South Korean court orders arrest of ex-president Yoon: Yonhap
An arrest warrant was issued for former South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol over concerns that he could destroy evidence in his case.
SEOUL - A South Korean court on July 10 issued an arrest warrant for former president Yoon Suk Yeol and placed him in custody over his failed martial law bid in 2024, the Yonhap news agency reported.
Mr Nam Se-jin, a senior judge at Seoul's Central District Court, issued an arrest warrant for Yoon over concerns that he could destroy evidence in the case, according to Yonhap.
Yoon was formally stripped of office in April after being impeached and suspended by lawmakers over
his Dec 3 attempt to subvert civilian rule, which saw armed soldiers deployed to Parliament.
The ex-president and his lawyers attended the hearing and rejected all charges before he was taken to Seoul Detention Centre in Uiwang, just south of the capital, to await the court's decision, Yonhap said on July 10.
According to the news agency, this is the second time Yoon has been arrested.
The first time was in January when he was still in office, but a court later accepted his request to cancel his arrest, paving the way for him to be released in March.
Previously, the courts dismissed an arrest warrant for Yoon requested by prosecutors after he initially refused to appear for questioning, citing that he had since expressed a willingness to comply with future summons. AFP
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
World Trump's ambassador nominee to Singapore Anjani Sinha has a rough day at Senate hearing
Singapore Singapore to hire more than 1,000 new educators annually in the next few years, up from 700
Singapore COE prices rise for all categories
Singapore Govt watching job situation for fresh graduates closely, exploring further support: Gan Siow Huang
Singapore Man who killed cats by throwing them off HDB blocks has jail term doubled to 27 months
Singapore $43k fine for undischarged bankrupt doctor who failed to disclose assets worth over $4m
Singapore Female primary school teacher charged over alleged sex acts with underage male student
Singapore People working in air-conditioned spaces prefer 24 deg C and warmer: Survey
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
34 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Lawyers warn UK NDA ban may reduce misconduct settlement payouts
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The provision would void existing NDAs used by businesses to silence employees who were subject to sexual harassment or discrimination. A landmark ban on the use of non-disclosure agreements in workplace misconduct cases - a longstanding practice of financial firms - may make it harder for victims to win compensation and discourage some from speaking up, lawyers say. Under reforms to workers' rights laws by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government due to come into effect later in 2025 , any confidentiality agreements that seek to silence employees who say they faced harassment and discrimination would be null and void. But lawyers say the ban risks unintended consequences: employers are less motivated to settle discrimination cases without confidentiality, leading to greater backlogs for the employee tribunal system and prolonged legal processes for victims seeking closure. This could mean that fewer victims come forward to detail their experiences, according to Ms Caroline Walker, managing director at Cavendish Employment Law. 'Tribunal claims are not for the faint-hearted,' she said, referring to the courts where workers and employers head to fight their disputes. 'They are time consuming, costly and cross-examination over sensitive discrimination or harassment incidents can be brutal.' There's a risk too that companies try to bury victims in a legal quagmire, she said, with companies more determined to defend their reputation in court in the absence of a confidentiality agreement. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia Air India crash report shows pilot confusion over engine switch movement Singapore More NSFs may be recruited to tackle scams: Police Singapore $3 cashback for hawker centre meals and shopping at heartland malls with DBS PayLah initiative Singapore 40% more sign-ups to programmes for adult learners at institutes of higher learning in last 5 years Singapore Exhibition marking The Straits Times' 180th anniversary opens on July 12 at Jewel Changi Multimedia Which floor is this? Chongqing's maze-like environment powers its rise as a megacity Singapore Over 20 motorists caught offering illegal ride-hailing services at Changi Airport and Gardens by the Bay Life SG60 F&B icons: 20 dishes and drinks which have shaped Singaporeans' taste buds In the case of fewer settlements, lengthier legal processes could also pile pressure on an already overwhelmed UK employee tribunal system, Ms Walker said. The backlog had reached almost 50,000 cases by the end of 2024 , an increase of 28 per cent compared with a year earlier. 'This could result in employees having to commit to litigation in difficult circumstances, when they may otherwise have received a settlement, allowing them to move on more quickly,' Ms Bethan Jones, an employment lawyer at Spencer West, said. The use of NDAs for cases involving allegations of workplace abuse is widespread; 22 per cent of respondents to a 2024 survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development said their company used them when dealing with allegations of sexual harassment. The ban marks a shift in policy for Britain after the previous Conservative government rejected calls in 2024 to end their use and comes after a series of high-profile sexual harassment scandals in recent years, including allegations against hedge fund manager, Crispin Odey, who has denied the allegations. 'There is commercial and reputational value to the employer in settling with confidentiality irrespective of the merit or otherwise of the allegation,' Mr Jason Braier, a trial lawyer specialising in employment, said in a LinkedIn post. 'The government amendment will disincentivise employers from settling many claims they think they can defend.' But proponents of the ban say the risks are unfounded and note that the new law will reverse the power dynamics, with victims, not companies, able to request confidentiality. 'The whole thing with NDAs is that they are a piece of power, and when you are an employee the power disparity is so huge,' said Ms Zelda Perkins, the whisteblower at the heart of the Weinstein scandal. 'People I've been fighting against baulk at that word power but really it's about equality and leveling the playing field.' And Ms Georgina Calvert-Lee, at Bellevue Law, said the ban simply aligns the UK with other countries where legislation has already changed, including Ireland and several US states. The experience there suggests that a ban has been effective; US research in 2019 showed that, after the introduction of the bans, filings for sexual harassment increased and the settlement rate for those cases rose by nearly 10 per cent. A former employee at Citigroup Inc. who asked not to be named because they signed an NDA after they sued the bank told Bloomberg that victims are often pressured to sign confidentiality agreements by their bosses and hopes this could mark a positive change. They said that City of London firms frequently abuse NDAs and use them to perpetuate toxic corporate cultures. A Citi spokesperson declined to comment. Currently, NDAs can often have a far-reaching impact, with some requiring that victims are unable to speak to anyone, even medical professionals, about their experience. Those who sign such documents also often don't receive legal guidance and are unaware that they can still pursue a criminal case through the police. The reforms would change that. 'You can use confidentiality when it's being used ethically and not abusively,' said Ms Perkins. 'This is really taking the ability to abuse that tool out of the hands of employers.' BLOOMBERG
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Philippines grapples with online gambling boom
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Online gambling platforms have seen a surge in users in the Philippines, fuelling concerns over addiction and regulatory gaps. – It started with a 100 peso (S$2.25) bet on a game she found through a Facebook advertisement. Ms Ana Reyes (not her real name), a 28-year-old clothes vendor in southern Philippine province Davao del Norte, still remembers the thrill of her first win. In 2023, she deposited a small amount via local e-wallet GCash to try her luck in an online slot game. That same day, she walked away with a surprise 3,000-peso payout. For a mother raising two toddlers with her husband, who sells balut or fertilised duck eggs on the streets at night, it felt like a miracle. 'As a first-time player, I was so happy,' Ms Reyes told The Straits Times, on condition of anonymity. 'I honestly thought online gambling would finally help us escape poverty.' At one point, she won as much as 30,000 pesos by betting 3,000 pesos. But the quick win was a trap. Soon, she was suffering losses, borrowing money from friends she deceived just to keep playing. Her husband got pulled in too. They were hooked for about a year, losing tens of thousands of pesos. It was not until Ms Reyes began fighting with her husband over money that she snapped out of it. She turned to prayer, deleted all gambling apps from her phone, blocked the platforms and destroyed the SIM card she used for betting. 'I really hope the government bans online gambling,' she added. 'It's a big no-no. It almost destroyed my family.' Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia Air India crash report shows pilot confusion over engine switch movement Singapore More NSFs may be recruited to tackle scams: Police Singapore 40% more sign-ups to programmes for adult learners at institutes of higher learning in last 5 years Multimedia Which floor is this? Chongqing's maze-like environment powers its rise as a megacity Singapore Exhibition marking The Straits Times' 180th anniversary opens on July 12 at Jewel Changi Life SG60 F&B icons: 20 dishes and drinks which have shaped Singaporeans' taste buds Life At 79, she can do 100 pull-ups: Why more seniors are hitting the gym Life Hear Me Out: What I wish my parents knew before I was diagnosed with ADHD Her story is increasingly becoming common across Filipino households. Lawmakers and church leaders raised the alarm in July 2025, citing an uptick in cases where online gambling or e-games tore families apart, depleted savings and pushed students into financial ruin. More than 80 gaming platforms are legally registered with the government and run by local operators. And the revenue from e-games by the state-run Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) has become a key source of government revenue. The government has acted to try to address gambling. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr in 2024 banned offshore online casinos, called Pogos, that were linked to Chinese crime syndicates operating in the Philippines. But the local online platforms remain the biggest and greatest threat and calls are mounting for tougher regulation. 'It's clear that online gambling is no longer just a simple form of entertainment. It has become a deep and widespread moral problem, hidden behind the guise of leisure and technology,' said Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, in a Facebook post on July 8. Support groups for gambling addicts have surfaced on Facebook and Reddit in recent months. In one Filipino-language Facebook group reviewed by ST, users posted anonymous confessions about hidden debts, broken relationships and even suicide attempts. One post came from a student who admitted stealing his mother's credit card information just to keep placing bets. The ads for these gambling platforms are now everywhere, from TikTok and Facebook feeds to massive billboards along the busiest highways. The ease of access has made gambling just one click away for nearly anyone with a smartphone. Online gambling is a major economic force in the country. From January to May 2025, gross gaming revenues from e-games by Pagcor hit 51.39 billion pesos. In 2024, the same platforms generated 154.51 billion pesos worth of government revenue, much higher than the 58.16 billion pesos in 2023. This is the total amount of money the government has earned after paying out winnings. There is no official data on how many Filipinos are addicted to online gambling in a nation with a population of 117 million people, but front-liners said the red flags are multiplying. 'Before the Covid-19 pandemic, maybe two in every 10 of our patients are hooked on gambling, but online platforms weren't a thing then. But now, you will see that seven out of our 10 monthly admissions are addicted to online gaming,' said Mr Jon Ty, chairman of the Bridges of Hope. The latter is a network of 13 rehabilitation centres across the Philippines providing treatment for drug, alcohol, gambling and behavioural addictions. Fighting the slippery slope As a recovered casino addict himself, Mr Ty said the ease of access to online casinos makes it a challenging issue to fight. 'When I was addicted, I had to dress up and drive to a brick-and-mortar casino. That was in 2011,' he noted. 'But nowadays, it's more convenient for anybody to just grab their cellphones and gamble while they're in the bathroom. They can do it while they're working. They can do it while they're cooking, while they're at home.' A bet can start from as low as 20 pesos. He supports a Bill filed on July 4 by Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri seeking to ban e-gambling in the country, raising concerns over lax enforcement and the platforms' accessibility. Mr Zubiri said locally operated gaming sites must be shut down. 'We already shut the doors on Pogos for the damage they caused. But an even more dangerous problem has crept into our homes: online gambling that targets our own people,' he added. Senator Sherwi Gatchalian is pushing for tighter regulation. He told ST that a ban would only drive players to underground sites that are harder to monitor. His Bill seeks to raise the minimum playing age from 18 to 21 and require Know-Your-Customer checks, such as ID submission before users can play. It also proposes a 10,000-peso minimum bet, a 5,000-peso top-up limit and a ban on celebrity endorsements, which he said lure young people into gambling. 'A lot of our basketball players, for example, are being idolised by the youth. Then all of a sudden, they see their idol promoting gambling,' Mr Gatchalian added. 'They have to be responsible because their identity is power, their fame is power.' For 21-year-old university student John Santos (not his real name), online gambling started as a form of casual entertainment. Taught to play mahjong and cards as a child, he was introduced to e-games at 17 by an older friend. Using GCash, he would bet 20 pesos at a time on blackjack. He imposes a 1,000-peso monthly cap from his 16,000-peso allowance, but keeps the habit secret from his parents. 'I know how they'd react. They'd say I shouldn't be doing it so I'd rather just keep it a secret,' he told ST. He supports regulation of online gambling, but not a minimum 10,000-peso bet, which would exclude players like him. Policy shift gaining steam Under growing public pressure, Pagcor has begun to act. It has ordered the removal of e-gambling billboard ads and pledged to limit television promotions. Pagcor has given licensees, suppliers and gaming venue operators until Aug 15 to remove ad materials The agency said it is open to tighter regulation but warned that a full ban could push gambling into unregulated black markets. Local fintech players like GCash and Maya have agreed to strengthen age verification and monitoring systems. But critics argue the safeguards remain too easy to circumvent, especially for tech-savvy youth. President Marcos has yet to take a clear stance. His spokesman said he is open to taxing online gambling 'if well studied', but offered no definitive position on whether the industry should be regulated or banned outright for now. Amid concerns over lost revenue, Mr Gatchalian said the government should explore safer income streams and instead promote physical casinos, which are harder to access. 'Brick-and-mortar casinos are required to invest in facilities. So you see hard investments, you see employment. Whereas for e-games, it's just one room with servers and a few people running it,' he noted. Recovering addicts like Ms Reyes welcome all these proposed reforms. She and her husband no longer bet on e-games as of January this year. They were able to save money to buy a plot of land where they plan to build their own home soon. She knows that not everyone will be as lucky, so she hopes the government will clamp down on online gambling soon. 'These e-games teach you how to lie, how to hurt your own family. So I completely support all efforts of our government now to stop it,' she said.
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Over 20 motorists caught offering illegal ride-hailing services at Changi Airport and Gardens by the Bay
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox LTA said the 22 motorists were offering rides within Singapore, as well as to and from Malaysia. SINGAPORE - More than 20 motorists were hauled up for providing illegal ride-hailing services at Changi Airport and Gardens by the Bay on July 11. In a Facebook post on July 12 , the Land Transport Authority said the 22 motorists were offering rides within Singapore, as well as to and from Malaysia. LTA added that it was acting on tip-offs from the National Private Hire Vehicles Association and members of the public. The motorists also did not have a valid Public Service Vehicle Licence, which is required for anyone offering point-to-point transportation services, including cross-border services. The vehicles used for the rides were impounded, LTA said. LTA did not provide details on whether the impounded vehicles were registered in Singapore or in a foreign country. The authorities urged commuters to avoid illegal transport services, which are usually not properly insured, and pose safety risks to passengers. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia Air India crash report shows pilot confusion over engine switch movement Singapore More NSFs may be recruited to tackle scams: Police Singapore 40% more sign-ups to programmes for adult learners at institutes of higher learning in last 5 years Multimedia Which floor is this? Chongqing's maze-like environment powers its rise as a megacity Singapore Exhibition marking The Straits Times' 180th anniversary opens on July 12 at Jewel Changi Life SG60 F&B icons: 20 dishes and drinks which have shaped Singaporeans' taste buds Life At 79, she can do 100 pull-ups: Why more seniors are hitting the gym Life Hear Me Out: What I wish my parents knew before I was diagnosed with ADHD Illegal ride-hailing services also affect the livelihoods of licensed drivers, LTA added. Offenders can be fined up to $3,000 , imprisoned for six months , or both. Their vehicles can also be forfeited. In a Facebook post on July 12 , Senior Minister of State for Transport Sun Xueling said: 'LTA will increase the coverage and frequency of our enforcement actions against such illegal private hire car services.' She added that the authorities will not hesitate to press for heavier fines, and impound or forfeit the vehicles of motorists who flout the rules.
