30/08/2025

SATURDAY | AUG 30, 2025

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SEOUL: Kim Keon Hee, wife of South Korea’s ousted president Yoon Suk Yeol, has been indicted for bribery and other charges, a special prosecution team said yesterday, amid a widening probe into the country’s martial law crisis and scandals involving the once powerful couple. Yoon and Kim have been arrested and are in jail, with Yoon undergoing trial on charges that include insurrection following his ouster in April over a botched bid to impose martial law in December. The couple face separate investigations by special prosecutors appointed after Yoon’s removal from office and since liberal President Lee Jae Myung took office in early June. Following the indictment, Kim apologised for causing concerns, saying she would make “no excuses” and face trial. “Just as moonlight shines brightly in the darkest night, I too will endure this time, looking to my truth and heart,“ she said in a statement relayed by her lawyers, which did not address specific charges against her. The charges against Kim, which are punishable by years in prison if she is found guilty, range from stock fraud to suspected bribery that has implicated business owners, religious figures and a powerful political broker. The former first lady has been the subject of numerous high-profile scandals, some dating back more than 15 years, which overshadowed Yoon’s turbulent presidency and inflicted political damage on him and his conservative party. Kim’s lawyers have denied the allegations against her and said news reports about some gifts she allegedly received are groundless speculation. Yoon’s shock martial law order in December and its political fallout has coincided with a dramatic fall from grace for Kim, a wealthy businesswoman who was seen as an important driving force behind her husband’s rise to top office. Special prosecutors investigating the country’s martial law crisis also yesterday indicted former prime minister Han Duck-soo, who was appointed by Yoon, on charges of abetting insurrection and committing perjury, a prosecution spokesperson said. “The defendant was the highest constitutional institution that could have stopped the president’s unconstitutional, illegitimate martial law,“ said spokesperson Park Ji-young. – Reuters Seoul’s ex-first lady indicted for bribery Comedian laments ‘censorship’ in S’pore SINGAPORE: A US comedian critical of Israel’s actions in Gaza has accused Singaporean authorities of censorship for refusing to grant a permit for his show, but regulators rejected his claims yesterday. Sammy Obeid said his stand-up comedy performance in the city-state, scheduled for tomorrow, was cancelled after regulator Infocomm Media Development Authority did not issue a permit, despite him submitting a much toned-down script. Aware of Singapore’s reputation for being strict, Obeid said he “erred on the side of caution and submitted a heavily censored script that only referenced Palestine a few times” and mentioned Israel once, as he wanted the show to proceed. “After waiting weeks and weeks, the script was rejected. I was told to completely remove all mentions of Palestine and Israel,“ he said. The authority yesterday said Obeid made a number of “inaccurate” allegations. The application for a licence to hold the show was rejected because it was submitted only 10 working days before the event, a spokesperson for the authority said. Applications are “required to be submitted at least 40 working days before the event to allow sufficient time for applications to be processed or advisories to be included in publicity materials and advertisements“, the regulator said. “The authority had not requested for any edits to be made on the script. At no time, were ‘multiple edits’ requested,“ it added. – AFP

Indonesian students call for more protests

Kurniawan was not involved in the protests. “As police chief and on behalf of the entire unit, I would like to express my deepest apologies and condolences,” said Asep. The seven crew of the armoured vehicle have been arrested and an investigation is underway, said Indonesian police professional and security division head Abdul Karim. Following the death, a group led by motorcycle riders protested in front of the riot police headquarters on Thursday night, local media reported. Kompas TV reported yesterday that military officers were sent to the building to calm dozens of protesters. Kurniawan’s funeral was attended by hundreds of fellow ride-sharing motorcycle riders, who escorted his body to the burial site in a convoy of two-wheelers through the centre of Jakarta. “We are disappointed, especially with the security officials and national police chief. This is barbaric,” said motorcycle rider Ari Potret, who attended Kurniawan’s funeral. Jakarta Legal Aid urged the government and police to release 600 people who had been arrested during the demonstrations. – Reuters

areas, visuals broadcast by local media showed. Indonesia’s largest student union head Muzammil Ihsan said students would protest against police violence and he expected other student groups to attend. President Prabowo Subianto called for calm, expressing condolences for the death of rider Affan Kurniawan and ordered a thorough probe of the incident. “I am shocked and disappointed by the excessive actions of the officers. I have ordered a thorough and transparent investigation. Officers involved must be held accountable.” The protest call remains in place despite the assurance of the probe. The site of the gathering is located in Jakarta’s business district, which is home to a number of major banks and businesses. As Thursday’s protest persisted into the night, local media reported that riot police fired tear gas and used a water cannon to try to disperse participants. The capital’s police chief Asep Edi Suheri said during the clashes, an armoured police vehicle hit and killed Kurniawan, who worked for ride sharing service firm Gojek and Grab. A motorcycle riders’ association said

JAKARTA: Tensions have risen in Indonesia’s capital following a protest call by students at Jakarta’s police headquarters yesterday in response to the death of a motorcycle ride-sharing rider hit by a police vehicle. The rider was hit at the site of violent clashes on Thursday near the parliament as police were trying to disperse demonstrators protesting against a number of issues, including lawmakers’ pay and education funding. The protest call for yesterday afternoon in the capital of Southeast Asia’s largest economy prompted a number of schools to allow students to leave early, and banks and businesses asking employees to work from home. The military has been deployed in some o Move comes after ride-sharing motorcyclist killed by police vehicle during demonstration

Demonstrators clashing with riot police during a protest outside the Indonesian parliament building in Jakarta. – REUTERSPIC

Thai PM sacked over handling of border row BANGKOK: Thailand’s Constitutional Court sacked suspended prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and her Cabinet yesterday over her handling of the country’s border row with Cambodia. The proceedings come a week after a criminal court cleared Thaksin, 76, of royal insult charges in a case that could have seen him jailed for up to 15 years.

senators turned to the Constitutional Court, arguing that she should be removed from office for breaching constitutional provisions requiring “evident integrity” and “ethical standards” from ministers. The court suspended her on July 1. The 39-year-old leader and her Pheu Thai party say she did her best to act in her country’s interests, and last week she answered judges’ questions in the case. The phone call, which was released in full online by Hun Sen, to the Thai government’s fury, plunged relations between the neighbours into turmoil. In July, the tensions spiralled into the two sides’ deadliest military clashes in decades, with more than 40 people killed and 300,000 forced to flee their homes along the border. Paetongtarn is the sixth prime minister from the political movement founded by her father to face judgment by the Constitutional Court. – AFP

Paetongtarn’s case centred on her call with Hun Sen, Cambodia’s longtime ruler and father of its current premier, during which the pair discussed their respective countries’ then-brewing row over their disputed border. Paetongtarn addressed Hun Sen as “uncle” and referred to a Thai military commander as her “opponent”, sparking a furious reaction in Thailand, where the armed forces hold huge sway. Conservative lawmakers accused her of bending the knee to Cambodia and undermining the military while Paetongtarn’s main coalition partner walked out in protest, almost collapsing her government. She clung on to power but a group of

The nine-judge panel ruled that she had not upheld the ethical standards required of a prime minister in a June call with powerful former Cambodian leader Hun Sen, which was leaked online. Paetongtarn, daughter of controversial billionaire ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was suspended from office last month after being accused of failing to stand up for Thailand during the call. Now that the court has sacked Paetongtarn, as it did her predecessor as prime minister a year ago, Thailand faces a political crisis, with no obvious candidate on hand to lead the fragile ruling coalition in parliament.