South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared an "emergency martial law," Tuesday accusing the country's opposition of controlling the parliament, sympathising with North Korea and paralysing the government with anti-state activities. Yoon made the announcement in a televised briefing, vowing to 'eradicate pro-North Korean forces and protect the constitutional democratic order.' It wasn't immediately clear how Yoon's step would affect the country's governance and democracy. The move drew immediate opposition from politicians, including the leader of his own conservative party, Han Dong-hoon, who called the decision wrong and vowed to stop it with the people. Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, who narrowly lost to Yoon in the 2022 presidential election, called Yoon's announcement illegal and unconstitutional. "Through this martial law, I will rebuild and protect the free Republic of Korea, which is falling into the depths of national ruin," Yoon said during a televised speech, invoking South Korea's formal name. "I will eliminate anti-state forces as quickly as possible and normalise the country," he said, while asking the people to believe in him and tolerate "some inconveniences." Yoon, whose approval rating has dipped in recent months " has struggled to push his agenda against an opposition-controlled parliament since taking office in 2022. Yoon's conservative People Power Party had been locked in an impasse with the liberal opposition Democratic Party over next year's budget bill. The opposition has also been attempting to pass motions to impeach three top prosecutors, including the chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, in what the conservatives have called a vendetta against their criminal investigations on Lee, who has been seen as the favourite for the next presidential election in 2027 in opinion polls. Yoon has also been dismissing calls for independent investigations into scandals involving his wife and top officials, drawing quick, strong rebukes from his political rivals. The Democratic Party reportedly called an emergency meeting of its lawmakers following Yoon's announcement. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
03 December,2024 10:32 PM IST | Seoul | APBangladesh on Tuesday summoned Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma to the Foreign Affairs Ministry office, a day after Dhaka lodged a strong protest against the alleged vandalism of its mission in the Indian state of Tripura. "He (Verma) came as he was asked to come when we conveyed him our concerns," a Foreign Ministry official briefly said. Foreign Affairs Adviser Mohammad Touhid Hossain earlier said the Indian envoy was asked to come to the foreign office after the Agartala incident. Verma, on the other hand, said Delhi wants to build a "constant stable, constructive relationship" with Bangladesh saying no single issue should stand a barrier for bilateral ties. "We are willing to engage with the interim government of Bangladesh," he told reporters emerging from the meeting with acting foreign secretary Riaz Hamidullah. India on Monday described as "deeply regrettable" the incident of the breach of the premises of the Bangladesh consulate in Agartala in the northeastern state of Tripura, bordering Bangladesh, by a group of people protesting the arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das here. The comments by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) came hours after the protesters reportedly barged into the assistant high commission of Bangladesh and allegedly resorted to vandalism. The envoy described the relationship as "multifaceted and wide-ranging," which could not sit with one issue or agenda and India is interested to work with Bangladesh government to fulfill the two countries shared aspiration for peace, security and development. Verma also said there are many interdependencies and Delhi is keen to build on that for mutual benefits. Earlier in the day, terming the vandalism at Bangladesh's diplomatic mission in Agartala as India's "failure," Law Affairs Adviser in the interim government Asif Nazrul asked New Delhi to reassess its neighbour afresh after the toppling of the Sheikh Hasina regime. "We believe in a friendship based on equality and mutual respect. While Sheikh Hasina's government followed a pro-India policy to cling to power without elections, India must realise that this is not Sheikh Hasina's Bangladesh," he wrote in a Facebook post. The tension between the two neighbours simmering since August 5, when deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India, aggravated further with the arrest of the Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das last week. Three days after Hasina fled to India following widespread protests against her Awami League-led government over a controversial job quota system, Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel laureate, took over as the Chief Adviser of the interim government. Nazrul alleged an outfit named Hindu Sangharsh Samiti was responsible for what he described as "the disgraceful act" when Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Agartala was vandalised, and "Bangladesh's national flag was set on fire." He emphasised that Bangladesh is an independent, sovereign, and self-respecting nation driven by a "fearless and dynamic young generation." This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
03 December,2024 06:08 PM IST | Dhaka | PTIA writ petition has been filed in the Bangladesh High Court, calling for a ban on Indian television channels, citing concerns over the influence of Indian media on Bangladeshi culture and society. The petition, lodged on Monday by lawyer Ekhlas Uddin Bhuiyan, seeks a directive under the Cable Television Network Operation Act 2006 to halt the broadcast of Indian TV channels within Bangladesh. The petition requests that the court issue a ruling to prohibit the airing of channels such as Star Jalsha, Star Plus, Zee Bangla, Republic Bangla, and other Indian media outlets, which the petitioner argues have been broadcasting provocative content that contradicts Bangladeshi cultural values. It further claims that these broadcasts are unregulated and are leading to detrimental effects on the country's youth. The petition, which may be heard by a High Court bench comprising Justice Fatema Najib and Justice Sikder Mahmudur Razi, names several respondents including the secretaries of the Information Ministry, Home Ministry, and the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC). The growing concern over the influence of Indian media comes amid increasing incidents of violence and unrest in Bangladesh, particularly targeting religious minorities. The country has witnessed a sharp rise in violent attacks on Hindus and other minority groups, particularly after the arrest of former priest Chinmoy Krishna Das in late October. He faced charges of sedition for allegedly hoisting a saffron flag above the national flag in Chittagong. Following this incident, attacks on temples and minority communities escalated, with reports of clashes between police and Das' followers, which culminated in the killing of a lawyer in late November. In light of these tensions, the petition claims that Indian TV channels have been airing content that fans the flames of unrest, further stoking divisions within the country. The petitioners argue that the broadcasts are not only harmful to Bangladesh's cultural fabric but also endanger the security and harmony of the nation. The rise in violence has prompted India to voice its concerns over the situation in Bangladesh. Last week, Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal expressed alarm over the increasing violence against minorities, warning of the growing influence of extremist rhetoric. India has urged the Bangladeshi authorities to take immediate action to ensure the safety and protection of religious minorities, stressing that such developments should not be dismissed as media exaggerations. As per ANI, the court hearing for the petition is expected to take place soon, and further developments are being closely monitored. (With inputs from ANI)
03 December,2024 10:30 AM IST | DhakaIt is the world’s rarest whale, with only seven of its kind ever spotted. Almost nothing is known about the species. But on Monday a group of scientists and experts in New Zealand clustered around a near-perfectly preserved spade-toothed whale hoping to decode decades of mystery. “I can’t tell you how extraordinary it is,” said a joyful Anton van Helden, senior marine science adviser for New Zealand’s conservation agency, who gave the spade-toothed whale its name. Van Helden has studied beaked whales for 35 years, but Monday was the first time he participated in a dissection of the spade-toothed variety. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
03 December,2024 08:11 AM IST | Wellington | AgenciesThousands of giant panda sculptures will greet residents and tourists starting Saturday in Hong Kong, where enthusiasm for the bears has grown since two cubs were born in a local theme park. The 2,500 exhibits were showcased in a launch ceremony of PANDA GO! FEST HK, the city’s largest panda-themed exhibition, at Hong Kong’s airport on Monday. They will be publicly displayed at the Avenue of Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui, a popular shopping district, this weekend before setting their footprint at three other locations this month. One designated spot is Ocean Park, home to the twin cubs, their parents and two other pandas gifted by Beijing this year. The design of six of the sculptures, made of recycled rubber barrels and resins among other materials, was inspired by these bears. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
03 December,2024 08:10 AM IST | Hong Kong | AgenciesSeveral Indian passengers of a Manchester-bound Gulf Air flight were stranded at the Kuwait airport for nearly 20 hours and flown out of the city to their destination on Monday morning. The Gulf Air flight from Bahrain to Manchester was diverted to Kuwait due to a technical glitch. Gulf Air GF5 took off from Bahrain at 2.05 am local time on December 1 but a snag forced the plane to land in Kuwait at 4.01 am, as per reports. With several passengers complaining that they had been stranded at the airport for many hours, the Indian embassy in Kuwait took up the matter with Gulf Air, according to social media posts. In a series of posts on X, the embassy said its team reached the airport to assist the passengers and coordinate with the airline. Passengers were accommodated in two airport lounges, and food and water were made available to them, as per the embassy. Arzoo Singh, a passenger, said there were some 60 passengers stranded. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
03 December,2024 08:09 AM IST | Kuwait City | AgenciesBangladeshi Hindus in Montreal, Canada, organised a protest in solidarity with ISKCON Bangladesh on Monday. Canadian Bangladeshi Hindus urged the Government to press the interim Bangladeshi government to respect minorities’ rights in Bangladesh as they chanted slogans demanding safety for minorities. “Peace and fraternity. We want peace. We want justice. We want to bring an end to the ongoing violence on the minority Hindus and other minority communities in Bangladesh. What is happening? Have you seen?” a protester said. Another protester , while talking to ANI, said that fundamentalists have been let loose in the country, and are taking over institutions. Neil Obermann, a Conservative Party candidate who had joined the protests, said he was not a Bangladeshi, but an ally. He said that hate is not acceptable anywhere, and that is why he is protesting. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
03 December,2024 08:09 AM IST | Montreal | AgenciesAn anti-terrorism court on Monday sent Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan on a 14-day judicial remand in connection with seven cases related to the recent protests by his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. Khan, 72, was presented before the anti-terrorism court judge at Adiala jail, where he has been incarcerated for months, after the completion of a six-day police remand in a separate case about his party’s September 28 protest in Rawalpindi. Judge Amjad Ali Shah presided over the hearing, during which the court approved Khan’s judicial remand in the New Town police station case, as well as in six other cases. The judge rejected a police request for physical remand in six other cases registered between September 28 and October 5. He ordered that Khan should be sent to jail on judicial remand. The former premier was arrested in six cases related to the protests by his party. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
03 December,2024 08:08 AM IST | Islamabad | AgenciesAlready reeling from their November defeats, Democrats now are grappling with President Joe Biden's pardoning of his son for federal crimes after the party spent years slamming Donald Trump as a threat to democracy who disregarded the law. The president pardoned Hunter Biden late Sunday evening, reversing his previous pledges with a grant of clemency that covers more than a decade of any federal crimes his son might have committed. The 82-year-old president said in a statement that his son's prosecution on charges of tax evasion and falsifying a federal weapons purchase form were politically motivated. "He believes in the justice system, but he also believes that politics infected the process and led to a miscarriage of justice," said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who along with Biden and other White House officials insisted for months that Hunter Biden would not get a pardon. That explanation did not satisfy some Democrats, angry that Biden's reversal could make it harder to take on Trump, who has argued that multiple indictments and one conviction against him were a matter of Biden and Democrats turning the justice system against him. "This is a bad precedent that could be abused by later Presidents and will sadly tarnish his reputation," Colorado Gov Jared Polis wrote of Biden on the social media platform X. "When you become President, your role is Pater familias of the nation," the governor continued, a reference to the president invoking fatherhood in explaining his decision. "Hunter brought the legal trouble he faced on himself, and one can sympathize with his struggles while also acknowledging that no one is above the law, not a President and not a President's son." Rep Greg Stanton said on X: "This wasn't a politically motivated prosecution. Hunter committed felonies and was convicted by a jury of his peers." Certainly, the president has plenty of Democratic defenders who note Trump's use of presidential powers to pardon a slew of his convicted aides, associates and friends, several for activities tied to Trump's campaign and administration. "Trump pardoned Roger Stone, Steve Bannon, Michael Flynn and Paul Manafort, as well as his son-in-law's father, Charles Kushner " who he just appointed US ambassador to France," wrote prominent Democratic fundraiser Jon Cooper on X. "Sorry, but Biden was right to pardon his son Hunter to protect him against Kash Patel's weaponised FBI," Cooper concluded, referring to Trump's apparent plan to oust FBI Director Christopher Wray in favour of a loyalist who has talked of going after political opponents and journalists. First lady Jill Biden said Monday from the White House: "Of course I support the pardon of my son." Democrats already are facing the prospects of a Republican trifecta in Washington, with voters returning Trump to the White House and giving the GOP control of the House and Senate. Part of their argument against Trump and Republican leaders is expected to be that the president-elect is violating norms with his talk of taking retribution against his enemies. Before beating Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump faced his own legal troubles, including two cases that stemmed from his efforts to overturn his defeat to Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election. Those cases, including Trump's sentencing after being convicted on New York state business fraud charges, have either been dismissed or indefinitely delayed since Trump's victory on Nov 5, forcing Democrats to recalibrate their approach to the president-elect. In June, President Biden firmly ruled out a pardon or commutation for his son, telling reporters as his son faced trial in the Delaware gun case, "I abide by the jury decision. I will do that and I will not pardon him." As recently as Nov 8, days after Trump's victory, White House press secretary Jean-Pierre ruled out a pardon or clemency for the younger Biden, saying, "We've been asked that question multiple times. Our answer stands, which is no." The president's about-face came weeks before Hunter Biden was set to receive his punishment after his trial conviction in the gun case and guilty plea on tax charges. It capped a long-running legal saga for the younger Biden, who disclosed he was under federal investigation in December 2020 " a month after his father's 2020 victory. The sweeping pardon covers not just the gun and tax offenses against the younger Biden, but also any other "offences against the United States which he has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014, through December 1, 2024." Hunter Biden was convicted in June in Delaware federal court of three felonies for purchasing a gun in 2018 when, prosecutors said, he lied on a federal form by claiming he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs. He had been set to stand trial in September in a California case accusing him of failing to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes. But he agreed to plead guilty to misdemeanour and felony charges in a surprise move hours after jury selection was set to begin. In his statement Sunday, the president argued that such offenses typically are not prosecuted with the same vigour as was directed against Hunter Biden. "The charges in his cases came about only after several of my political opponents in Congress instigated them to attack me and oppose my election," Biden said in his statement. "No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter's cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son... I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision." This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
03 December,2024 08:07 AM IST | Atlanta | AP | PTIThreats by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to impose tariffs have created a split between Canada and Mexico, after Canadian officials said problems with the two countries' borders shouldn't be compared. On Monday, Mexico's president rejected those comments, which were made following a meeting between Trump and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. "Mexico must be respected, especially by its trading partners," President Claudia Sheinbaum said, after Canada's ambassador to the US, Kirsten Hillman, told The Associated Press on Sunday that "the message that our border is so vastly different than the Mexican border was really understood". Sheinbaum said Canada had its own problems with fentanyl consumption and "could only wish they had the cultural riches Mexico has". Trump has threatened to impose 25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico unless they stem the flow of migrants and drugs. Flows of migrants and seizures of drugs at the two countries' border are vastly different. US customs agents seized 43 pounds of fentanyl at the Canadian border during the last fiscal year, compared with 21,100 pounds at the Mexican border. Mexico's efforts to seize fentanyl before it reaches the US have been lackluster. Most of the fentanyl reaching the US " where it causes about 70,000 overdose deaths annually " is made by Mexican drug cartels using precursor chemicals smuggled from Asia. On immigration, the US Border Patrol made 56,530 arrests at the Mexican border in October alone, while there were only 23,721 arrests at the Canadian border between October 2023 and September 2024. During the same period, US Customs and Border Protection reported 1.53 million encounters with migrants at the southwest border withe Mexico. Mexico feels especially hurt by the Canadian comments, because Mexican officials claim their government went to bat for Canada in the past. They claim that Trump, during his first term, initially wanted to leave Canada out of the US-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement in 2018, and Mexico demanded it be included. It is unclear if that was actually the case. Trudeau also got ahead of Sheinbaum by meeting with the US president-elect first. Both leaders are scrambling to get some assurances before Trump takes office. Hillman said Canada is ready to make new investments in border security and there are plans for more helicopters, drones and law enforcement officers. She also noted an agreement between Canada and the US that allows for migrants caught crossing illegally to be sent back to Canada. She said Mexico and the US do not have a similar agreement. On Monday, Sheinbaum revealed more about her own conversation last week with Trump, saying he "had agreed" that Mexico wanted to focus on intelligence sharing in anti-drug efforts, noting "he said that in his opinion that was good". But she said Mexico would reject any direct US intervention in Mexico and continue to enforce the tight restrictions on US law enforcement agencies in Mexico imposed by her predecessor. "That is going to maintained," she said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
03 December,2024 08:05 AM IST | Mexico City | AgenciesUS President Joe Biden on Sunday signed a pardon for his son, Robert Hunter Biden, who had been convicted on charges related to gun crimes and tax violations. The pardon ensures that Hunter Biden will not face sentencing for these offences and removes the possibility of prison time, reported news agency ANI. In a statement, President Biden addressed the charges against his son, arguing that individuals in similar situations--such as those with tax payment issues due to addiction--typically receive non-criminal resolutions. He contended that Hunter's case was treated differently, leading to felony charges despite the absence of aggravating factors. Biden also stressed his commitment to not interfere with the Justice Department's decision-making, despite his belief that his son had been "selectively and unfairly prosecuted," reported ANI. "Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter. From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department's decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively and unfairly prosecuted. Without aggravating factors like use in a crime, multiple purchases, or buying a weapon as a straw purchaser, people are almost never brought to trial on felony charges solely for how they filled out a gun form. Those who were late paying their taxes because of serious addictions but paid them back subsequently with interest and penalties are typically given non-criminal resolutions. It is clear that Hunter was treated differently," the statement read. Biden explained that the charges against his son were initiated after political opponents in Congress pushed for the case to be brought forward. He added that a plea deal, which had been negotiated with the Department of Justice, unravelled in court due to political pressure. "The charges in his cases came about only after several of my political opponents in Congress instigated them to attack me and oppose my election. Then, a carefully negotiated plea deal, agreed to by the Department of Justice, unravelled in the courtroom--with a number of my political opponents in Congress taking credit for bringing political pressure on the process. Had the plea deal held, it would have been a fair, reasonable resolution of Hunter's cases," the statement added. The President maintained that the charges were politically motivated, asserting that Hunter was targeted because of his relationship with him. Biden concluded his statement by expressing his belief that, while he had faith in the justice system, the legal process had been influenced by politics, leading to a "miscarriage of justice." "No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter's cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son--and that is wrong. There has been an effort to break Hunter, who has been five and a half years sober, even in the face of unrelenting attacks and selective prosecution. In trying to break Hunter, they've tried to break me--and there's no reason to believe it will stop here. Enough is enough," Biden said. "For my entire career I have followed a simple principle: just tell the American people the truth. They'll be fair-minded. Here's the truth: I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected this process, and it led to a miscarriage of justice--and once I made this decision this weekend, there was no sense in delaying it further. I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision," the statement added. This pardon marks a significant development following the US presidential elections, as Biden prepares to leave the White House and make way for Donald Trump, who will begin his second term in January 2025. However, the pardon cannot be reversed by President-elect Trump. According to CNN, Hunter Biden was found guilty in June of illegally purchasing and possessing a firearm, following a trial that examined his drug addiction and family issues. He also pleaded guilty in September to nine tax-related charges for failing to pay USD 1.4 million in taxes while spending lavishly on escorts, strippers, cars, and drugs. (With inputs from ANI)
02 December,2024 11:04 AM IST | Washington DC | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
