Latest news with #Song
Korea Herald
a day ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
No win in sight, but minor candidates hang on
Minor presidential hopefuls including Kwon Young-guk of the Democratic Labor Party and Song Jin-ho, an independent, are set to appear on the final ballot in Tuesday's election — despite polling in the low single digits and holding little prospect of victory. Kwon, an engineer-turned-human rights lawyer, is better known for his legal advocacy than for his political profile. Nicknamed the 'street lawyer,' he has represented victims in some of South Korea's most high-profile labor disputes and civil tragedies — including the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster, which killed over 300 people, most of them high school students. His campaign, backed by a coalition of progressive civic groups, centers on labor rights and corporate accountability. A recent Realmeter poll placed his support at 1.6 percent. Song, head of the Global Data Asset Cooperative, has focused his campaign on revitalizing the digital asset industry and advocating for the country's 15.6 million retail investors. In a May 19 televised debate for non-mainstream candidates, he challenged then-candidate Hwang Kyo-ahn over election fraud claims, anti-China rhetoric and calls to dismantle the National Election Commission — calling such proposals discriminatory and extreme. Song currently polls at 0.3 percent, according to the same Realmeter survey. Originally, seven candidates registered for the race. Koo Ju-hwa of the Liberty Unification Party withdrew before early voting began, and Hwang Kyo-ahn, also an independent, dropped out Sunday — both endorsing Kim in a bid to consolidate conservative support. Now, five remain: Lee Jae-myung of the liberal Democratic Party; Kim Moon-soo of the major conservative People Power Party; Lee Jun-seok of the minor conservative New Reform Party; Kwon of the Democratic Labor Party; and Song, an independent. To appear on the ballot, each candidate must pay a 300 million won ($218,000) deposit. Those earning at least 15 percent of the vote are fully reimbursed for both the deposit and campaign expenses. Candidates receiving between 10 and 15 percent are eligible for a 50 percent refund.
The Star
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
China extends destroyer strike range with airborne early warning system: CCTV
China's most powerful destroyer can now strike beyond visual-range targets with pinpoint precision by linking to an airborne early warning system – the same technology used by the Pakistan Air Force in the recent Kashmir conflict – according to state broadcaster CCTV. On Sunday, CCTV confirmed for the first time that the Type 055 stealth guided-missile destroyer Lhasa could use data links to synchronise with People's Liberation Army's airborne early warning platforms, enabling it to conduct long-range anti-ship and air-defence strikes without relying solely on the ship's radars. Song Zhongping, a former PLA instructor and military commentator, said this represented a major advance in operational coordination. 'Battlefield data fusion – what we call 'situation connectivity' – means complete interoperability and seamless information sharing across domains,' he said. CCTV footage showed the Lhasa taking part in a live-fire exercise involving multi-service coordination under the PLA's Northern Theatre Command, firing missiles guided by airborne targeting cues. Shipborne helicopters and sensors fed data into the combat centre for simultaneous sea‑and‑air engagements, the report said. 'We used data links to share battlefield awareness in real time with the early warning aircraft, significantly expanding our detection range,' Wang Mingwei, a senior sergeant on the Lhasa, told CCTV. 'It allows us to identify both air and sea threats far beyond visual range.' Song said the networked capability mirrored Pakistan's use of the same Chinese technology to shoot down Indian fighters near the disputed Kashmir region. In that engagement, Pakistan's J-10CE fighter jets fired PL-15E long-range air-to-air missiles which were guided mid-flight by a ZDK-3 airborne warning aircraft using target data relayed from a ground-based HQ-9B air defence system. This 'A-detect, B-launch, C-guide' strategy, as reported by CCTV shortly after the Kashmir clash, avoided triggering radar alarms on India's French-made Rafale jets and showed how integrated data links reduced dependence on onboard sensors. 'The Pakistani side used a Chinese-style networked strike system that fused ground, air and space-based sensors,' Song said. 'It shows that through full data link integration, platforms don't have to rely solely on their on-board sensors to prosecute engagements effectively – this is modern joint warfare in action.' Similarly, the Lhasa is equipped with the navy version of the HQ-9B system, which has an estimated range of 260km (161 miles). The US military has long assessed the system as effective against medium- and high-altitude targets but less so against low-flying, sea-skimming missiles such as the American AGM-158C long-range anti-ship missile. Song said this limitation was being addressed through newly confirmed joint operations. 'Together, they compensate for Earth curvature, providing real-time guidance for intercepting low-altitude targets hundreds of kilometres away before the enemy even knows what's happening.' He said the same battle data network 'essentially stretches the maximum range of our most lethal weapons, like the YJ-series missiles, to their true limits. With every sensor linked, the PLA can strike first, deep and precisely.' The system supports advanced missiles, such as the supersonic YJ-18 and hypersonic YJ-21, with ranges stretching from several hundred to more than 1,000km (600 miles). This extended range can only be fully exploited through external targeting support – precisely what the integration with airborne warning systems now provides. Song also drew comparisons to a US military concept proposed in 2017 which aims to connect sensors and weapons from multiple domains into a dynamic, system-of-systems modular combat network. 'What the PLA has now demonstrated with the Type 055 reflects many principles of mosaic warfare,' he said, referring to using a combination of diverse combat platforms and systems to overwhelm the enemy. The Lhasa, commissioned in 2021, is the second hull in the Type 055 class and features 112 vertical launch cells, advanced dual-band active electronically scanned array radar and a displacement of around 12,000 tonnes. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
Borneo Post
4 days ago
- Business
- Borneo Post
Chinese hybrid rice boosts food security in Madagascar
Song (back, third right) poses with local residents in Anosiarivo, Madagascar, on March 25, 2025. – Xinhua photo ANTANANARIVO (May 31): 'Before, our land barely produced enough to feed us. Now, with hybrid rice, we not only eat our fill, but sell the surplus and even save to buy more land,' a farmer called Femosoa Rakatondratsara told me, smiling beside his blossoming rice field. Mahitsy, a town some 35km north-west of Antananarivo, Madagascar's capital, is home to the Chinese Hybrid Rice High-Yield Demonstration Base. In the village of Anosiarivo, another hybrid rice site, vibrant paddies stretched to the horizon under blue skies and fluffy clouds. Ramboasalama Anolalaina Ratsina, an expert from the Ministry of Agriculture, was leading local farmers in pest control. Having twice received planting training in central China's Hunan Province, he is now a key figure in local hybrid rice promotion. 'All my planting skills came from Chinese experts,' he said. Over the years, Chinese experts in Madagascar have not only promoted quality seeds but also passed on knowledge, from hands-on fieldwork to theoretical training. Now, technicians like Ratsina are sharing that expertise with farmers across Madagascar. After Irene Nonenjanahary's first hybrid rice harvest brought in a bumper yield last year, she is more confident than ever. 'We used to rely on the weather,' she said. 'Now we rely on technology.' In 2007, China launched the hybrid rice demonstration center project in Madagascar, led by the Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences and Yuan's Hi-Tech Seed. It was one of the 10 agricultural technology demonstration centers pledged at the first Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. 'Farmers here relied entirely on the mercy of nature. Poor seeds, limited knowledge, and weak infrastructure meant many couldn't even grow enough to eat,' said Hu Yuefang, a Chinese agronomist. Hu (right) inspects hybrid rice growth with local farmers in Mahitsy, Madagascar, on March 25, 2025. – Xinhua photo 'The first challenge to promote hybrid rice was choosing the right seed,' said Hu. To identify varieties suited to Madagascar's climate and soil, he and his team carried dozens of seed samples across almost every major rice-growing region of the island, eventually developing five locally adapted varieties with high yields, drought tolerance and flood resistance. 'But the real challenge was getting farmers to accept these 'foreign' seeds,' said Chinese agricultural expert Song Chunfang. To prove the benefits, they planted side-by-side demonstration plots – one with local rice, the other with hybrid. Using the same planting methods, the yield of hybrid rice was two to three times that of local varieties. Impressed by the yield, farmers dubbed it 'Tsarabe' – 'the best thing' in Malagasy. Hu recalled living in leaky thatched huts, collecting rainwater to drink, and trekking kilometres for firewood. 'Once, while transforming a swampland, a tree branch pierced my foot. It was the villagers who carried me out,' he said. Farmers walk along the ridges of hybrid rice paddies in Mahitsy, Madagascar, on March 26, 2025. – Xiinhua photo Today, hybrid rice cultivation in Madagascar has reached a cumulative 90,000 hectares, with average yields of 7.5 tons per hectare – two to three times that of local varieties – making it Africa's largest hybrid rice producer by area. 'I hope one day hybrid rice will be planted across Madagascar,' said Eric Laperozy, my Malagasy colleague. 'That way, more families can eat well, earn more, and my country can achieve food self-sufficiency.' – Xinhua China hybrid rice Madagascar Xinhua
Forbes
5 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
‘American Idol' Jamal Roberts Winner Hits No. 1 On The Billboard Charts
It was just a few days ago that Season 23 of American Idol finished, with Jamal Roberts being named the winner of the latest edition of the reality TV staple. Following his crowning, the talented singer soared to the top of the iTunes rankings in the U.S. with his winner's single, 'Heal.' That track gives him a huge hit on the Billboard charts this week — the kind he's never seen before — and it brings with it one of his older recordings as well. The American Idol champion debuts on four Billboard rankings this frame in the U.S. "Heal" opens at No. 1 on half of them, as it starts atop both the Hot Gospel Songs and Gospel Digital Song Sales tallies. These mark the singer's first leaders on any chart in the country. "Heal" performs well largely thanks to a healthy opening sales sum. According to Luminate, Roberts sold a little under 8,800 copies of his breakout tune in the past tracking period. That's enough for "Heal" to also launch at No. 2 on the Digital Song Sales chart. This time around, it's beaten only by "Don't Say You Love Me" by BTS singer Jin. The tune also manages to enter the Gospel Streaming Songs list inside the top 10. The track opens at No. 7 on that roster, earning him his first top 10 on the streaming-only tally – but it still marks Roberts's lowest placement on the roster. Years before he made it big on American Idol, Roberts released a gospel track titled "He's Preparing Me." That tune becomes a hit as well following the immediate success of "Heal," which is itself a cover of a song by musician Tom Odell. "He's Preparing Me" opens at No. 4 on the Gospel Digital Song Sales chart, coming in just a few spots behind his new No. 1.
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Song Ui-young gets Lions recall after year-long absence due to family matters
Song Ui-young is looking forward to linking up with the Lions again. ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO SINGAPORE – It has been nearly a year since Song Ui-young last played for the Lions in the 7-0 home defeat by South Korea, his country of birth, on June 6, 2024. But the 31-year-old, who had been unavailable during the intervening international windows due to family matters, is now back in the Lions' fold. On May 29, the Lion City Sailors midfielder was named in a 23-man Singapore squad for a June 5 friendly against Maldives at Bishan Stadium and an Asian Cup qualifier against Bangladesh in Dhaka five days later. Fit-again Ikhsan Fandi and Taufik Suparno are among other key players recalled to the squad, while Shawal Anuar misses out because of a medical procedure scheduled during the international window. In a Football Association of Singapore statement, Song said he is looking forward to linking up with the Lions again, adding: 'I've had urgent family matters to attend to and I'm relieved that I've managed to get across that challenge – and grateful that I've been afforded space to be present for my family.' Dispelling rumours that his prolonged absence from the Lions squad was due to animosity between him and national coach Tsutomu Ogura, Song shared with The Straits Times that he had gone through a gamut of emotions in the past year. His mother had suffered a stroke at the end of 2023 and went through brain surgery in Incheon without him knowing. 'My family hid this from me as they didn't want me to worry too much and be distracted while I'm playing football abroad,' said Song, whose father died when he was a baby and has a sister who has three children. 'When I found out my mother wasn't healthy, I started to think about many things. I've been in Singapore for 12 years and I didn't really look after my family, especially my mother, and she was staying alone when she suffered the stroke. 'I felt bad that I didn't take care of her. So, I decided it's time to take care of my mum and spend more time with my family.' In 2021, Song Ui-young became the first South Korea-born player to be naturalised for the Lions. ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO Fortunately, she is out of danger now, although she needs to be on medication for the rest of her life to keep her condition under control. His family also flew to Singapore to watch the Asian Football Confederation Champions League Two (ACL2) final on May 18, when Emirati club Sharjah FC defeated the Sailors 2-1. He said: 'They witnessed the moments and they met many people here who have a connection with me and they heard all my stories and achievements, which is different from when she hears it from me. They are happy and proud of me, and this makes me happy. 'My mother has a strong character, and although she has always been supportive of me, it must not have been easy to send her only son overseas when I was just 18.' The highlight of playing in a continental final seemed like a full circle as Song left his family in Incheon for Singapore at a tender age to pursue a professional football career. He first joined the youth team of Home United, the predecessor of the privatised Sailors, scored 12 goals in 16 Prime League games, before he broke through to the senior side. With Home, he chalked up 184 games, 47 goals and 23 assists, before clocking 103 appearances, 44 goals and 11 assists for the Sailors across two spells. In between, he also had stints with Nongbua Pitchaya in Thailand and Persebaya Surabaya in Indonesia. In 2021, he became the first South Korea-born player to be naturalised for the Lions. Despite a regret of not being able to join Daegu FC in the K-League when there was an offer in 2022 while he was contracted to the Sailors, Song is happy with the career he has had. 'I never imagined this. When I came to Singapore at 18, it was all about survival and I was desperate to impress,' said Song, who has racked up 12 goals and five assists in 46 appearances for the Sailors this season. 'So, I really appreciate the career I have and want to continue to achieve more with my club and country.' Before he reports for Lions' training on June 3, there is a chance to notch a domestic double as the Sailors, who clinched the Singapore Premier League title on May 10, wrap up a year-long domestic season in the Singapore Cup final against BG Tampines Rovers at the Jalan Besar Stadium on May 31. Song said: 'After losing the ACL2 final, everyone at the club felt a big frustration. But now, because we already lost a final, we have a huge motivation to lift another trophy.' Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
