Daily round-up, Aug 3: China retaliates after Pelosi's visit to Taiwan; how DNA unlocked the Gardens by the Bay murder case
From top left to right, to bottom left and right: Hair found by police thought to be from murder victim Ms Cui Yajie (Photo: SPF); illustration symbolising childhood tics (Image: iStock/Mack15); photo of Pek Ying Ling, who was allegedly murdered by her husband while on holiday in Newcastle, UK (Photo: Facebook/Northumbria Police); US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaks during a meeting in Taipei. (Photo: Taiwan Presidential Office via AP)
Let's get you caught up on the day's top stories.
Pelosi pledges solidarity with Taiwan as China holds military drills, vents anger
China is lashing out at the highest-level US visit to Taiwan in 25 years by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi says Pelosi's visit to Taiwan was a "complete farce".
China is also embarking on an unprecedented six days of military drills surrounding Taiwan.
Pelosi, who met Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, hailed Taiwan as "one of the freest societies in the world" and pledged American solidarity.
“Our delegation came here to send an unequivocal message. America stands with Taiwan,” she said.
Beijing, meanwhile, summoned the US ambassador and hit Taiwan with fresh trade curbs.
Gardens by the Bay murder: How police used DNA to prove their case
Leslie Khoo was convicted of murdering his Chinese mistress Cui Yajie in July 2016. He confessed to strangling her to death after arguing with her in his car and taking her to a remote area where he burnt her body.
But without a body, investigators from the Singapore Police Force needed to rely on DNA evidence to paint a true picture of events.
Here's how DNA can be a "silent witness".
Singaporean man charged with murdering wife described as ‘caring and soft-hearted’
The trial of a Singaporean man being charged in Newcastle over the murder of his wife continues. Evelyn Pek was found dead in a hotel room and her husband Fong Soong Hert denies that he murdered her.
On Tuesday (Aug 2), the defendant’s eldest son Alonso Fong took the stand.
Prosecutors said the younger Fong had sent his girlfriend a text message reading: “My dad just called me and told me he accidentally killed my mum.”
Describing his parents’ relationship in a police interview, Alonso said they “showed each other love every day".
Excessive blinking, facial twitching, leg-shaking, involuntary swearing: What causes such behaviours?
“Some patients may experience restlessness and jerking of the legs at night. This could be due to restless leg syndrome and may require attention if there is significant fatigue in the daytime,” an expert tells CNA Lifestyle.
While habitual leg shaking could be a way to work off nervous energy, tics can instead be triggered by anxiety.
Facial tics occur mainly in males and show up between the ages of six and 12, a doctor says.
