DESPERATE CIVILIANS For almost three years, civilian People’s Defence Forces have been battling around the country to oust the junta which seized power in a 2021 coup. But the offensive launched by the TNLA and its allies – the Arakan Army (AA) and Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) –Continue Reading
KUALA LUMPUR: Ships with the Israeli flag will not be allowed to dock in Malaysia with immediate effect, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced on Wednesday (Dec 20). Any vessels en route to Israel will also be banned from loading cargo at Malaysian ports. “These restrictions are a response to Israel’s actions thatContinue Reading
SINGAPORE: Tokyo’s Shibuya district has cancelled its New Year’s Eve countdown for the fourth year in a row due to concerns over “safety and security at the event”, which typically draws about 100,000 revellers. In an online notice, Shibuya Mayor Ken Hasebe said that the decision takes into consideration “theContinue Reading
Earthquakes are common in provinces such as Gansu, lying on the northeastern boundary of the tectonically active Qinghai-Tibetan plateau. China’s deadliest quake in recent decades was in 2008 when a magnitude-8.0 temblor struck Sichuan, killing nearly 70,000 people. The freezing cold would not be the only concern weighing on rescuersContinue Reading
K-pop star G-Dragon has been cleared of allegations of illegal drug use by South Korean police, according to media reports.
Police had been investigating the singer and rapper, whose given name is Kwon Ji-yong, amid an ongoing crackdown on illegal drugs by the government of conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol.
On Tuesday (Dec 19), the Incheon Metropolitan Police decided not to charge the former leader of the K-pop band BIGBANG for alleged drug use after they had not obtained testimonies to support the charges against him, Yonhap News Agency reported.
Reuters could not immediately reach the police or G-Dragon for comment on Wednesday.
G-Dragon, a fashion muse and a writer of many hit songs, had strongly denied the allegations, showing up at a police station last month for questioning to prove his innocence.
In a sit-down interview with Yonhap News TV last month, the 35-year-old star again denied any illegal drug use. “I have never used drugs, received or given drugs from or to anyone,” he said, referring to negative drug test results.
A series of drug charge arrests, including of chaebol heirs and celebrities, has prompted authorities to vigorously pursue a crackdown on narcotics and increase customs inspections.
South Korea has tough drug laws, and crimes are typically punishable by at least six months in prison or up to 14 years for repeat offenders and dealers.
DAHEIJA: As evening brought freezing temperatures to northwestern China’s Gansu province, shellshocked residents huddled around small fires in the street, reeling after the country’s deadliest earthquake in years deprived them of shelter. The quake, which struck in the dead of Monday night (Dec 18), has killed at least 127 peopleContinue Reading
World powers said Tuesday (Dec 19) that the international community needed a firm and unified response to North Korea’s “reckless” nuclear build-up and missile launches. G7 foreign ministers said in a statement after the launch of Pyongyang’s most powerful ballistic missile that “North Korea’s repeated reckless actions must be metContinue Reading
The discovery has highlighted the “power of money” in Indonesia’s elections, an anti-corruption official told CNA.
According to research by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), success in legislative and regional head elections is 95.5 per cent determined by money, said Mr Amir Arief, the commission’s director of Anti-Corruption Socialisation and Campaign.
“The power of money is very important. For this reason, election participants such as legislative candidates or political parties believe that the more money they have, the greater their chance of winning the election,” he said.
The money is used to buy votes, mobilise campaign machinery or pay political dowries, among other things.
Political dowry, or “boat money”, refers to what a person must pay to a political party to stand as its representative in parliamentary elections. The amount varies between 1 billion rupiah (US$64,406) and 12 billion rupiah, said Mr Amir.
According to the KPK’s prosecution record, some campaign funds have been sourced through corrupt means, he added.
“For example, regional heads who want to run for election (will take from) their regional funds. They also get campaign funds from various vendors and contractors. If elected, the funders will expect rewards … (such as their companies being awarded) a tender for the procurement of goods and services,” he explained.
“There are also those who get their funds from within the government itself, for example from civil servants who give money to politicians. If the politician wins the regional head position, the civil servant hopes to be appointed the head of the department,” said Mr Amir.
While a monitoring mechanism known as the Campaign Fund Information System (Sidakam) already exists to promote transparency among election participants, “the challenge is whether what the politicians report on Sidakam is transparent”, he said. “That is what the KPU must ensure.”
CHENNAI: Heavy rain has paralysed several parts of India’s southern state of Tamil Nadu, inundating roads, affecting train services, and leaving authorities scrambling to rescue those stranded. The deluge occurred while the state was still recovering from the damage caused by Cyclone Michaung, which lashed the coast this month, killingContinue Reading
TOKYO: Tokyo prosecutors on Tuesday (Dec 19) searched the offices of two powerful political factions within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), public broadcaster NHK reported, in connection with the biggest fundraising scandal to engulf the party in decades. Prosecutors suspect the Abe faction of failing to report as much asContinue Reading