SEOUL, South Korea — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who stunned the world this week by declaring martial law, has narrowly avoided being impeached, as his party's lawmakers boycotted the parliamentary vote on his ouster Saturday. The motion by opposition lawmakers accused him of insurrection, calling his decree an unconstitutional self-coup. "The president has betrayed the trust of the people and has lost the right to carry out state affairs," the impeachment motion read. Thousands of protesters had gathered outside the National Assembly to cheer on his removal. Now protests are expected to build. "We will not give up. We will prevail," liberal opposition leader Lee Jae-myung said after the motion fell through. "By Christmas, we will bring people the end-of-year gift of restoring the country to normalcy." The liberal party said it would submit the motion again at the next parliamentary session on Wednesday — and every week after that until it passes. The question is whether enough members of Yoon's conservative ruling party will vote to oust him while he still has two-and-a-half years remaining in his term, potentially ceding the presidency to the liberal opposition. Impeaching Yoon requires the support of at least two-thirds of the 300-member National Assembly — or 200 votes. Because the opposition coalition holds 192 seats, impeachment requires eight or more votes from Yoon's conservative People Power Party. In the days following the martial law declaration, a handful of ruling party legislators had indicated they would at least consider impeachment. But only three of them showed up for the vote Saturday, with the remaining 105 leaving the plenary hall in protest. Outside the National Assembly, the crowd gathered to call for Yoon's removal let out a cry of frustration. Among them were citizens who had traveled from hours away and college students studying for exams in the throng while keeping one eye on the news. "Arrest Yoon Suk-yeol!" they chanted as they marched down the promenade. In declaring martial law Tuesday, Yoon railed against the opposition-controlled National Assembly, which he accused of being a "den of criminals" and North Korea-sympathizers. Gen. Park An-su, whom Yoon designated as his martial law commander, subsequently suspended all political activity and declared the media under the military's control. For many in South Korea , the move chillingly harked to the country's past military dictatorships. But three hours after Yoon's decree, legislators — many of them scaling the gates of the locked-down National Assembly — unanimously voted to overrule Yoon, requiring him to lift the decree. On Saturday morning, in a two-minute address to the nation, Yoon apologized for inconveniencing the public and said that he had been motivated by "desperation." While Yoon reportedly told his officials and party members that his decree was meant to send a message to an adversarial legislature — which has filed numerous impeachments against his appointees and moved to investigate his wife on charges of graft and stock manipulation — many, including his own party members, say they believe he had much more sinister motives. Han Dong-hun, the leader of the People Power Party, said that there were signs that the special forces soldiers who had stormed the National Assembly were acting on orders to arrest him and other legislators. Opposition leader Lee, whom Yoon narrowly defeated in the presidential election two years ago, has said the same. "We've confirmed that President Yoon ordered the arrest of major politicians on the grounds that they were anti-state forces," Han said at a party meeting Friday. "I don't think we can pretend like nothing happened." While stating that this was based on "credible" sources, Han did not elaborate, offering only that these plans would be made public in due time "through various channels." In a meeting with Han that same day, Yoon denied giving such an order, Han said. Hong Jang-won, a senior official at the National Intelligence Service, the country's spy agency , told lawmakers Friday that Yoon called him to order the arrest of several lawmakers, including party leaders Lee and Han. Spy chief Cho Tae-yong has disputed Hong's allegations. Yet even while condemning the martial law declaration as unconstitutional and acknowledging that Yoon must ultimately be removed from office, Han and most of his party allies balked at impeachment. For the South Korean conservatives, impeachment is their exposed nerve, and they have reason to tread lightly. The first and only South Korean president to be successfully impeached was conservative Park Geun-hye, who was later investigated and jailed on corruption charges. Her downfall splintered the conservative camp and opened a path for liberal successor Moon Jae-in, whose term conservatives refer to as "the lost five years." Crucial to the success of Park's impeachment was a bloc of conservative legislators who joined the opposition to vote in favor. It is why many party stalwarts are determined to avoid the same fate this time around. "We cannot have any more traitors surrendering to the enemy, like the time with Park Geun-hye," Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo wrote on social media Wednesday. Instead, Yoon's party members have floated more moderate solutions that would make way for Yoon's "orderly resignation," such as revising the constitution to shorten Yoon's term, transferring some of his presidential powers to the prime minister or forming a bipartisan Cabinet. In his recent public address, Yoon said he would leave his fate to the party, hinting that he may relinquish much of his authority to Han, should he avoid impeachment. The liberal opposition has rejected any alternatives to impeachment, calling Yoon a "ticking time bomb." "He is in a very troubling mental state right now. We don't have time to discuss something like 'an orderly resignation,' " liberal party spokesperson Yoon Jong-kun told reporters Saturday morning. "Only Yoon's immediate removal from official duties and impeachment can alleviate the anger of the people and South Korea' s plummeting international credit rating." The liberal party has said that it would propose the motion again Wednesday. "We are going to propose it repeatedly," Lee Jae-myung said, "until it goes through." ©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
In a kindness crossover the world needs, one kid doing amazing work in Greater Victoria discovered another and is doubling down in support of a clinical trials hub for kids in B.C. Felix Townsin has a remarkably long history of philanthropy for a 14-year-old. His little sister Lexi died in 2019, just shy of her seventh birthday, of complications related to the rare genetic disorder Blau Syndrome. He was 9. When he was five, Felix wrote the book Don't Floss Your Toes, as a fundraiser for Blau syndrome (early onset sarcoidosis) and juvenile arthritis endeavours. The last of years, the Esquimalt teen has spread kindness in Lexi’s honour, most recently with the A Million Acts of Love campaign that inspired 1,016,012 acts of love worldwide by Dec. 16, 2024, which would have been Lexi’s 12th birthday. Simon Hoskins, 8, and his family – including twin sister Isabel and older brother Spencer – embarked on a similar venture, raising funds and awareness of mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) Type IV, or Morquio. The Oak Bay boy lives with the rare progressive genetic disease. Just ahead of the holidays, Felix heard about Simon and his latest missing to fund the Clinical Trials Super Hub at BC Children’s Hospital, according to A Million Acts of Love social media post. “Inspired to help, Felix asked if Lexi’s A Million Acts of Love Tree could support Simon’s incredible project,” the post reads. “Now, every donation to Lexi’s tree helps kids like Simon access life-saving clinical trials – bringing hope to families like ours. This new hub for clinical trials will bring hope to so many.” A Million Acts of Love tree is in the Top 10 of nearly 100 fundraising trees gracing the Bay Centre in Victoria to support BC Children’s Hospital. Since the Bay Centre started hosting the annual display in 2015, it has generated over $1.4 million in critical funds for the most urgent needs at BCCH. The goal this year is to raise $100,000 and hit that $1.5 million mark. The festival runs until Jan. 5, 2025. Visit curemps.ca and lexislegacy.com to learn more about both Greater Victoria families’ ongoing efforts.
Overhauls of 'heritage brands' raise the question: How important are our products to our identities?NoneOn Football analyzes the biggest topics in the NFL from week to week. For more On Football analysis, head here . Saquon Barkley has become the Shohei Ohtani of the NFL. There’s no better home run hitter playing football right now. Barkley had touchdown runs of 72 and 70 yards for the Philadelphia Eagles in a 37-20 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night. He now has five runs of 50-plus yards this season and is on pace to break Eric Dickerson’s single-season record of 2,105 yards set in 1984. Barkley’s historic performance against the Rams — his 255 yards set a team record — captivated a national audience and turned him into a fan favorite for the AP NFL MVP award. He’s not the betting favorite, however. Josh Allen has the best odds at plus-150, according to Bet MGM Sportsbook. Two-time MVP Lamar Jackson is next at plus-250 followed by Barkley at plus-400. Running backs have won the award 18 times, including three-time winner Jim Brown, who was the AP’s first NFL MVP in 1957. Quarterbacks have dominated the award, winning it 45 times. Only three players who weren’t QBs or RBs have been MVP. It takes a special season for a non-QB to win it mainly because the offense goes through the signal caller. Quarterbacks handle the ball every offensive snap, run the show and get the credit when things go well and the blame when it doesn’t. Adrian Peterson was the most recent non-QB to win it when he ran for 2,097 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Minnesota Vikings in 2012. Playing for a winning team matters, too. Nine of the past 11 winners played for a No. 1 seed with the other two winners on a No. 2 seed. The Vikings earned the sixth seed when Pederson was MVP. Barkley is a major reason why the Eagles (9-2) are leading the NFC East and only trail Detroit (10-1) by one game for the top spot in the conference. Does he have a realistic chance to win the MVP award? Kicker Mark Moseley was the MVP in the strike-shortened 1982 season when he made 20 of 21 field goals and 16 of 19 extra points in nine games for Washington. If voters once selected a kicker, everyone has a chance, especially a game-changer such as Barkley. Defensive tackle Alan Page was the MVP in 1971 and linebacker Lawrence Taylor won it in 1986. Story continues below video Running back Christian McCaffrey finished third in voting last year and wide receiver Justin Jefferson placed fifth in 2022. The Offensive Player of the Year award and Defensive Player of the Year award recognize the best all-around players on both sides of the ball, allowing voters to recognize non-QBs if they choose. Wide receivers and running backs have won the AP OPOY award seven times over the past 11 seasons. McCaffrey was the 2023 winner. The AP’s new voting format introduced in 2022 also gives non-QBs a better opportunity to get MVP recognition. Voter submit their top five picks for each award, with a weighted point system. Previously, voters made one choice for each award. A nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league vote for MVP and seven other awards. The awards are based on regular-season performance. The Chiefs (10-1) and Bills (9-2) already are in position to lock up postseason berths right after Thanksgiving. Kansas City clinches a playoff berth with a win over Las Vegas on Black Friday and a loss by Miami on Thursday night, or a win plus a loss by Denver on Monday night. Buffalo can wrap up a fifth straight AFC East title with a victory over San Francisco on Sunday and a loss by the Dolphins. It’s not a given that the Dallas Cowboys will be looking for a new head coach after this season. Owner Jerry Jones said Tuesday on local radio that Mike McCarthy could end up getting a contract extension. “I don’t think that’s crazy at all. This is a Super Bowl-winning coach. Mike McCarthy has been there and done that. He has great ideas. We got a lot of football left,” Jones said. McCarthy led the Cowboys (4-7) to three straight 12-win seasons, but they went 1-3 in the playoffs and haven’t reached the NFC championship game since winning the Super Bowl 29 years ago. Injuries have contributed to the team’s struggles this season, but Dallas was just 3-5 before Dak Prescott was lost for the rest of the season. The Cowboys upset Washington last week and their next four games are against teams that currently have losing records. If they somehow end up 9-8 or even 8-9, Jones could make a case for keeping McCarthy. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflLeeds United have condemned and warned a section of their fans after chants emerged on social media about Palestine and their Israeli player Manor Solomon. To the tune of the Manfred Mann song Do Wah Diddy Diddy , footage has been viewed over a million times on the platform X of numerous Leeds fans at Stoke City’s Bet 365 Stadium singing, “Looks good, looks good, looks fine, looks fine, Manor Solomon’s on my mind and he hates Palestine”. Leeds won 2-0 on St Stephen’s Day at Stoke to go top of the Championship table but the club have now called out the behaviour of those fans and warned that they could be breaking the law. “Discriminatory language or chanting is not acceptable and supporters could be breaking the law,” said a Leeds spokesperson. “The club condemns this behaviour and has a zero-tolerance policy towards discrimination abuse of all kinds. “Tough measures and sanctions are in place across all English football leagues to tackle illegal behaviours within football grounds, and this involves but is not limited to, discriminatory behaviour and tragedy chanting.” The Football Association and the English Football League are both aware of the chanting but have not commented. Police can also take action if they believe fans have engaged in discriminatory behaviour or what is called “tragedy chanting”. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, more than 45,000 Palestinian people had been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its military response to the Oct 7 Hamas attacks last year. Arrests have already been made this year in English football over chanting about the Hillsborough Disaster, with several fans issued with three-year banning orders. Solomon, who has joined Leeds on loan from Tottenham this season, is also a regular in the Israeli national team. The 25-year-old moved to England in 2022 from Shakhtar Donetsk following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
WASHINGTON (TNS) — My prediction that President Joe Biden would drop out was a rare bright spot among last year’s not totally serious predictions. Undaunted, I try again by looking ahead to 2025: January — House re-elects Speaker Mike Johnson on third ballot after he agrees to make Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene assistant speaker. Outgoing Biden commutes sentences of 1,250 non-violent drug offenders and pardons Donald Trump for “all past and future offenses.” In his inaugural speech, Trump thanks “my friend, Joe Biden” for his service. Trump issues an executive order to begin deporting illegal immigrants. Boise State wins the college football title. Senate Intelligence Committee rejects Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination as director of national intelligence. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. confirmed as Health and Human Services secretary on a 50-50 tie broken by Vice President JD Vance. February — Congress passes previously stalled legislation providing additional funds for immigration enforcement. Trump names Texas Gov. Greg Abbott as director of national intelligence, elevating his close ally Dan Patrick to governorship. Trump launches probe of mystery drone sightings. Detroit Lions defeat Kansas City to win Super Bowl for first championship in 67 years. KC’s Travis Kelce retires and proposes to Taylor Swift. Twelve Democratic state attorneys general file suit in Michigan federal court to block deportations. Democratic National Committee elects Rahm Emanuel as new chair. March — Trump imposes a 20% tariff on all U.S. imports. Stock market drops 20%. President rejects Elon Musk proposal to merge Army and Air Force, potentially saving $500 billion. Trump invites Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to meet in Budapest to settle the war. Zelenskyy refuses. Trump vetoes congressional resolution extending federal funding, forcing a partial federal shutdown. April — In a stunning upset, Democrats win one of two special elections in heavily Republican Florida districts, cutting GOP House margin to 219-216. Trump signs a resolution to reopen government. Duke defeats Gonzaga to win college basketball title. Congress ends U.S. military aid for Ukraine. Zelenskyy agrees to meet Trump and Putin. Alexander Ovechkin finishes season two goals short of Wayne Gretzky’s all-time National Hockey League record. Zelenskyy agrees to a ceasefire on current battle lines, granting Russia additional land in the eastern part of the country. May — Trump rejects Musk’s proposal to remove the cap on income subject to Social Security taxes, which would have raised taxes on wealthy participants but extended solvency of system. Taylor Swift accepts Travis Kelce proposal. Democrats score upset victory in special election for U.N. Ambassador Elise Stefanik’s Upstate New York House seat, cutting GOP margin to 218-217. Former Vice President Kamala Harris announces she’ll seek California governorship in 2026. June — Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo wins eight-way Democratic primary for mayor of New York City. Washington Capitals upset Dallas Stars to win their second Stanley Cup. Boston Celtics defend their NBA title. Trump rejects Musk proposal to cut veterans health benefits to save $300 billion. Michigan federal court rules Trump deportation order unconstitutional. Administration seeks immediate Supreme Court hearing. July — Israel holds a war-delayed election and Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu loses to a centrist coalition. Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, a former journalist, takes over. Trump announces the mysterious drones were launched by billionaire and White House adviser Elon Musk. Congress passes tax bill extending the 2017 Trump tax cuts and removing taxes on tipped income and Social Security benefits. Congressional Budget Office projects $4.2 trillion deficit for next year. Stock market hits new 2025 low. August — Deaths of two House members, one from each party, create vacancies cutting GOP margin to 217-216. Speaker Johnson fires head of Congressional Budget Office for “misleading projections.” The Supreme Court schedules deportation appeal for October. In war-delayed Ukraine election, Zelenskyy is defeated by Gen. Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, his top military leader. Trump’s job approval dips below 50. Trump names Bettina Anderson as U.S. ambassador to Zimbabwe after reported breakup with Donald Trump Jr. September — Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift get married in KC’s Arrowhead Stadium on national television before NFL opener. Trump presents Musk-Ramaswamy report to Congress, calling for $150 billion in budget reductions, well short of their original $2 trillion goal. Targets include the new FBI headquarters, the $16 billion Hudson River Rail Tunnel, and the California high speed rail project. Musk resigns as unpaid presidential adviser and announces he will seek the Texas governorship. Ramaswamy resigns, announces candidacy for Ohio governorship. October — In Washington Capitals’ hockey opener, Alexander Ovechkin scores hat trick to become all-time National Hockey League goals leader. Federal grand jury rejects Justice Department effort to indict former Rep. Liz Cheney for “witness tampering” in Jan. 6 probe. Conservative Pierre Poilievre ousts Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Canadian election. New York Mets upset 2024 champion Los Angeles Dodgers in National League Championship Series but lose World Series to underdog Las Vegas Athletics. November — Democrat Abigail Spanberger elected governor of Virginia, continuing 48-year pattern of victories by the party that lost the prior presidential race. But Republican Jack Ciattarelli, narrow 2021 loser, scores upset in New Jersey. Democrats win both special House elections, overturning GOP’s 218-217 majority. The Supreme Court upholds Trump executive order, and deportations begin. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz resigns to become University of Minnesota football coach. December — Unemployment takes a sudden upward surge. Trump’s job approval drops to 44. New House Democratic majority elects New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries as first Black speaker. Massachusetts Rep. Katherine Clark becomes first female majority leader. Republicans oust Johnson, make Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan minority leader. Trump names former Speaker Johnson as ambassador to Pacific islands of Fiji, Kiribati, Tonga, Nauru and Tuvalu. (Carl P. Leubsdorf is the former Washington bureau chief of the Dallas Morning News. Readers may write to him via email at carl.p.leubsdorf@gmail.com .)Suder scores 16 as Miami (Ohio) downs Mercer 75-72
