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SEOUL, Dec 7 (Reuters) - South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol faces the greatest challenge of his brief but chequered political career, despite surviving a bruising impeachment challenge, as members of his own party called for him to resign for imposing martial law. Yoon was regarded as a tough political survivor but became increasingly isolated, dogged by personal scandals and strife, an unyielding opposition and rifts within his own party. After he narrowly won election in 2022, his recent battles have left him increasingly bitter and have drawn out a recklessness that a former rival said was his defining trait. By the time Yoon attempted to impose martial law on Tuesday, he was badly bruised politically. An impeachment motion against him failed late on Saturday when members of his ruling party boycotted the National Assembly session, but even some of them said he was unqualified for office and should resign. The opposition vowed to try again, while Yoon's party said it would find a "more orderly, responsible" way to resolve the crisis. Some analysts said Yoon, a former prosecutor who had never held elected office before his presidential election, showed signs of being in "extreme rage" when martial law was in effect, citing the language he allegedly used to order the arrests of some members of parliament who had clashed with him. A top spy agency official told a parliament intelligence committee that Yoon said, "Grab them all and round them up," according to panel member Kim Byung-kee. Ihn Yohan, a physician and member of parliament for Yoon's People Power Party considered an ally of the president, said the martial law decree was "extreme" but not entirely unjustified given the endless political attacks against Yoon."I hope we remember how the opposition party has incredibly and viciously pushed the president and his family into the corner with threats of special prosecutors and impeachment," he said at a party meeting on Thursday. The past year of Yoon's presidency has been heavily overshadowed by a scandal involving his wife, who was accused of inappropriately accepting a pricey Christian Dior handbag as a gift and his stubborn refusal to fully own up to it. Only after the scandal was blamed as a major reason for a crushing parliamentary election defeat his party suffered in April did he apologise. But he continued to reject calls for a probe into the scandal and into an allegation of stock price manipulation involving his wife and her mother. The prosecutors office that investigated the allegations decided not to press charges against the first lady. Yoon's struggles at home have overshadowed the relative success he has had on the international stage. His bold push to reverse a decades-long diplomatic row with neighbouring Japan and join Tokyo in a three-way security cooperation with the United States are widely seen as his signature foreign policy legacies. Yoon's ability to bond on a personal level, seen as the trait that gave him his early success, was on full display at a White House event last year, when Yoon took the stage and belted out the pop song "American Pie" for an astounded President Joe Biden and a delighted crowd. Born to an affluent family in Seoul, Yoon was an easygoing youth who excelled at school. He entered the elite Seoul National University to study law, but his penchant for partying led him to repeatedly fail the bar exam before passing on the ninth try. Yoon, who turns 64 on Dec. 18, shot to national fame in 2016 when, as the chief investigator probing then-President Park Geun-hye for corruption, he told a reporter that prosecutors are not gangsters, when asked if he was out for revenge. Three years earlier, Park had suspended Yoon, then fired him from a team investigating a high-profile case against the spy agency. That move was widely considered punishment for challenging her authority. The role he played in jailing the sitting president and his dramatic comeback as head of the powerful Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, marked the start of a dizzying rise to power. Two years later, he became prosecutor general and spearheaded a corruption probe against a close ally of the next president, Moon Jae-in. That made him a darling of conservatives frustrated with Moon's liberal policies, setting him up to be a candidate for the presidency in 2022. Yoon beat Lee Jae-myung, the current opposition leader who led the impeachment move against him, by a margin of less than 1%. But Yoon's presidency got off to a rocky start when he pushed ahead with moving the presidential office out of the Blue House compound to a new site, facing questions whether it was because of a feng shui belief that the old presidential compound was cursed. Yoon at the time denied any involvement by himself or his wife with a shaman. When Yoon refused to fire top officials after a 2022 Halloween night disaster, in which 159 people were killed in a crowd crush in Seoul's night-life district of Itaewon, he was accused of protecting "yes men". One of them was Safety Minister Lee Sang-min, a close confidant and fellow graduate of Yoon's high school. Another alumnus of the Choongam High School in Seoul was Kim Yong-hyun, the man who spearheaded the presidential office move, then became the presidential security service, and in September was appointed defence minister. Kim was one of the two people who recommended that Yoon declare martial law, a senior military official said. Lee was the other, according to local media reports. Sign up here. Reporting by Jack Kim; Editing by Michael Perry and William Mallard Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tabManmohan Singh: technocrat who became India's accidental PM
CHY stock touches 52-week high at $12.39 amid market optimismFazl sets one-day ultimatum over madrassa billGarrett's comments about his future add wrinkle to Browns' worst season since 0-16 in 2017 CLEVELAND (AP) — Two days before recording another milestone, resume-building sack on Sunday at Cincinnati, Myles Garrett delivered a jarring hit — on the Browns. In this case, any roughness could be deemed necessary. Tom Withers, The Associated Press Dec 23, 2024 3:23 PM Dec 23, 2024 3:35 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) tosses a jersey to a fan after signing it before an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel) CLEVELAND (AP) — Two days before recording another milestone, resume-building sack on Sunday at Cincinnati, Myles Garrett delivered a jarring hit — on the Browns. In this case, any roughness could be deemed necessary. Garrett piled on to what has been a painful and puzzling season in Cleveland by saying he doesn't have any interest in going through another rebuild and wants to know exactly what the organization's offseason plans are to fix things. If that wasn't enough, Garrett indicated for the first time that he would consider leaving the Browns if his vision doesn't mesh with the team's ambitions. “It’s a possibility,” he said of playing elsewhere. "But I want to be a Cleveland Brown. I want to play my career here.” It's unclear how Garrett's comments were received by owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam, who have plenty to consider as the Browns (3-12) head into the final two weeks of a season that began with playoff expectations and could be followed by upheaval. The Browns haven't been this bad since going 0-16 in 2017. Garrett, who reached 100 career sacks by taking down Cincinnati's Joe Burrow late in the first half of Sunday's 24-6 loss , may have either added to the Haslams' long list of concerns — the Deshaun Watson contract situation is a priority — or brought them clarity. There's no denying that Garrett's remarks carry substantial weight, which is partly why he spoke up. He's the Browns' best player, a franchise cornerstone, a future Hall of Famer and arguably the most disruptive defensive force in the game today. He's also leading with actions. Garrett showed extraordinary effort in chasing down and tackling Burrow before tumbling out of bounds and crashing into Cleveland's bench and some portable heaters. He might be frustrated, but he's not giving up. “A testament of who he is as a player and who he is as a person,” linebacker Jordan Hicks said. What the reigning Defensive Player of the Year says matters. It will be interesting to see if the Haslams listen. At this point, there are indications the Browns intend to stick with coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry, whose major misses in recent drafts have become more magnified with each loss. There will be changes; it's just a matter of how drastic and if they'll be enough to satisfy Garrett's wishes. He turns 29 on Dec. 29 and has two years left on a $125 million contract extension. The All-Pro is in his prime and doesn't want to waste another season in a pointless pursuit of a Super Bowl title. His goal is to win a championship with Cleveland — or someone. Garrett's serious. He's asking the Browns to show him they are, too. What's working Cleveland's defense is doing its part. For the second week in a row, the Browns contained one of the NFL's most talented offenses, holding the Bengals and their top-ranked passing game below most of their season averages. Burrow did throw three TD passes — for the seventh game in a row — but Cincinnati scored fewer than 27 points for the first time in seven games. What needs help The Browns continue to beat themselves with costly turnovers, some more costly than others. They drove to the Cincinnati 1-yard line in the opening minutes only to have D'Onta Foreman fumble as he neared the goal line. The Bengals capitalized by driving 99 yards to take a 7-0 lead that could have been Cleveland's. Stock up Running back Jerome Ford is making the most of a heavier workload and finishing strong. He ripped off a 66-yard run on the game's first play and finished with 131 all-purpose yards, including 92 on 11 carries and scored Cleveland's only TD. Ford's emergence as a potential No. 1 back — Nick Chubb's injuries have clouded his future — gives the team one less thing to worry about as it retools the roster. Stock down Kicker Dustin Hopkins hasn't shaken a startling slump. After being benched for a week to work through his struggles, Hopkins missed his only kick, pushing an extra point to the right. Hopkins felt confident going in, but he's back to trying to identify issues that could be equally mechanical and mental. He's just 16 of 25 on field goals, 16 of 19 on PATs and the Browns' decision to sign him to a three-year, $15.9 million extension this summer looks worse every week. Injuries QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson injured his calf early in Sunday's game, leaving his status in doubt for a second straight start this week. If Thompson-Robinson can't go, the Browns could go back to Jameis Winston, but he's dealing with a sore right shoulder. ... Tight end David Njoku is dealing with yet another injury after hurting his knee. The team is awaiting results on an MRI, perhaps a sign of the severity. Njoku has missed time with injuries all season. He finished with eight catches for 66 yards. Key number 20 — Interceptions for the Browns this season. Thompson-Robinson's two picks on Sunday gave the team 10 in the last four games. What's next Probably a half-empty stadium for a final home game on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins, who are still in the hunt for a wild-card spot. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Tom Withers, The Associated Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Get your daily Victoria news briefing Email Sign Up More Football (NFL) Aiming for top seed, Lions play 49ers on road before closing regular season at home against Vikings Dec 23, 2024 4:03 PM Nothing's guaranteed, but Bucs need to win out to give themselves best shot to make the playoffs Dec 23, 2024 3:55 PM NFL Inactive Report Dec 23, 2024 3:54 PM
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Insurgents' stunning march across Syria accelerated Saturday with news that they had reached the suburbs of the capital and that government forces had withdrawn from the central city of Homs. The government was forced to deny rumors that President Bashar Assad had fled the country. The loss of Homs is a potentially crippling blow for Assad. It stands at an important intersection between Damascus and Syria’s coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus — the Syrian leader’s base of support and home to a Russian strategic naval base. The pro-government Sham FM reported that government forces took positions outside Syria’s third-largest city, without elaborating. Rami Abdurrahman who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said Syrian troops and members of different security agencies have withdrawn from the city, adding that rebels have entered parts of it. The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App The capture of Homs is a major victory for insurgents, who have already seized the cities of Aleppo and Hama, as well as large parts of the south, in a lightning offensive that began Nov. 27. Analysts said Homs falling into rebel hands would be a game-changer. The rebels' moves around Damascus, reported by the monitor and a rebel commander, came after the Syrian army withdrew from much of southern part of the country, leaving more areas, including several provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters. The advances in the past week were among the largest in recent years by opposition factions, led by a group that has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Nations. In their push to overthrow Assad's government, the insurgents, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, have met little resistance from the Syrian army. For the first time in the country's long-running civil war, the government now has control of only three of 14 provincial capitals: Damascus, Latakia and Tartus. Syrian opposition fighters ride along the streets in the aftermath of the opposition's takeover of Hama, Syria, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed) The UN’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, on Saturday called for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” Speaking to reporters at the annual Doha Forum in Qatar, he said the situation in Syria was changing by the minute. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, whose country is Assad's chief international backer, said he feels “sorry for the Syrian people.” In Damascus, people rushed to stock up on supplies. Thousands went to Syria's border with Lebanon, trying to leave the country. Many shops in the capital were shuttered, a resident told The Associated Press, and those still open ran out of staples such as sugar. Some were selling items at three times the normal price. “The situation is very strange. We are not used to that,” the resident said, insisting on anonymity, fearing retributions. “People are worried whether there will be a battle (in Damascus) or not.” It was the first time that opposition forces reached the outskirts of Damascus since 2018, when Syrian troops recaptured the area following a yearslong siege. The UN said it was moving noncritical staff outside the country as a precaution. Assad's status Syria’s state media denied social media rumors that Assad left the country, saying he is performing his duties in Damascus. A boy steps over pictures of Syrian President Bashar Assad and his late father, Hafez Assad, right, Salamiyah, east of Hama, Syria, Saturday Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed) He has had little, if any, help from his allies. Russia, is busy with its war in Ukraine. Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up Assad's forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran has seen its proxies across the region degraded by regular Israeli airstrikes. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday posted on social media that that the United States should avoid engaging militarily in Syria. Follow the CTV News channel on WhatsApp Pedersen said a date for talks in Geneva on the implementation a UN resolution, adopted in 2015, and calling for a Syrian-led political process, would be announced later. The resolution calls for the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with UN-supervised elections. Later Saturday, foreign ministers and senior diplomats from eight key countries, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran, along with Pederson, gathered on the sidelines of the Doha Summit to discuss the situation in Syria. No details were immediately available. The insurgents' march Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said insurgents were in the Damascus suburbs of Maadamiyah, Jaramana and Daraya. Opposition fighters were marching toward the Damascus suburb of Harasta, he added. A commander with the insurgents, Hassan Abdul-Ghani, posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition forces had begun the “final stage” of their offensive by encircling Damascus. HTS controls much of northwest Syria and in 2017 set up a “salvation government” to run day-to-day affairs in the region. In recent years, HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani has sought to remake the group’s image, cutting ties with al-Qaida, ditching hard-line officials and vowing to embrace pluralism and religious tolerance. Residents leave the city carrying their belongings in the aftermath of the opposition's takeover of Hama, Syria, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed) The shock offensive began Nov. 27, during which gunmen captured the northern city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest, and the central city of Hama, the country’s fourth largest city. Opposition activists said Saturday that a day earlier, insurgents entered Palmyra, which is home to invaluable archaeological sites had been in government hands since being taken from the Islamic State group in 2017. Complete coverage of conflicts in the Mideast To the south, Syrian troops left much of the province of Quneitra including the main Baath City, activists said. Syrian Observatory said government troops have withdrawn from much of the two southern provinces. The Syrian army said in a statement that it carried out redeployment and repositioning in Sweida and Daraa after its checkpoints came under attack by “terrorists." The army said it was setting up a “strong and coherent defensive and security belt in the area,” apparently to defend Damascus from the south. Syrian opposition fighters drive past a damaged government vehicle south of Hama, Syria, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed) The Syrian government has referred to opposition gunmen as terrorists since conflict broke out in March 2011. Diplomacy in Doha The foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey, meeting in Qatar, called for an end to the hostilities. Turkey is a main backer of the rebels. Qatar's top diplomat, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, criticized Assad for failing to take advantage of the lull in fighting in recent years to address the country’s underlying problems. “Assad didn’t seize this opportunity to start engaging and restoring his relationship with his people,” he said. Sheikh Mohammed said he was surprised by how quickly the rebels have advanced and said there is a real threat to Syria’s “territorial integrity.” He said the war could “damage and destroy what is left if there is no sense of urgency” to start a political process. __ Karam reported from London. Associated Press writers Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria and Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad contributed to this report.Baker Mayfield, high-flying Bucs visit Chargers in matchup of teams with winning records
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