15 people charged over death of South Korean female officer who alleged sexual abuse - Yahoo Singapore News

Dozens of officers will face disciplinary action for attempting to cover up the case, forcing a private settlement between a sexual harassment survivor and accused, and destruction or leaking of evidence (Getty Images/ Representative image)

The death of a South Korean air force officer who had complained of sexual abuse has led to the arrest of 15 people in the country and disciplinary action against a dozen air force officials.

South Korea’s military has been rocked by allegations of sexual harassment and discrimination against women soldiers.

The incident occurred in March this year when the air force master sergeant was allegedly sexually abused by a male colleague in a car when she was heading to base from a dinner meeting, reported BBC.

On reporting the case with superior officers, the woman was forced into a private settlement with the colleague, an investigation revealed. The superior officers also tried to cover up the incident, the report added.

In May, she died by suicide at her official residence, causing a nationwide uproar, resulting in exit of Chief of Staff Gen Lee Seong-yong who took “heavy responsibility” in the death of the officer.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in also issued an apology and ordered a thorough probe into the incident, including its handling by officers.

"I am very sorry to the people over such an evil practice in the barracks culture that led to the tragic and unjust death," the South Korean president had said, without directly referring to the case.

Following this, a male master sergeant was arrested in June over the allegations of abuse. In the latest ordered action, dozens of officers will face disciplinary action for attempting to cover up the case, forcing a private settlement between a sexual harassment survivor and accused, and destruction or leaking of evidence.

In another case, a court in South Korea said that the military force had discriminated against a transgender soldier who was deliberately made to quit the force. The soldier was later found dead at her residence.

While the confirmed reason of soldier Byun Hee-soo has not been shared, the reports suggest that she also died by suicide.

If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, The Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.

If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.

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2021-10-08 12:23:30Z
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Journalists Maria Ressa from Philippines and Russia's Dmitry Muratov win 2021 Nobel Peace Prize - The Straits Times

OSLO (REUTERS) - Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov, journalists whose work has angered the rulers of the Philippines and Russia, were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday (Oct 8), an award the committee said was an endorsement of free speech rights under threat worldwide.  

The two were awarded "for their courageous fight for freedom of expression" in their countries, Chairwoman Berit Reiss-Andersen of the Norwegian Nobel Committee told a news conference.

"At the same time, they are representatives of all journalists who stand up for this ideal in a world in which democracy and freedom of the press face increasingly adverse conditions," she added. 

"Free, independent and fact-based journalism serves to protect against abuse of power, lies and war propaganda."  

Muratov is editor-in-chief of Russian investigative newspaper Novaya Gazeta, which has defied the Kremlin under President Vladimir Putin with probes into wrongdoing and corruption, and extensively covered the conflict in Ukraine. 

When Reuters interviewed him six years ago, his office was across the hall from portraits of six Novaya Gazeta journalists killed since 2001, including Anna Politkovskaya, known for her fearless reporting on Russia’s wars in Chechnya, who was shot dead in her stairwell on Putin’s birthday in 2006.

Muratov, 59, is the first Russian to win the Nobel Peace Prize since Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev – who himself helped set up Novaya Gazeta with the money he received from winning the award in 1990. 

Ressa, 58, is the first Nobel Peace laureate from the Philippines. She heads Rappler, a digital media company which she co-founded in 2012, and which has grown prominent through investigative reporting, including into large scale killings during a police campaign against drugs. 

"I am in shock," Ressa told a live broadcast by Rappler. 

In an interview with Reuters in Manila, Ressa called the prize "a global recognition of the journalist’s role in repairing, fixing our broken world". 

"It’s never been as hard to be journalist as it is today," said Ressa, a 35-year veteran journalist, who said she was tested by years of legal cases in the Philippines brought by the authorities over the work of her Rappler investigative website.  "You don’t really know who you are until you are forced to fight for it." 

The prize is the first for journalists since the German Carl von Ossietzky won it in 1935 for revealing his country’s secret post-war rearmament programme. 

In August, a Philippine court dismissed a libel case against Ressa, one of several lawsuits filed against the journalist who says she has been targeted because of her news site’s critical reports on President Rodrigo Duterte. 

The plight of Ressa, one of several journalists named Time Magazine Person of the Year in 2018 for fighting media intimidation, has raised international concern about the harassment of media in the Philippines, a country once seen as a standard bearer for press freedom in Asia. 

In Moscow, Nadezhda Prusenkova, a journalist at Novaya Gazeta, told Reuters staff were surprised and delighted.  “

"We’re shocked. We didn’t know," said Prusenkova. "Of course we’re happy and this is really cool."

The head of the Nobel committee, Reiss-Andersen, said the committee had decided to send a message about the importance of rigorous journalism at a time when technology has made it easier than ever to spread falsehoods.

"We find that people are manipulated by the press, and... fact-based, high-quality journalism is in fact more and more restricted," she told Reuters.

It was also was a way to shine a light on the difficult situations for journalists, specifically under the leadership in Russia and the Philippines, she added.

"I don’t have insight in the minds of neither Duterte, nor Putin. But what they will discover is that the attention is directed towards their nations, and where they will have to defend the present situation, and I am curious how they will respond," Reiss-Andersen told Reuters.

BREAKING NEWS:
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize to Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace.#NobelPrize #NobelPeacePrize pic.twitter.com/KHeGG9YOTT

— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 8, 2021

The Kremlin itself congratulated Muratov on the award. 

"He persistently works in accordance with his own ideals, he is devoted to them, he is talented, he is brave," said spokesman Dmitry Peskov. 

The award will give both journalists greater international visibility and may inspire a new generation of journalists, said Dan Smith, director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. 

"We normally expect that greater visibility actually means greater protection for the rights and the safety of the individuals concerned," he told Reuters. 

The Nobel Peace Prize will be presented on Dec 10, the anniversary of the death of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, who founded the awards in his 1895 will.

The World Association of News Publishers, or WAN-IFRA, congratulated Ressa and Muratov for their prestigious award.

"The hope is that it serves to make safety of journalists a priority worldwide and further underlines the need to safeguard quality, fact-based journalism," WAN-IFRA said.

The Straits Times editor-in-chief Warren Fernandez, who is also editor-in-chief of Singapore Press Holdings’ English, Malay and Tamil Media Group and president of the World Editors Forum, said: "This is very good news for credible journalism, which has come under great stress and strain in recent times.

"Both Maria and Dmitry have been tireless and courageous in their efforts to report the news as they see it. This well deserved recognition by the Nobel committee will help encourage them and also serve as a source of much needed inspiration to journalists everywhere.”

Ressa was also awarded the WAN-IFRA Golden Pen of Freedom in 2018, while Muratov was awarded the Pen in 2016.

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2021-10-08 09:13:36Z
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Explainer: How China flights near Taiwan enflame tensions - CNA

BANGKOK: A recent spate of Chinese military flights off southwestern Taiwan has prompted alarm from the island, which Beijing claims as its own, and is increasing tensions in a region already on edge.

The flights are one piece of a complex puzzle in Asia, where the United States and its allies have stepped up their naval manoeuvres and Australia announced last month it is acquiring nuclear-powered submarines in a deal seen as a direct challenge to Beijing.

Meanwhile, Japan has grown increasingly vocal about China becoming a security threat.

Experts agree that armed conflict is not imminent, but as military activity increases, there are growing fears that a mishap or miscalculation could lead to an unintended escalation.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged Beijing and Washington last month to repair their “completely dysfunctional” relationship, saying “we need to avoid at all cost a Cold War”.

Here are some of the issues at play:

WHAT ARE CHINA'S GOALS?

China portrays its military profile as purely defensive, arranged to protect what it says are its sovereign rights from Taiwan to the South China Sea and its long, disputed mountain border with India.

The US and many of China's neighbors see that stance as aggressive and have bolstered their own presence in hopes of arresting China’s efforts to unalterably change facts on the ground.

China, after years of rising military spending, now boasts the world’s second largest defence budget behind the US, totaling about US$209 billion this year.

That has allowed the development of advanced weapons systems including the J-20 stealth fighter, hypersonic missiles and two aircraft carriers, with a third under construction.

President Xi Jinping, also commander of the People’s Liberation Army, has overseen the construction of military facilities on man-made islands in the South China Sea meant to extend China's territorial waters, and stated that bringing Taiwan under Beijing’s control cannot be left to the next generation.

His threats toward the self-governing island democracy have been amplified through military exercises along the coast opposite Taiwan and the flying of large numbers of Chinese warplanes into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone, including a single-day record of 56 on Monday (Oct 4), capping a total of 149 flights over a four-day period.

Xi is to deliver a speech Saturday on the eve of Taiwan’s National Day. The unusually high-profile address will be watched carefully for signs of outreach to the Taiwanese public or any hardening of China’s line.

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2021-10-08 11:19:03Z
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COVID-19 isolation bed occupancy at 85%; hospital manpower a 'key resource constraint': MOH - CNA

SINGAPORE: The occupancy rate for COVID-19 isolation beds in Singapore's hospitals has risen to 85 per cent in October despite efforts to set aside more beds.

This is up from the 62 per cent occupancy rate in July, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in an update on hospitals' capacity and manpower situation on Friday (Oct 8).

While community cases have stayed around the 3,000 mark in recent days, the time period for infections to double has slowed from six to eight days three weeks ago, to about 10 to 12 days now, said the ministry.

Nonetheless, the large daily caseload has placed "significant strain" on Singapore's healthcare system, it said.

"A key resource constraint we now face is our healthcare manpower," said MOH.

Public healthcare institutions and private healthcare providers have redeployed staff and recruited additional short-term manpower to ramp up beds, it said.

"We are also bringing in more manpower by reaching out to individuals registered with the Singapore Healthcare Corps, including both healthcare professionals and laypersons," said MOH.

"We have also approached nurses who are registered with the Singapore Nursing Board but who are currently not in active practice."

About 900 people have stepped forward and are being referred to suitable roles in public hospitals, including possible deployments to the COVID-19 treatment facilities, said the ministry.

Those interested in signing up to help can do so online, added MOH.

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2021-10-08 12:19:08Z
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Japan PM Kishida vows to devote himself to ending COVID-19 crisis - CNA

The 64-year-old former foreign minister, who has a reputation as a low-key consensus builder, said the government would quickly put together a stimulus package to support those hit hard by the pandemic and take legislative steps to secure medical resources.

He did not specify the size of the stimulus package in his speech but last month he suggested a sum of 30 trillion yen (US$268 billion).

Earlier, Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki said he hoped to compile an extra budget to fund the stimulus immediately after the elections and have it approved by parliament by year-end.

Kishida underscored the need to support those in need to win public cooperation and he called for cash payouts to companies hit hard by the pandemic.

He also pledged to give cash payouts to so-called non-regular workers, families with children, and those struggling to make ends meet because of the pandemic.

Kishida reiterated his resolve to overcome deflation and said he would press on with bold monetary easing, expeditious fiscal spending and a strategy for growth.

"We will conduct fiscal spending without hesitation to respond to crises and make sure all possible measures are taken," he said.

On national security and foreign affairs, Kishida said he would protect Japan's peace and stability.

"With the security environment surrounding the country getting tougher, I will resolutely protect our territory, territorial waters, air space and the people's lives and property," he told parliament.

Japan faces China's rapid military buildup and aggressive maritime expansion, as the threat from North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes.

Kishida said he planned to update national security strategy and aimed to bolster the coast guard and missile defence capabilities.

On ties with giant neighbour China, Kishida said building stable relations and maintaining dialogue were important but Japan would not mince words when necessary.

"While working with countries with which we share universal values, we say what needs to be said to China and demand firmly that it behave responsibly. We also maintain dialogue and continue cooperating with them in tackling common issues," he said.

China claims almost all of the energy-rich waters of the South China Sea, where it has established military outposts on artificial islands. It also claims a group of Japanese-administered islets in the East China Sea.

Calling Japan's security alliance with the United States the "cornerstone of world peace and prosperity", Kishida said he intended to build on that alliance.

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2021-10-08 05:37:58Z
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US special forces quietly training Taiwanese troops: Official - CNA

WASHINGTON: US special operations forces have been quietly training Taiwanese troops for months, a move which China warned on Friday (Oct 8) could cause "serious harm" to relations between Washington and Beijing.

A contingent of about 20 special operations and conventional forces has been conducting the training for less than a year, the Pentagon official, who declined to be identified, told AFP on Thursday, adding that some of the trainers rotate in and out.

The official largely confirmed a Wall Street Journal report which said the training has been going on for at least a year, amid China's rising verbal threats against the island ally of the United States.

Beijing opposes Taiwan - which it views as its own territory to be seized one day, by force if necessary - having any official diplomatic exchanges and has aggressively tried to dissuade politicians from visiting in recent years.

China reacted angrily to the report on Friday, with the foreign ministry warning that the US should recognise the "high sensitivity" of the Taiwan situation and "serious harm" of its actions.

"The US should ... stop arms sales to Taiwan and US-Taiwan military ties, so as not to seriously damage China-US relations and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait," foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a briefing.

"China will take all necessary measures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity."

Taiwan's Defence Ministry declined to comment on the report, but Pentagon spokesman John Supple said that generally speaking, US support for Taiwan's military is gauged on its defence needs.

"Our support for and defence relationship with Taiwan remains aligned against the current threat posed by the People's Republic of China," Supple said in a statement.

Taiwan media reported last November, citing Taiwan's Naval Command, that US troops had arrived there to train the island's marines and special forces in small-boat and amphibious operations.

But those reports were subsequently denied by US and Taiwanese officials, who emphasized the two sides are only involved in bilateral military exchanges and cooperation.

The US supplies weapons to Taiwan, including missiles for defence and fighter jets, in a bid to counter Beijing, which has threatened to forcibly retake control of the island and unify it with China.

Washington also maintains an ambiguous commitment to defend Taiwan.

A video released last year and featured in Taiwan media showed US troops taking part in an exercise on the island dubbed "Balance Tamper".

Chinese forces have stepped up their activities toward Taiwan in the past year, conducting sea assault exercises and flying large sorties of bombers and fighters close to Taiwan airspace.

Taiwan's defence minister said Wednesday that military tensions between the island and China are at their highest in four decades, after around 150 Chinese warplanes - a record number - made incursions into its air defence zone in recent days.

He warned that even "slight carelessness" or "miscalculation" could spark a crisis, and that Beijing would be in a position to launch a full-scale invasion in four years.

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2021-10-08 09:09:00Z
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Riverside restaurant makes waves in Thailand as flood dining goes viral - CNA

"I feel so lucky that the customers love it, the flood wasn't a challenge for them to come."

Customers cheer and laugh as their wooden stools are knocked over by the water that breaches the restaurant.

It holds two sittings each day for diners to enjoy the experience when the water levels are highest.

"It's a fun challenge – you don't know if you'll get washed away somewhere while eating," joked customer Jetdanai Boonrod, 30.

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2021-10-07 15:24:00Z
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