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Song Joong Ki, Song Hye Kyo tie the knot in Seoul
Four Japanese tourists and a Thai guide killed as minivan rams truck
Five people were killed and one injured when a minivan rammed into the rear of a running truck in Ayutthaya’s Bangpain district on Wednesday.
The van was reportedly carrying four Japanese and a Thai guide, besides the driver. The van caught fire soon after it crashed into the rear of the truck. Rescue workers who rushed to the scene put out the fire and helped out the injured passenger.
The minivan belonged to RL Service Co, Ltd.JS 100 Traffic Radio said the victims were four Japanese; Kumiko Komeima, 59, Yoshio Komeima, 68, Katsuhiko Narimoto, 65 and Haruka Narimoto, as well as a Thai guide, Piyathip Kruengtai, 35.
Thursday, November 9, 2017 – 18:03
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Activist group raises concern over wild animal cafes in Korea
An animal welfare group in Korea has raised concern over wild animal cafes in its report released on Monday (Nov 6).
The wild animal cafes place racoons, meerkats and other wild creatures in their facilities as a tool to attract customers.
According to the report by animal welfare group Aware, there are more than 35 such cafes in Korea where wild animals are offered as companions to the customers.
Racoon was the most common species on display, as it was found in 29 out of the 35 cafes. Other wildlife species include meerkat, wallaby, desert fox, and ferret.
Through on-site investigations in nine wild animal cafes in Seoul, Aware found that animals were stressed from all-day-long exposure to customers trying to pet and hug them, often displaying signs of lethargy and sickness.
Moreover, different species of wild animals were often kept in the same place with other domestic and wild animals, sometimes giving rise to hostile interactions among them.
Hygiene in these cafes was also poorly taken care of. Excrement from the animals was improperly handled, with potty pads left in open areas in the cafe, giving rise to the risk of infections.
Only one out of the nine cafes investigated, had a sink where customers could wash their hands before and after touching the animals.
Aware seeks to use the result of this investigation to inform authorities to come up with legal measures to block these animal cafes from placing wild animals in poor conditions.
Thursday, November 9, 2017 – 22:00
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AsiaOne on air: Head out this weekend to enjoy a film festival and international DJs
If you’re into French cinema, from today till November 19, the French Film Festival is on with 16 movies showing at Lido, Alliance Française and The Projector.
The movies range from box office hits to classics.
On Friday, if you’re into hip hop, R&B, and club anthems, boogie up at Ce La Vi with DJ Jazzy Jeff.
You may remember him as the clumsy best friend of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air but his DJ-ing skills and music selection are always on point.
Cover is $28 with one drink.
If you still want more, this musician has nurtured his skills with Jazzy Jeff.
On Monday, Masego is on live at Kilo Lounge.
His music is described as TrapHouseJazz.
It’s $50 on the door.
If you don’t know, now you know.
To catch Simi the Party Girl, listen to her on OneFM‘s #1 Breakfast Show with Glenn Ong and The Flying Dutchman on Thursday mornings.
Find out what she gets up to on AsiaOne’s social media! Follow @sphasiaone on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and @simiaut0matic on Snapchat.
spanaech@sph.com.sg
Thursday, November 9, 2017 – 17:36
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Song Joong-ki to host '2017 Mnet Asian Music Awards'
Newlywed actor Song Joong-ki announced on Thursday his first promotional activity after getting married to Song Hye-gyo will be the ‘2017 Mnet Asian Music Awards’ in Hong Kong.
Song has been selected to host ‘2017 MAMA’ at the Hong Kong AsiaWorld-Expo Arena on Dec. 1.
The actor takes on the responsibility of integrating music and people from all across the world. This marks the second time of Song’s hosting since the ‘2012 MAMA.’
Organized by CJ E&M, the ‘2017 MAMA’ will be held in three different Asian countries – Vietnam, Japan and Hong Kong. The music awards festival is set to run from Nov. 25 to Dec. 1.
Thursday, November 9, 2017 – 20:00
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Woman defrauds 130 Indonesians with promise of civil servant jobs: Police
West Jakarta’s Kalideres Police have arrested a 23-year-old woman who defrauded at least 130 people by promising them she could get them jobs as civil servants.
Kalideres Police crime investigation unit head Adj. Comr. Syafri Washdar said the woman had claimed to be a former temporary employee at a West Jakarta regional subsidiary company (sudin) and that she could fast-track people into becoming civil servants.
“To convince her victims, she paid some people to say that she had been successful in helping them become civil servants. She paid Rp 150,000 [US$15] to each person,” Syafri told kompas.com on Wednesday.
After they were convinced by her claims, the woman required her victims to pay from Rp 2 million to Rp 4.5 million each as down payment for her “services”.
Syarif said the police were investigating the case. “She probably doesn’t work alone,” he added.
Thursday, November 9, 2017 – 16:02
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Paramedics from passing ambulance help elderly woman struggling to reach bus stop in the rain
Three paramedics were seen helping an elderly woman who was struggling to reach a bus stop at Boon Keng.
Stomp contributor Serene witnessed the heartwarming act at 12.50pm on Oct 8. She was cycling back home and had to take cover at a bus stop near Boon Keng West Community Centre.
She then spotted an old lady with a walking stick who was struggling in the heavy rain to reach the bus stop.
An ambulance which was passing by stopped upon seeing the old lady.
Serene told Stomp, “Two paramedics immediately came out of the ambulance, with an umbrella to shelter the old lady. The officers in return got totally drenched in the rain as they carefully accompanied the old lady to the bus stop.”
She added that the paramedics ‘quickly took out tissues to wipe her face and body’ and also ‘pulled out a blanket to cover her body’.
In a video that her friend alerted Stomp to, it can be seen that the old woman rejected the blanket but had accepted the tissues.
The paramedics also offered the elderly woman an umbrella to which she declined as she said that it was not convenient for her to hold the umbrella while using her walking aid.
The paramedics left soon after to attend a call.
According to the Stomp contributor, the paramedics are from Unistrong Emergency Medical Services, a private ambulance operator in Singapore.
“Their consideration and kindness should not go unnoticed, should be recognised and they should be rewarded. Kudos to the officers, Well done!” said Serene.
The Stomp contributor helped the elderly woman to flag down her bus shortly after the paramedics left.
Serene also wanted to thank the bus driver, adding, “The driver of Bus 140 was very patient. He helped her up the bus and told other passengers to give way to the old lady.”
Singapore
Thursday, November 9, 2017 – 15:38
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US mom says Kevin Spacey assaulted son, police investigating
NEW YORK, United States – A Massachusetts mother on Wednesday accused Kevin Spacey of sexually assaulting her 18-year-old son on the holiday island of Nantucket last year and said police had opened a criminal investigation.
Former television news anchor Heather Unruh told a news conference in Boston that the double Oscar winner assaulted the teen after plying him with alcohol late at night in a Nantucket bar in July 2016.
Police told AFP that they could not confirm or deny any such report was filed. “Reports of sexual assaults are confidential under Massachusetts General Law,” a spokesperson for the police department said.
Unruh described her son at the time as a “star-struck, straight” 18-year-old.
“Kevin Spacey bought him drink after drink after drink, and when my son was drunk, Spacey made his move and sexually assaulted him,” she told a news conference in Boston.
“Spacey stuck his hand inside my son’s pants and grabbed his genitals,” Unruh said. Her intoxicated son, whom she did not name, panicked and froze.
When the “House of Cards” star left briefly to use the bathroom, he allegedly fled to his grandmother’s house, where he allegedly told his sister what had happened.
“Last week my son filed a police report and handed over evidence, and now a criminal investigation has begun,” Unruh told reporters.
The scores of women who have accused Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault, and actor Anthony Rapp levelling the first public accusations against Spacey had motivated them to speak publicly now, Unruh said.
“I want to see Kevin Spacey go to jail,” she said. “Not just for my son but for the many others,” she added.
Unruh said her son did not report the incident at the time “largely because of embarrassment and fear.”
The family lawyer also told reporters Wednesday that his client had spoken to Nantucket police, who were investigating.
Unruh previously alleged via Twitter on October 13 that Spacey had “assaulted a loved one,” but had not previously identified that person as her son.
Netflix late week dropped Spacey, its star actor on hit series “House of Cards” whose career is in free-fall over spiraling assault accusations. According to British media, London police are also investigating him for an alleged assault in 2008.
He has been publicly accused of attempting to rape a 15-year-old boy in New York and of making advances on actor Anthony Rapp when he was 14 years old, 31 years ago.
Thursday, November 9, 2017 – 14:09
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Preparing for history: Martin Nguyen reveals his world championship training regimen
Vietnamese-Australian Martin Nguyen is looking to make history at ONE: LEGENDS OF THE WORLD.
The ONE Featherweight World Champion, known as “The Situ-Asian”, dethroned the previously-undefeated Marat Gaurov with a spectacular one-punch knockout. With the feat, he captured the belt at ONE: QUEST FOR GREATNESS in Kuala Lumpur back in August.
Now, the 28-year-old is stepping up a weight class to challenge defending ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang in the main event in Manila on 10 November.
Nguyen’s head coach Fari Salievski, who oversees his training at KMA Top Team in Liverpool, New South Wales, said his man is ready to step up and become the first two-weight world champion in ONE Championship history.
“Martin is quiet by nature,” he said. “This quiet hides the competitive beast that thrives on a challenge, and as you have seen with his bouts, he steps up a gear when it is called upon, and I have no doubt he will do the same again.
“This is an amazing quality. It is not who knows more, but who reacts the fastest, and the ability to adjust and adapt is not something that can be learned.
“As such, being with Martin is never work. Set tasks are a breeze, and he sets the pace with the team. My role these days is more ensuring the mental game is uninterrupted by life, before and during the bout.
“We both understand this is a journey that will not last forever, and as such we aim to enjoy the ride and take every opportunity it brings.”
Despite the step up in weight class, Nguyen says he has largely kept his training regimen the same ahead of his potentially history-making bout.
“Everyone keeps asking me why am I keeping it the same, but why change something that has not failed you?” he said.
“Why change something when it is not broken? You keep going until it goes wrong, and then you focus on what you need to be doing.
“Basically, it has been the same training camp since the Li Kai Wen match — the same strategy and the same everything throughout the whole time. It got me on the streak, it got me the belt, and it could win me a second. So we will see how everything goes, and how it all plays out.”
Following his win over Gafurov, Nguyen took a month off, then launched straight back into training camp in late September.
His days started off at 6:30am, with an hour of strength and conditioning work, while his evenings were spent at his gym KMA Top Team for a two-hour session working on his BJJ, striking, and strategy.
One difference in this camp has been how he approaches his preparation for Folayang himself. When he prepared for Gafurov, he was getting ready to face an entirely different kind of opponent – a man with a very clearly-defined skillset. This time around, however, he faces an opponent who he views as significantly more well-rounded.
“In terms of Marat, I did focus on my BJJ, but that only came when I was doing BJJ,” he said. “I was purely focusing on the rear-naked choke and him taking me down.
“Every day, the normal set-up of training from Marat to Eduard is the same. But with Eduard, I am focusing on my whole overall game, whereas with Marat, I knew he was more of a one-dimensional opponent, so I focused more on the ground game when it came to the ground training.”
Weekends may offer time off for most of us to enjoy some rest and relaxation, but Nguyen powers through his with additional training sessions.
His Saturday afternoons see Nguyen lace up the gloves and don the headgear for a punishing 10-round “shark tank” sparring session, with rotating opponents from KMA Top Team and other local gyms jumping in to push him against an always-fresh opponent.
On Sundays, Nguyen hits the roads and trails, as he embarks on an outdoor training session, running up mountains and over sand dunes.
He admits it’s not the most enjoyable part of his training regimen, but as he battles through the pain he always keeps one thing in mind – Folayang’s ONE Lightweight World Title.
“After running one, you are like, ‘What am I doing here? Why am I doing this?’” he said. “But after you get to 30, you are like, ‘I have to bring the belt home after this.’
“Every week, you put yourself through the same struggle and the same mindset, and it is like a motivation sparks inside of you.”
One benefit of this particular contest is the fact that Nguyen is moving up in weight, so he won’t have to go through a weight cut to ensure he’s within the championship limit. Instead he’s working on bulking up, using additional meals and snacks to gradually build more muscle mass to his frame.
“I can eat whatever I want,” he said. “Before, when I was competing at featherweight, I would have to watch everything I ate, even to the lolly. But now, I am shoving down whatever is in front of me. Obviously, I am controlling myself when it comes to portions, but I can eat whatever I want.”
His appetite for success is clearly there for all to see, and he’ll look to satisfy that hunger for a second title when he faces Folayang in Manila on 10 November. It should be a contest to remember.
Thursday, November 9, 2017 – 14:03
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Get real, handling crime evidence not so perfect like on TV
SINGAPORE — A computer software runs a check on a fingerprint and finds a perfect match almost immediately. With that, a criminal case is solved.
This common scenario in movies and TV shows is far removed from what happens in real life, veteran forensic experts told TODAY.
Even with technological advancements, fingerprint examination remains an art requiring a human touch, because the prints left at crime scenes are usually imperfect or incomplete.
The work of forensic experts in Singapore was showcased to the media and invited guests on Thursday (Nov 9) during the Criminal Investigation Department Forensic Conference at the Police Cantonment Complex. This was to mark the 40th anniversary of the Forensics Division, which includes the Forensics Management Branch.
Above: Experts from the police Forensics Division (L-R): Lim Seng Kim, Michael Won, Albert Pung, Lee Mei Fun. Photo by Najeer Yusof/TODAY
Madam Lee Mei Fun, 54, officer-in-charge of the fingerprint examination team in the Forensics Management Branch, said: “Reviewing marks at a crime scene relies a lot on the experience of the fingerprint examiner. These marks could appear partial and distorted. It’s not what you see on (TV or in movies) where two fingerprints come out — looking very perfect — and then you get a match.”
The techniques showcased in dramas on screen may be similar to those used in the real world, but the results are vastly different. For instance, on-screen investigators often use luminol to reveal traces of blood.
Mr Lim Seng Kim, 67, former head of the Forensics Management Branch, said: “Under daylight, you can’t see (the blood). It must be in total darkness. But in the show, everything can be seen (even under the light). It’s exaggerated.”
There are around 100 crime-scene specialists and fingerprint specialists in the Forensics Division. Crime-scene specialists, as their job title states, analyse crime scenes and collect forensic evidence, while the fingerprint specialists scrutinise fingerprints.
The division was known as the Scene of Crime Unit when operations started in 1977, with a lean force of just 12 police officers, led by an officer-in-charge.
Retired police officer Michael Won, 75, recalled being tasked to set up the unit in 1975. “Science and technology was very lacking 42 years ago. I didn’t have any terms of reference… I had never been to any forensic training,” he said.
However, once things got going, he was clear about what he wanted officers to do better.
In the past, an investigation officer would seal the scene, and wait for a photographer and a fingerprint expert to arrive and compile evidence. Mr Won wanted to streamline the workflow, and train officers to be able to gather evidence, lift fingerprints and take photographs.
Mr Albert Pung, 63, who was from the third batch of trainees in 1981, recalled that training included learning to collect blood samples, developing fingerprints using powder, and taking detailed photographs of evidence.
Even with the wide-ranging training and skills they developed, some cases remain cold.
In the late 1990s, a dynamite exploded at a bus stop in Jurong, killing one man. The fragments from the blast flew far, landing on buildings in the vicinity, and the forensic experts had to work in darkness to collect evidence because it happened at night.
When investigators went to the nearby army camps, they learned that the use of this dynamite had been banned for at least a decade. The culprit was never found, Mr Lim recounted.
Encountering gory scenes may be part of their work, but it is never easy when the forensic team handles cases that involve children.
In a murder-suicide case, a father with gambling debts amounting to S$100,000 had drugged the food of his wife, son and daughter. When they became unconscious, he tucked them into bed under a blanket, sealed the window and door, and turned on the gas.
Mr Lim said: “(The scene is) not gruesome, but you look at the young kids, and you think, ‘Why must they die in that way?’”
Mr Pung has this to say to about confronting a disturbing crime scene: “You have to be emotionally strong. If you’re emotionally affected, move away, think of a way to calm yourself down. I count from one to 10.”
