island, South Korea, in September this year.
THE ROAD TO (SELF) FORGIVENESS
With mostly flat terrain, gentle slopes and a manageable distance, Jeju Island is the perfect launchpad for bikepacking newbies who may not be accustomed to long rides and challenging climbs, said my more experienced travel buddy, who once did a solo bikepacking trip in Taiwan.
Beijing said on Thursday (Dec 14) it had mediated a temporary ceasefire in fighting between the Myanmar junta and ethnic minority armed groups in the north of the country close to the Chinese border. Recent talks between Myanmar’s military and the groups, facilitated by China, resulted in several agreements “includingContinue Reading
Steven Li, chief superintendent of the police national security department, said the authorities received about 500 pieces of information since the last round of bounties were announced. While some of the information was valuable to the police, no arrest of the eight had yet been made. Li said the fiveContinue Reading
MANILA: The Philippines is contingency planning for an escalation of hostilities in the South China Sea, according to a senior military official, including a scenario where crew repel Chinese forces attempting to board Philippine vessels. Ties between the two countries have deteriorated this year after several collisions and repeated standoffsContinue Reading
SINGAPORE: A Singaporean man wanted for drug trafficking in the country has been arrested and jailed in South Korea where he was involved in a multinational syndicate selling narcotics on Telegram.
Singapore’s Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said on Thursday (Dec 14) that the 37-year-old man was arrested in Seoul on Apr 9.
The bureau told CNA that the man was sentenced to seven years in prison, although it did not comment on when his jail term began.
He will be repatriated to Singapore after completing his sentence in South Korea, said CNB, adding that it will conduct further investigations into the man’s suspected drug offences here.
“The 37-year-old man is suspected to be involved in coordinating and supplying drugs to associates in Singapore for their subsequent trafficking and sale in Singapore using encrypted chat applications,” said CNB in a news release.
According to South Korean media, citing a media release by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on Thursday, the 37-year-old man led a multinational drug network based in Seoul that distributed drugs to Singapore and Vietnam via Telegram.
The Chosun Ilbo reported that the man promoted drugs through the chat platform and conspired with associates in Singapore to modify the drugs into other forms such as candy or jellies.
South Korean media said this is the first time that local authorities have uncovered a foreign network based in the country selling drugs overseas using Telegram.
Three of the man’s associates – two Singaporean women and another woman of foreign nationality – were also arrested in South Korea, said CNB.
It added that immigration records showed that the man had left Singapore since Nov 12, 2021.
In response to queries from CNA on how the two Singaporean women were dealt with, CNB said that it was unable to comment due to ongoing investigations.
The other woman was sentenced to jail in South Korea.
CNB said it contacted South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) and the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA) for joint investigations into the man’s activities after receiving intelligence that he had set up a base in South Korea.
He was eventually caught as part of South Korea’s crackdown on cyber drug crimes, said local media.
“Drug trafficking is a cross-border issue that affects many countries, and traffickers increasingly use encrypted chat applications to advertise the sale of drugs to new clients and to arrange for the delivery of the drugs,” said Deputy Director of CNB for Operations, SAC Leon Chan.
“The successful arrest in this case is a testament to the good relationship and close cooperation between CNB, NIS and SMPA in tackling the transnational nature of drug trafficking. For drug syndicate leaders and members who choose to feed their greed by bringing harm to our people in Singapore, CNB will spare no efforts to bring them to face justice in Singapore.”
The cold also prompted the closure of schools, with the provincial capital of Zhengzhou ordering home-schooling for younger children. It also suspended several train services.
Huang Yunling, a Beijing-based venture capitalist, said the blizzard has disrupted daily life but modern conveniences like home delivery services also meant the old and young could remain safely at home.
“All schools have been suspended and they do online classes at home. There is some impact on our daily life. But in terms of buying daily essentials … it’s very convenient,” the 58-year-old parent said.
Parents in Shaanxi to the north complained that a lack of heating in a junior high school left children with frostbite on their hands and feet.
In the northeastern port city of Dalian, where blizzards and strong winds were forecast, authorities announced a study-at-home rule for all educational institutions to be enforced on Friday.
Further east, in Shanxi, authorities raised the alert for cold waves to its highest, with temperatures expected to fall as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius by Saturday and even to minus degrees Celsius in mountainous areas.
Temperatures in the provincial capital of Taiyuan averaged minus 4 degrees Celsius on Thursday, with heavy snow forcing a three-hour closure of its international airport as workers de-iced the runway.
Severe icing on the grid led to an overnight power outage in Yuanqu, a city of nearly 200,000 to the south, spurring nearby cities and provinces to send emergency mobile power generator trucks.
Gale warnings also went out for far western Xinjiang, the west of Tibet, the Ningxia region, Qinghai province and parts of Inner Mongolia.