Latest news with #Kpod
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Kosovo tribunal reduces sentence for former KLA member
FILE PHOTO: Former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) member Pjeter Shala attends his trial while judges at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers will hand down a judgment in The Hague, Netherlands, July 16 2024. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw/Pool/File Photo THE HAGUE - Appeals judges at the Kosovo tribunal in The Hague confirmed the conviction of former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) member Pjeter Shala for war crimes, but reduced his sentence to 13 years in prison, the court said on Monday. Shala was initially convicted in 2024 of war crimes including torture, murder and arbitrary detention, committed as he ran a makeshift prison during the 1998-99 Kosovo uprising against Serbian troops. People considered to be spies or collaborators with Serbs were abused at the facility and at least one man was killed, the judges found. On appeal, judges reversed several convictions for torture and arbitrary detention in relation to some victims, but confirmed convictions for the same war crimes when related to other victims. They also found the lower chamber had not properly taken into account the fact that Shala was not in a commanding role for the murder charge, and reduced his sentence by five years. More than 13,000 people are believed to have died during the 1998-99 Kosovo uprising against Serbian troops, led by then-president Slobodan Milosevic. The former Serbian province eventually declared independence in 2008, which Belgrade does not recognise. The Kosovo Specialist Chambers, a war crimes court sitting in the Netherlands and staffed by international judges and lawyers, was set up in 2015 to handle cases under Kosovo law against fighters of the KLA. It is separate from a U.N. tribunal, also located in The Hague, which prosecuted nationals from the former Yugoslavia over the 1990s Balkan wars, including several Serbian officials and one former KLA member for crimes committed in the Kosovo conflict. REUTERS Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore HSA intensifies crackdown on vapes; young suspected Kpod peddlers nabbed in Bishan, Yishun Singapore Man charged over distributing nearly 3 tonnes of vapes in one day in Bishan, Ubi Avenue 3 Singapore Man allegedly attacks woman with knife at Kallang Wave Mall, to be charged with attempted murder Singapore Singapore boosts support for Timor-Leste as it prepares to join Asean Singapore UN aviation and maritime agencies pledge to collaborate to boost safety, tackle challenges Asia Thailand's anti-graft agency set to probe suspended premier Paetongtarn Singapore High Court dismisses appeal of drink driver who killed one after treating Tampines road like racetrack Singapore 18 years' jail for woman who hacked adoptive father to death after tussle over Sengkang flat
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
England move closer to victory at Lord's
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Cricket - International Test Match Series - Third Test - England v India - Lord's Cricket Ground, London, Britain - July 14, 2025 England's Chris Woakes celebrates after taking the wicket of India's Nitish Kumar Reddy Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra LONDON - England claimed four wickets to close on a famous win with India struggling on 112-8, still 80 runs behind the hosts at lunch on a tense final day of an enthralling third test at Lord's on Monday. Jofra Archer bowled Rishabh Pant, Ben Stokes trapped KL Rahul lbw and Archer brilliantly caught and bowled Washington Sundar to leave India reeling at 84-7. Ravindra Jadeja (17 not out) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (13) defended stubbornly, however, before Chris Woakes had the latter caught by wicketkeeper Jamie Smith just before the interval. Pant played an extraordinary one-handed straight drive for four off Archer to move to nine, but the fast bowler responded two balls later with an excellent delivery which uprooted his off stump. Stokes snared KL Rahul lbw for 39, the England captain dropping to his knees and imploring the umpire to give him out. He refused to do so but England called for a review and the decision was overturned to huge cheers from the crowd. Washington Sundar was next to fall for a duck, Archer leaping to his right to take a superb one-handed catch off his own bowling and reduce India to 84-7. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore HSA intensifies crackdown on vapes; young suspected Kpod peddlers nabbed in Bishan, Yishun Singapore Man charged over distributing nearly 3 tonnes of vapes in one day in Bishan, Ubi Avenue 3 Singapore Man allegedly attacks woman with knife at Kallang Wave Mall, to be charged with attempted murder Singapore Singapore boosts support for Timor-Leste as it prepares to join Asean Singapore UN aviation and maritime agencies pledge to collaborate to boost safety, tackle challenges Asia Thailand's anti-graft agency set to probe suspended premier Paetongtarn Singapore High Court dismisses appeal of drink driver who killed one after treating Tampines road like racetrack Singapore 18 years' jail for woman who hacked adoptive father to death after tussle over Sengkang flat Jadeja and Reddy frustrated England with solid defence until Woakes found the edge of Reddy's bat to give the hosts a huge lift as they left the field to warm applause from a packed crowd. The series is level at 1-1. REUTERS
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Man allegedly attacks woman with knife at Kallang Wave Mall, to be charged with attempted murder
Find out what's new on ST website and app. According to preliminary investigations, the man had allegedly attacked the woman with a knife. SINGAPORE - A 26-year-old man is slated to be charged for his alleged involvement in the attempted murder of a 29-year-old woman. In a statement on July 14, the police said they received a call for assistance at Kallang Wave Mall at about 1.25am. According to preliminary investigations, the man had allegedly attacked the woman with a knife. He was then disarmed and detained by members of the public, and was subsequently arrested by police officers. The woman was taken to the hospital, where she received treatment for her injuries, the police said, adding that she is in a stable condition. The man is expected to be charged with attempted murder on July 15. The police said that they will seek a court order to remand him for psychiatric assessment. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore HSA intensifies crackdown on vapes; young suspected Kpod peddlers nabbed in Bishan, Yishun Singapore Man charged over distributing nearly 3 tonnes of vapes in one day in Bishan, Ubi Avenue 3 Singapore Singapore boosts support for Timor-Leste as it prepares to join Asean Singapore UN aviation and maritime agencies pledge to collaborate to boost safety, tackle challenges Asia Thailand's anti-graft agency set to probe suspended premier Paetongtarn Business Singapore's economy sees surprise expansion in Q2 despite US tariff uncertainty: Advance estimate Singapore High Court dismisses appeal of drink driver who killed one after treating Tampines road like racetrack Singapore 18 years' jail for woman who hacked adoptive father to death after tussle over Sengkang flat If found guilty, the man could be jailed for life, or jailed for up to 20 years with a fine and caning.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
I lost my daughter to Kpod addiction: Father of 19-year-old shares heartbreak and lessons
SINGAPORE – The last image Mr Delfard Tay has of his 19-year-old daughter Shermaine is a video of her stumbling out of their three-room flat in Tanjong Pagar. She looks unsteady in the footage, as she tries to get up from the sofa she slept on in the living room. It was a familiar sight – and Mr Tay knew she had used Kpod, a type of vape pod containing liquid laced with the powerful anaesthetic drug etomidate. For months in 2024, he had argued with his only child, urging her to quit using Kpods. He knew how destructive substance addiction could be – after all, he had criminal convictions for drug trafficking and other offences. Mr Tay, 43, said his daughter had been under drug supervision for using methamphetamine or Ice, which she had consumed at her boyfriend's home some time between 2023 and 2024. It was her first brush with the law, and she did not abuse drugs after that, he added. She then tried to convince him that Kpods were safe, but her addiction to them ended her life. Mr Tay said with a sigh: 'I wanted to lead by example and tell her to stay away from drugs and Kpods... But it was a bit too late.' The timestamp on the minute-long video, captured by a security camera he had installed in his flat to monitor his grandmother, reads '2.30am, Sept 22, 2024'. At the time, Mr Tay, who is divorced, was at his girlfriend's home. About 90 minutes after his daughter left the flat, Mr Tay received a call from the police. She had been found at the foot of their HDB block. Her mobile phone was recovered from the 18th floor. There was no message or final call, said Mr Tay. A pathology report stated that the teenager died of multiple injuries after falling from a height. 'My mind went blank for 30 minutes when I was told how she died,' recalled Mr Tay. 'I went home to identify her body, still in a singlet and shorts. But when I saw the last video, I knew (her death) had something to do with Kpods.' Mr Tay, who handed the video to the police, declined to share it with The Straits Times. He also has two other videos of his daughter behaving erratically in 2024 while using a vape. Mr Tay said he does not want his daughter – whom he affectionately called Ah B, short for 'baby' – to be remembered as a user of Kpods. Instead, he showed videos of her on TikTok having fun and behaving like a typical teenager. Checks by ST showed she also posted numerous videos of herself using vaporisers, which have been banned in Singapore since 2018. In a May report, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime said that Kpods sold in Singapore have been found to contain either etomidate or ketamine, a Class A controlled drug. Mr Tay, a manager at a logistics company, said his daughter told him in January 2024 that she was using Kpods. 'I asked her, 'Why are you doing all this?'' he said. 'I told her that after reading health warnings that vaping is unhealthy – why even try Kpods?' She showed him the device, saying: 'When you smoke it, you'll feel high.' 'She knew I was against (substance addiction),' Mr Tay told ST, adding that he did not want her to go down the wrong path like him. When told not to vape, she retorted that he did not understand young people and that he did not trust her. About four months later, the teen was caught on the home's surveillance camera in a semi-conscious state, convulsing. That was the first time they fought bitterly. 'I shared with her my experience with drugs and I told her that after coming out of prison (in 2022), I was never going to do drugs or participate in any vice... I wanted to be a good example for her,' Mr Tay said. 'But she wouldn't listen.' After that, her demeanour changed. She became quieter and seldom confided in him. Looking back on her life, Mr Tay said she lacked family love as he was an 'absentee father'. 'She wasn't looking up to me, but I really didn't know how to care for her as a single parent,' he said. 'My grandma and auntie took care of her.' When his daughter was about 10 months old, Mr Tay was imprisoned for drug trafficking. When she turned 14, he went back to prison. He spent a total of 10 years behind bars – over eight stints – for drug and gang-related offences from the age of 16. 'I'm not proud of it... I know I neglected her a lot of times,' he said. The teenager dropped out of school after Secondary 3 and promoted some products on social media. Mr Tay's story mirrors that of the mother of a 27-year-old man who became hooked on Kpods from October 2024. In an interview with Shin Min Daily News in June, the 56-year-old woman said she had to physically restrain her son after he came down from a vape-fuelled high and tried to jump out of the living room window. Security cameras installed in her home captured the distressing scene. During the violent struggle, her son scratched her neck. The woman, who was not identified, shared her story to remind other parents to pay more attention to their children and seek help if something is not right. In the past two months, netizens have posted numerous videos online showing young people shaking uncontrollably, purportedly after using Kpods. When ST showed Mr Tay a video clip from the internet of three intoxicated youths walking like zombies in Punggol, Mr Tay singled out one of them. He said that whenever his daughter used Kpods, she walked in the same unsteady way, as if her joints were 'jammed'. In the days leading up to her death, she was quiet as usual and Mr Tay did not notice anything out of the ordinary. Although she suffered from an anxiety attack in 2019, there was no indication that she was depressed, according to Mr Tay. Since his daughter's death, Mr Tay has been kept awake on some nights. 'Sometimes I can't sleep. I find myself thinking of her,' he said. 'I will busy myself with TikTok or playing computer games. When I close my eyes, I ask myself, 'Why didn't I do this or that (to help her)?'' Mr Tay will donate some of his daughter's clothes, but will keep her treasured make-up kit, scrapbook, letters and photos. Her birthday gift to him – a luxury-brand pouch and a set of Lilo & Stitch toys – are displayed in his office. Despite his jail time, Mr Tay has fond memories of his daughter growing up – from short breaks in Kuala Lumpur and a trip to Disneyland in Hong Kong after her PSLE. Photos show her smiling widely and, as her father recalled, she was always dancing with glee. In February, Mr Tay added a tattoo to the back of his left hand – an image of Crayon Shin-chan, a popular Japanese cartoon. His daughter often watched the show dubbed in Mandarin when she was a primary school pupil, while waiting for him to return from work. During the interview, Mr Tay sometimes turned silent, with his gaze fixed on the floor. 'I can't understand why she wanted to use this thing (Kpod),' he said. 'But when I think back... it was because of curiosity.' He recalled her saying that her urine would not test positive for any drug content. On Telegram, a post touted a 'convenient' way to get high, falsely claiming that the drugs cannot be detected in urine tests. Some sellers claimed they also sold vape liquid with ketamine. A check by ST found that Kpods cost between $50 and $100. Mr Tay said police investigators told him that no drug content was found in his daughter during a post-mortem, but he did not receive any official document on this. At her three-day wake, many of her friends from church and elsewhere turned up. 'Everyone was asking what happened, but I didn't have answers for them,' said Mr Tay. 'I was angry at first, but I don't blame any of Shermaine's friends for her death.' At the wake, he learnt that one of her friends had died from abusing Kpods in the same week. Mr Tay decided to share her story – and his regrets – so that other parents will know what to look out for. 'Teenagers from age 12 to 15 have access to mobile phones, and they have Telegram chats,' he said. 'Parents need to look into their (children's) mobile phones, know what kind of people they are mixing with, and that's quite important.' Mr Tay also wants young people to learn from Shermaine's death. 'I know you're curious about all these things (like Kpods),' he said. 'But do not try it. Once you cannot stop, you'll be in bondage to it for a long time, and it will not only affect you, but also your family members.' If you have a story to share about vapes, e-mail us at stnewsdesk@ Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction Discover how to enjoy other premium articles here
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Avoiding trade curbs vital for normalisation of ties, India tells China
Find out what's new on ST website and app. FILE PHOTO: Chinese Vice President Han Zheng attends a meeting with Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves (not pictured) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China January 11, 2025. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Pool/File photo BEIJING/NEW DELHI - India and China must resolve friction along their border, pull back troops and avoid "restrictive trade measures" to normalise their relationship, India's foreign minister told his Chinese counterpart in Beijing on Monday. India's Subrahmanyam Jaishankar met Wang Yi in Beijing during his first trip to the country since 2020, when a deadly border clash between their troops led to a four-year military standoff and damaged ties until a thaw began in October, when they agreed to step back. "Good progress" made by the countries in the past nine months for normalisation of relations is a result of the resolution of friction along their border, Jaishankar told Wang. India and China share a 3,800 km (2,400 miles) border that is poorly demarcated and has been disputed since the 1950s. They fought a brief but brutal border war in 1962 and talks over the decades to settle the border dispute have made slow progress. Last month, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told his Chinese counterpart that the two countries should seek a "permanent solution" to the border dispute, seen as a new push by New Delhi for a conclusive outcome. "It is now incumbent on us to address other aspects related to the border, including de-escalation," Jaishankar said, adding that it was also critical that restrictive trade measures and roadblocks be avoided to foster mutually beneficial cooperation. The minister was speaking in the backdrop of Beijing's restrictions in recent months on supplies of critical minerals such as rare earth magnets and machinery for manufacturing of high-tech goods. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore HSA intensifies crackdown on vapes; young suspected Kpod peddlers nabbed in Bishan, Yishun Singapore Man charged over distributing nearly 3 tonnes of vapes in one day in Bishan, Ubi Avenue 3 Singapore Singapore boosts support for Timor-Leste as it prepares to join Asean Singapore UN aviation and maritime agencies pledge to collaborate to boost safety, tackle challenges Asia Thailand's anti-graft agency set to probe suspended premier Paetongtarn Business Singapore's economy sees surprise expansion in Q2 despite US tariff uncertainty: Advance estimate Singapore High Court dismisses appeal of drink driver who killed one after treating Tampines road like racetrack Singapore 18 years' jail for woman who hacked adoptive father to death after tussle over Sengkang flat India holds the world's fifth-largest rare earth reserves but its domestic output remains underdeveloped. There was no immediate Chinese readout of the talks between Jaishankar and Wang. Jaishankar, who is in China to attend the meeting of foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, met Chinese Vice President Han Zheng earlier in the day, the official Chinese news agency Xinhua reported. India and China should steadily advance practical cooperation and respect each other's concerns, Han told Jaishankar, Xinhua said. REUTERS
