This follows the seizure of a Hong Kong ship in November for similar reasons, which Seoul revealed on Friday.
South Korea has seized a ship with a Panamanian flag, suspected of supplying oil to North Korea in violation of international sanctions, Yonhap news agency reported on Sunday, citing authorities. This follows the seizure of a Hong Kong-registered ship in November for similar reasons, which South Korea revealed on Friday.
The Panama tanker, named Koti, is being held at a port near the western city of Pyeongtaek. It has a mostly Chinese and Burmese crew, and can carry 5,100 tonnes of oil. Customs officials are investigating the ship.
China on Thursday had refuted reports about its ships violating restrictions imposed by the United Nations on supplying oil to North Korea. A South Korean newspaper had quoted officials who claimed that Chinese and North Korean vessels were collaborating to transport oil to Pyongyang.
On September 12, the United Nations Security Council banned textile exports and imposed curbs on shipments of oil products, in response to a nuclear test by North Korea. The country was condemned globally for conducting its sixth nuclear test since 2006 on September 3. The country claimed it had tested an advanced hydrogen bomb.
The run up to New Year’s Eve is spent in a rush of coordinating schedules, upgrading your wardrobe and hunting down the ideal party spots. However, it’s time you also acknowledged the ones that make every New Year’s Eve party a success without much fanfare. They are the last-minute party saviours, who prevent the party from descending into chaos, all by themselves.
Let’s start with the one who makes it all happen in the first place – the friend with all the contacts. He/she is the one you depend on to get you into the guest list, be it an exclusive gig or a sold-out event. It sure is satisfying to walk past snaking lines outside a club even though you were the least prepared with a plan. It’s even more satisfying to do so while looking great, no courtesy to yourself of course. Last-minute panic calls to friends who have a way with serums, styling gels and grooming tools are what keep bad-hair-and-beard-days at bay.
Then there are the adult sitters of the group, whose attempts to keep you hydrated and intermittently fed through the evening always go unappreciated. Their last-minute interventions are what keep that nasty hangover away the next morning, or prevent gross side effects of binge drinking for the rest of the party. Think how much they compromise on fun trying to get a bite into you just as you try to reach out for another drink, or snatch it from you at the right time. Unfairly treated as party poopers, think about how much drama they’ve saved you. Or better yet, ask them about the number of times they’ve snatched your phone from your hand at the right time – in anticipation of yet another embarrassing call, text or e-mail to the ex, boss or landlord. They are the ones who help you keep your reputation, job and apartment the next day.
Then there’s that one person in the group who declines a few drinks and picks up the car keys at the end of the night. But New Year’s Eve is particularly harsh on these last-minute designated drivers, for the party goes on till the wee hours of the next year – from club-hopping across town to midnight street food demands to other spontaneous plans made in the spirit of the night. In the honour of the party spirit that demands no one be left behind, there are more last-minute party saviours waiting, parked just around the corner – Uber’s driver partners who turn up at any hour of the night. Not only do they take the pressure off the designated driver, they also help keep the party momentum going, responsibly. The video above shows how Uber and its driver partners are there for you, so you don’t have to get behind the wheel.
This New Year’s Eve, #LeaveYourKeysBehind. To download the app, click here for Android and here for iOS.
This article was produced by the Scroll marketing team on behalf of Uber and not by the Scroll editorial team.
