South Korean Prime Minister Han Seung-soo yesterday promised a stern crackdown on illegal strikes and violent protests by union members, saying they are damaging the nation’s image and impeding economic recovery.
The warning came at a meeting of security ministers and the national police chief after weekend clashes between police and truckers left more than 150 injured.
“Repeated illegal strikes and violent protests will greatly damage the national brand and throw cold water on the public’s hopes for economic recovery,” Han told the meeting, according to aides.
“Violence cannot be a means of communication,” he was quoted as saying.
Han said authorities would not only bring criminal charges against violent protesters but also file damages claims against them.
Earlier in the day a district court in the central city of Daejeon issued arrest warrants for 20 protesters for wielding bamboo poles against police at the rally last Saturday.
Police detained 457 people but released most of them while seeking to formally arrest 32.
The rally involved about 6,000 truckers and members of the militant Korean Confederation of Trade Unions.
CRACKED SCREEN: The problem is an embarrassing setback for Apple, which spent more than a decade developing the device and touted its durability The iPhone Duo, one of Apple’s biggest new products in years, is drawing a growing number of complaints from customers who say the foldable display cracked after just hours or days of use. In these cases, customers reported hearing a crunching sound when unfolding the phone, followed by a large crack forming along the center crease. Some users also experienced a white patch or other display malfunction on the right side of the screen. Reports of the problem first surfaced on Reddit and other social media platforms. Bloomberg News has since independently verified the issue with more than half a
Ethiopian online influencers are pushing for their government to invade neighboring Eritrea and seize access to the sea, following its success against rebel and Eritrean forces in the past few weeks. The Ethiopian army has advanced right up to the border after repelling an offensive by rebels in the northern Tigray State who were supported by Eritrean troops. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has repeatedly said that securing a base on the Red Sea is a vital national objective for Ethiopia, which lost its coastline when Eritrea gained independence in 1993. Some online influencers say that the opportunity to invade has arrived. “The time
Long dubbed an “air-conditioned nation,” Singapore is experimenting with cooling alternatives from chilled beams to “passive displacement” to curb its thirst for energy-guzzling air-conditioning. The city-state has the highest per-capita air-conditioner ownership rate in Southeast Asia, with about 99 percent of private residences equipped with cooling units. Singapore’s local building sector accounts for one-fifth of its emissions, while cooling itself accounts for 40 to 60 percent of a building’s energy consumption, according to studies. A stroll down Orchard Road highlights that dependence. Shoppers are greeted by blasts of cool air that waft into the street as doors swing open — a major draw
When fall arrives and leaves start changing color, Mike Valladao, a systems engineer at a cybersecurity company, slips into his alter ego, “Farmer Mike,” also known as the “Picasso of Pumpkin Carvers.” Farmer Mike has been chiseling whimsical faces and comical creatures into big pumpkins for more than four decades. Wearing his trademark orange overalls and farmer hat, he has sculpted hundreds of gourds into ghoulish faces, seaside landscapes, witches, dragons and pop culture figures, such as Yoda and Charlie Brown. Valladao does not have any formal artistic training, but he is always looking for inspiration. He gets ideas from looking at
RSS