Kim Keon Hee: South Korea's ex-first lady arrested in bribery probe
Prosecutors say Kim, 52, made over 800 million won ($577,940; £428,000) by participating in a price-rigging scheme involving the stocks of Deutsch Motors, a BMW dealer in South Korea. While this allegedly happened before her husband was elected the country's leader, it continued to cast a shadow throughout his presidency.She allegedly also accepted two Chanel bags and a diamond necklace as bribes from the controversial Unification Church in exchange for business favours. Among other charges, Kim is also accused of meddling in candidate nominations during the parliamentary by-elections in 2022 and the general elections last year.Kim appeared solemn as she attended Tuesday's hearing wearing a black suit and a black skirt. "I sincerely apologise for causing trouble despite being a person of no importance," she told reporters.While he was president, Yoon vetoed three opposition-led bills that sought a special counsel investigation into allegations against Kim. He issued the last veto in November, a week before he declared martial law.A special counsel was set up in June this year after Yoon's rival Lee Jae Myung became president.
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The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
My daughter, 19, got hooked on ‘zombie vapes' – then she plunged to her death from our home… my warning to parents
STANDING over his only child as she retched uncontrollably, Delfard Tay knew his daughter's addiction had spiralled out of control. And when he replayed haunting footage of Shermaine, 19, staggering like a zombie moments before plunging to her death, he knew exactly what was to blame. 16 16 The sight of her eerie behaviour was a familiar one, Delfard, from Singapore, told The Sun, as he detailed how Shermaine had been addicted to "zombie vapes" for nearly a year before she died. The drug-laced vapes are more commonly known as Kpods in Southeast Asia - and are said to have earned this name as they are often spiked with ketamine. Swarms of teens have been seen in public in a 'zombie-like' state after using the trending devices, with some users as young as 13 years old, shocking reports claim. The alarming craze is rampant in Singapore - a nation with some of the world's toughest drug laws, where certain offences can mean the death penalty. And even the UK is seeing a surge in drug-laced vapes - with substances ranging from Xylazine, also known as "Tranq", Spice and even ketamine reportedly found inside. A bombshell study last year found one in six vapes seized from schoolkids in England were tainted with "zombie drug" Spice. As a child, Shermaine was "always full of light... the kind of little girl who could walk into a room and instantly lift the mood", Delfard remembers. She had big dreams of becoming a TikTok influencer, since she wanted to "make people smile and feel less alone". But after being introduced to "zombie vapes" by pals, Shermaine was immediately hooked, her dad says. Her addiction became so bad that on one occasion she filled "the whole house" with vomit. My daughter, 19, got hooked on 'zombie vapes' - I watched as she plunged to her death… this is my warning to parents The dad-of-one recounted the devastating 4am call he received from his aunt on September 22 last year. Shermaine had been found dead at the foot of their apartment block. After his daughter's death, Delfard, 43, watched the home's security cameras and saw Shermaine "shaking" while stumbling out the door in her final moments. The footage left him in no doubt she was "under the influence" of Kpods when she plunged to her death from the 18th floor of their building in Tanjong Pagar. Delfard told The Sun: "She said that the police were knocking at the door and asking for my daughter, Shermaine Tay. "The inspector took over and told me that my daughter is gone." He added: "I asked him, 'what do you mean by gone?' "[The inspector] didn't say much, but he said that her phone was found on 18th floor, so most probably she dropped from there. "I was shocked. I stayed there for half an hour, not doing anything." Telltale signs Shermaine's fall was ruled a suicide by authorities - despite cops not finding any notes as evidence for this on her phone or nearby. And Delfard is convinced that her death was linked to months of abusing the illegal vapes. Asked about how he was sure of this, the dad said: "Because I checked back the cameras on that day." Her disturbing behaviour was a "symptom" of her being high on Kpods, he says. He added: "The last I saw of her, [she was] shaking going out of the house, that's why I confirmed that she was under the influence." 16 The logistics manager compared Shermaine's appearance on the day she died to how she had been acting in the days leading up to her death. He detailed how he and his daughter had argued just days before she fell - when she vomited profusely. "I had a quarrel with her and I asked her if she had taken any drugs, and she said no," he said. "I looked back at the camera, she was convulsing, shaking... repeating the same thing over and over and over again. "And on the day itself, I re-tracked the footage - it's the same thing." Social service agencies in Singapore have reported swathes of youngsters who have experienced similar symptoms while using Kpods, Channel News Asia reported. Common effects of using Kpods include "zombie-like" disorientation, confusion, aggression, unsteady walking, and sudden collapse, according to rehab centre Addictions Recovery Singapore. They said: "We have seen evidence that vape liquids can also be clandestinely laced with ketamine, cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and synthetic cannabinoids - often unknown to the user. "At the forefront of this trend is a new street term: Kpods." The surge in Kpod use has gripped Singapore - and victims' loved ones have taken to social media or local news outlets to tell of their frightening experiences. Horrifying reports of drug-laced vapes have also rocked Britain - with claims some kids were left suffering seizures and chilling personality changes. In one particularly shocking case in Singapore, a 56-year-old woman told how she was forced to restrain her 27-year-old son as he tried to leap out a window while high on Kpods in June, Shin Min Daily News reported. The mum explained that her child had been hooked on "zombie vapes" since October 2024. 16 Although Delfard tried tirelessly to persuade his daughter to give up her dangerous habit, most of these conversations ended in arguments followed by days of silence. He said: "I asked her, 'why do you want to do this?' "Singapore is a very strict country with drugs, and once you get caught you will be either under urine [drug test] regime or go to a drug rehabilitation centre, or prison." Shermaine told her dad that when she had to do urine drug tests the results would fail to show any traces of them in her system. This is because many Kpods contain etomidate - a fast-acting anaesthetic used in hospitals. Kpod sellers boast about the substance being undetectable in urine tests - giving buyers a false sense of safety that they won't face harsh punishments in Singapore. Operating on sites such as Telegram, dealers also encourage young people to risk buying them as etomidate is classified as a poison under Singapore's Poisons Act - and not as a controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act. But authorities are set to change the rules. Shermaine was doing urine drug tests once a week, according to her dad, but the doctors never flagged any drugs in her system. When asked if he knew if his daughter had unknowingly consumed ketamine from her the vapes in the lead-up to her death, he said: "I just don't know." The Kpod crisis has also affected Delfard's friend, who admitted to him that he was using Kpods. 16 16 16 Describing his pal's zombie-like behaviour while using the vape, he said: "He just cannot stand well, and his leg is shaking." Delfard said he also witnessed another person "drop backwards" while smiling after using them. "Mostly teenagers are using these," he revealed, adding that Kpods were "a common thing now in Singapore". He said: "I think some parents still don't know what this Kpod thing is about. They just maybe think that for children it is normal [for them to be] vaping." But during government tests of 100 seized vapes, one in three Kpods were found to contain etomidate, Singapore's Health Minister said on July 20. Although the devices are usually used to deliver nicotine, the minister said they can be "a delivery device for a range of substances, from nicotine to psychoactive substances such as etomidate, to hardcore drugs that are illegal". Addressing the "invisible crisis", Delfard warned: "The government need to have help centres for teenagers. "But more of it is actually individual parents - they need to know about their children's life, they need to look into the roots of it." Delfard's advice to other parents is to show their children love - and to be involved in their lives. He continued: "At the end of day it's their parents - do they show love? Do they really care about their children? "Talk more about love with our children. Care about them. Look into their life. What's the root problem? Why are they taking this?" The grieving dad added: "For me... I neglected her. I wanted to prove to her by example that we don't need to go to vices in order to survive. "We don't need to take to take drugs to escape. But I'm a bit too late." As a former addict, Delfard knows the harsh reality. "I've been a drug addict before... I know how hard it is to come out of it," he said. "Once they get addicted, it's not like they don't want to come out of it." Delfard said he likes to remember Shermaine's big heart. "She had a strong sense of fairness; she would stand up for her friends, share her toys without hesitation, and notice if someone was feeling left out," he said. "I saw in her a mix of creativity, confidence, and kindness that made me believe she could inspire others." The Singaporean government has announced plans to list etomidate as a Class C drug following soaring reports of laced Kpods. 16 16
The Guardian
5 hours ago
- The Guardian
Man arrested after Bournemouth player reports racial abuse at Liverpool match
A 47-year-old man has been arrested after a Bournemouth player reported being racially abused during his team's match against Liverpool on Friday, police have said. A second arrest over racist abuse was made at a separate game on Saturday at the University of Bradford Stadium, Bradford City AFC said. The man from Liverpool was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence and has been taken into custody to be interviewed, Merseyside police said. During Friday's fixture, Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo reported being racially abused by a spectator, prompting the match referee, Anthony Taylor, to stop play in the 29th minute during the first Premier League fixture of the season. A 47-year-old man was ejected from the stadium. Ch Insp Kev Chatterton, the match commander for the Liverpool v Bournemouth game, previously said: 'Merseyside police will not tolerate hate crime of any form. 'We take incidents like this very seriously, and in cases like this we will be proactively seeking football banning orders, with the club, against those responsible.' He added: 'There is no place for racism and it is vital that anyone who witnesses such an offence reports it to stewards, or the police immediately, so we can take the necessary action like we did this evening. 'As with all matches, we work very closely with both Liverpool and Everton FC to ensure the safety of the public, and the players.' A spokesperson for Liverpool FC said: 'Liverpool Football Club is aware of an allegation of racist abuse made during our Premier League game against Bournemouth. 'We condemn racism and discrimination in all forms; it has no place in society, or football.' The match referee, Anthony Taylor, spoke with the managers Arne Slot and Andoni Iraola after Semenyo reported being abused. On Saturday, Bradford City AFC said West Yorkshire police had made an arrest during a game at the University of Bradford Stadium. The club said: 'Bradford City AFC is aware of an allegation of racist abuse from an individual in the away section towards one of our players during today's Sky Bet League One game against Luton Town. 'Bradford City AFC strongly condemns racism and discrimination in all forms. We have a zero tolerance policy to such unacceptable behaviour.' In an interview, Bradford's manager, Graham Alexander, said there was no place in football for racism, adding: 'We saw it last night at the Liverpool game – it has to be zero tolerance. There's no excuse for it, at all.'
Daily Mail
10 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Football fan arrested for alleged racist abuse during League One fixture between Bradford City and Luton Town as clubs decide to hide affected player's identity
A man has been arrested for alleged racist abuse during a League One fixture between Bradford City and Luton Town that took place on Saturday afternoon. The incident occurred in the first half of the match - as one of Bradford's players was allegedly targeted with racist comments that came from the away end. A club statement from Bradford City read: 'Bradford City AFC is aware of an allegation of racist abuse from an individual in the away section towards one of our players during today's Sky Bet League One game against Luton Town. 'An arrest has been made by West Yorkshire Police, with the individual in question swiftly removed from the University of Bradford Stadium. We will fully cooperate with all ongoing police investigations. 'Bradford City AFC strongly condemns racism and discrimination in all forms. We have a zero tolerance policy to such, unacceptable behaviour. 'The club will be making no further comment at this time.' A statement from Luton Town read: 'We regret to report that we have been made aware of an allegation of racist abuse directed towards a Bradford City player during our game at Valley Parade on Saturday afternoon. 'West Yorkshire Police have confirmed that an individual in the away section was arrested. 'As a club we condemn racism and discrimination in all forms. This behaviour has no place in society and it has absolutely no place at Luton Town. Ever. 'We stand by any player who suffers at the hands of such abuse. It needs to stop. 'As a club we will now fully support the ongoing police investigation.' It comes a day after Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo reported racist abuse from a fan during Bournemouth's Premier League fixture against Liverpool on Friday. The incident occurred as he was preparing to take a throw-in before he appeared to be heckled by a Liverpool fan just 28 minutes into the affair at Anfield. Semenyo brought the incident to the attention of referee Anthony Taylor, and the match was promptly paused temporarily. It has been alleged that the person who directed the abuse at Semenyo was a Liverpool fan sitting in a wheelchair in the bottom row of Anfield's Main Stand. A supporter was then escorted out of the stands by police while at half-time, an anti-discrimination message was read out to the crowd inside Anfield. During the game, Daily Mail Sport's Football Editor, Ian Ladyman, reported from the crowd: 'Two or three minutes before the stoppage I did see Semenyo turn to look at a guy seated in a wheelchair at the front of the Main Stand who was saying something to him quite forcibly. 'The look on the Bournemouth player's face said all you needed to know.' The Premier League released on official statement during the game, taking to their Match Centre account on X. It read: 'Tonight's match between Liverpool Football Club and AFC Bournemouth was temporarily paused during the first half after a report of discriminatory abuse from the crowd, directed at Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo. This is in line with the Premier League's on-field anti-discrimination protocol. 'The incident at Anfield will now be fully investigated. We offer our full support to the player and both clubs. Racism has no place in our game, or anywhere in society. 'We will continue to work with stakeholders and authorities to ensure our stadiums are an inclusive and welcoming environment for all. Last night at Anfield will stay with me forever - not because of one person's words, but because of how the entire football family stood together. To my @afcbournemouth teammates who supported me in that moment, to the @LiverpoolFC players and fans who showed their true… — Antoine Semenyo (@semenyo924) August 16, 2025 Semenyo took to social media following the incident, as he wrote in a statement on X: 'Last night at Anfield will stay with me forever - not because of one person's words, but because of how the entire football family stood together. 'To my @afcbournemouth teammates who supported me in that moment, to the @LiverpoolFC players and fans who showed their true character, to the @premierleague officials who handled it professionally - thank you. Football showed its best side when it mattered most. 'Scoring those two goals felt like speaking the only language that truly matters on the pitch. This is why I play - for moments like these, for my teammates, for everyone who believes in what this beautiful game can be. 'The overwhelming messages of support from across the football world remind me why I love this sport. We keep moving forward, together.' The 25-year-old also shared three images with powerful statements.
