South Korea braces for unrest ahead of Yoon impeachment ruling
Police in South Korea are making elaborate security arrangements to deal with what they say could be the “worst-case” scenario on the day of the final verdict in president Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment trial.
Mr Yoon is awaiting a Constitutional Court ruling on whether his impeachment by the National Assembly for imposing martial law on 3 December is valid.
If the court upholds the parliamentary decision, Mr Yoon will be formally removed as president.
The ruling is expected as soon as this week. Mr Yoon gave his final statement last month, closing the trial that began in January.
Police say heightened security is needed as both supporters and opponents of Mr Yoon are expected to turn out in large numbers on the day of the ruling, in keeping with the trend of thousands of people coming out on days of significant developments in the saga involving Mr Yoon and causing chaos.
Acting commissioner general of the National Police Agency won’t rule out the use of pepper spray and batons in case of violence. “We are setting up plans considering the worst-case scenarios,” Lee Ho Young said.
Park Hyun Soo, acting chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, plans to “mobilise all available equipment” such as barricades and “designate the area within 100 metres of the Constitutional Court as a protest-free zone, effectively creating a ‘vacuum’ in that space”.
“Clashes in and around the Constitutional Court must be prevented,” he said. “We must protect the Constitutional Court justices while also preventing conflicts between opposing groups on the impeachment issue.”
He is also considering deploying police special forces to “respond to bomb threats”.
The subway station near the Constitutional Court will be closed and trains may not stop at other stations where rallies are expected, the Seoul Metro announced.
The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, meanwhile, is advising six schools near the court to take extra safety measures.
Kim Eun Mi, an official at the education office told Reuters that at least one school will remain closed on the day of the ruling.
“Security has to be tighter than ever, as you can imagine how precarious this situation can get,” a police official told Reuters, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
The alert will be “at the highest level”, the official said, similar to when the Constitutional Court handed down the verdict in the case of former president Park Geun Hye, who was impeached over corruption charges and removed from office in 2017. At least three people were killed and dozens hurt during demonstrations after that ruling.
Mr Yoon was detained on 15 January but freed on Saturday after prosecutors decided not to appeal the Seoul Central District Court’s decision canceling his arrest on Friday.
The court cancelled the president’s arrest warrant citing the timing of his indictment and “questions about the legality” of the investigation process.
TV footage showed Mr Yoon coming out of a prison in Seoul, waving his hand and bowing to his supporters.
The president declared martial law in December, throwing South Korea into turmoil. He banned political activity and sent armed soldiers inside the parliament, which nonetheless reversed his decision within six hours.
If Mr Yoon is removed with the Constitutional Court’s ruling, a new presidential election will be held within 60 days.
Mr Yoon is separately facing a criminal trial on charges of insurrection, one of the few criminal offences the South Korean president does not enjoy immunity from. He is the country’s first sitting to stand trial in a criminal case.
Designer apologises for ‘discomfort’ caused by Ramadan fashion show
A fashion show held on the snowy slopes of a ski resort in India’s Muslim-majority Kashmir region during Ramadan has faced criticism for failing to respect local sensitivities.
Indian design label Shivan & Narresh apologised for organising the fashion show with a dozen models on Friday to mark their 15th anniversary, releasing their new holiday as well as skiwear collection.
Images and videos from the event were widely shared on social media, triggering some outrage among locals who called it a form of “obscenity”, particularly during Islam’s holy month.
Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah said the reaction was understandable given the organisers’ apparent disregard for local sensitivities.
He said his office is seeking a detailed report on the matter, promising appropriate action. “The shock and anger are totally understandable. The images I have seen show a complete disregard for local sensitivities & that too during this holy month,” he said on X.
“My office has been in touch with the local authorities and I’ve asked for a report to be submitted within the next 24 hours. Further action, as appropriate, will follow from this report.”
In a statement posted on X, Shivan & Narresh issued an apology for any “unintended discomfort” caused.
“We deeply regret any hurt caused by our recent presentation in Gulmarg during the holy month of Ramadan. Our sole intention was to celebrate creativity and the ski & après-ski lifestyle, without any desire to offend anyone or any religious sentiments,” it said.
“Respect for all cultures and traditions is at our heart, and we acknowledge the concerns raised. We sincerely apologize for any unintended discomfort and appreciate the feedback from our community.”
The Independent has reached out to Shivan & Narresh for a comment.
Kashmir, the Muslim-majority northernmost region of India, is currently observing the holy month of Ramadan, a period of 30 days when Muslims across the world fast and observe prayers.
Kashmir’s top cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq called the fashion show “outrageous” and “obscene”.
“In the holy month of Ramzan an obscene fashion show is organised in Gulmarg, pictures and videos from which have gone viral sparking shock and anger among people,” Mr Farooq said.
“How could it be tolerated in the valley known for its sufi, culture of saints, and the deeply religious outlook of its people? Those involved should be immediately held accountable. Such obscenity in the name of tourism promotion will not be tolerated in Kashmir,” he added.
The incident has been condemned by a range of local political parties, with the National Conference (NC) party’s member of parliament Syed Aga Ruhullah Mehdi saying it showed “an utter disregard for Kashmiri sentiments”.
The chief of the opposition J&K People’s Conference party Sajad Lone said the fashion show in Gulmarg was “an eminently avoidable event in the holy month of Ramadan”.
“I consider myself to be a person of liberal orientation, and believe in dignified and mutually respectful coexistence. But this was not the best time to host such an event,” Mr Lone said.
Sharma dismisses retirement talk after India win Champions Trophy
India captain Rohit Sharma has dismissed rumours of his retirement after leading his side to triumph in the Champions Trophy.
The opener’s half-century set up a successful chase for India in Dubai as they prevailed against New Zealand by four wickets to secure a second successive major tournament title after T20 World Cup success last year.
India have now just lost once, in the 2023 World Cup final to Australia, in the last three ICC events, establishing themselves as the world’s dominant white-ball side with Sharma, now the 10th leading scorer in one day international (ODI) history, a key component as both captain and tone-setting opener.
Speculation over the 37-year-old’s future had built in recent weeks, though, particularly after he was left out of the final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in January.
But Sharma emphatically dismissed talk that he may bow out of ODI cricket as he celebrated another success for his side.
“I’m not going to retire from this format, just to make sure that no rumours are spread going forward,” Sharma declared, having already bowed out of T20 international cricket last year.
“It is a great team achievement for the team to win two ICC trophies and to go undefeated is the icing on the cake. I have seen very few teams that have won two tournaments undefeated.
“For us, the most important thing was that we come here and prepared and played the opposition. We used the conditions well and won. Future plan… there’s no future plan, whatever is happening will keep happening.”
India played all of their games at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium during the tournament after refusing to travel to Pakistan, the host nation.
North Korea hackers cashing out after world’s biggest crypto heist
Hackers linked to North Korea’s infamous Lazarus group have reportedly cashed out hundreds of millions from the $1.46bn (£1.16bn) they stole in the world’s biggest-ever heist pulled last month.
Investigators – including British blockchain analytics firm Elliptic – tracking the stolen funds say about 20 per cent of the stolen $1.46bn-worth in digital currency has now gone dark, meaning the amount has already been laundered and is unlikely to be recovered.
The digital currency was stolen from the Dubai-based crypto exchange ByBit on 21 February.
The FBI confirmed the heist, saying North Korea was responsible. It warned that the hackers are “proceeding rapidly and have converted some of the stolen assets to Bitcoin and other virtual assets dispersed across thousands of addresses on multiple blockchains.”
“It is expected these assets will be further laundered and eventually converted to fiat currency,” the FBI said.
Initial reports found that malware was used to trick the exchange into approving transactions to wallets owned by hackers.
Within just a few minutes, the stolen funds were quickly funnelled across the internet to other crypto exchanges and anonymous wallets, completing the biggest heist in history.
Following the assets being laundered in real-time, investigators spotted patterns that pointed to a link to one of the world’s most notorious hacking outfits – the Lazarus Group – backed by North Korea.
They say the hackers are carrying out a sophisticated operation to move the stolen funds around, using automated tools and working in shifts around the clock to convert the stolen digital currency into cash.
“North Korea has developed a powerful and sophisticated capability to not only breach target organisations and steal cryptoassets, but also to launder these proceeds through thousands of blockchain transactions,” Elliptic warned in a blog post.
Experts caution that the move could be a broader strategy of the North Korean regime to generate revenue from cybercrime, with the $1.46bn stolen in the heist nearly equalling Pyongyang’s annual defence budget.
As part of their modus operandi, Lazarus hackers first exchange stolen crypto tokens for a “native” blockchain asset such as Ether.
“This is because tokens have issuers who in some cases can ‘freeze’ wallets containing stolen assets, whereas there is no central party who can freeze Ether or Bitcoin,” Elliptic explained.
“This is exactly what happened in the minutes following the Bybit theft, with hundreds of millions of dollars in stolen tokens such as stETH and cmETH exchanged for Ether,” the firm noted.
The stolen funds are then sent through a series of crypto wallets to conceal and complicate the transaction trail, which then gives the hackers valuable time to cash out the assets.
“Within two hours of the theft, the stolen funds were sent to 50 different wallets, each holding approximately 10,000 ETH. These wallets were then emptied one by one over the next nine days,” Elliptic said.
The firm says businesses are being alerted by its software if they receive proceeds from this theft. “This has already directly led to the seizure of some of the funds stolen from Bybit,” the firm said.
China claims breakthrough in vaccine for stroke and heart attack
Scientists in China have developed a potential vaccine to prevent the build-up of plaque in arteries that can lead to blood clots, stroke and heart attacks.
The build-up of fatty plaque in arteries, a condition known as atherosclerosis, is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. The eventual hardening of arteries from inflammation can block the blood flow and lead to a stroke, aneurysm or heart attack.
Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease, mediated by the body’s innate immunity consisting of natural barriers and enzymes as well as its adaptive systems consisting of antibodies.
Such arterial blockages, once diagnosed via scans, are currently treated with surgical procedures like angioplasty and the use of stents to prevent the blood vessels from clogging up.
It has long been theorised that vaccination could be used to treat or prevent the disease.
A new study published in the journal Nature Communications described a vaccine that may mitigate atherosclerosis development in mice.
“Our nanovaccine design and preclinical data present a potential candidate for prophylactic treatment for atherosclerosis,” scientists at Nanjing University of Science and Technology in China wrote.
Previous studies have helped create a digital library of various kinds of proteins that protect against inflammation and boost the body’s immune response to atherosclerosis.
One such protein is called p210. It has been found to trigger an immune response against atherosclerosis progression, and it is what the new vaccine uses.
The vaccine latches the p210 antigen onto tiny iron oxide nanoparticles and attaches an adjuvant – a substance used to enhance the immune response of a vaccine – to a different set of nanoparticles.
The study reports that the “cocktail” design of the vaccine mitigated plaque progression and atherosclerosis development in mice fed a high cholesterol diet.
It worked by helping the body take up the antigen and adjuvant, which then activated the immune system’s star-shaped dendritic cells.
A cascade of changes caused by the vaccine eventually triggered the production of antibodies against p210.
“Our findings demonstrate that the two-pronged nanovaccine delivery strategy is effective against atherosclerosis,” researchers write.
They hope to conduct further studies to understand the duration for which the nanovaccine protects the mice against atherosclerosis.
Former Thai police chief convicted of torture and murder found dead
A former Thai police officer, nicknamed “Joe Ferrari” for his extravagant collection of cars, was found dead in his cell three years after he was sentenced to life for torturing and killing a drug suspect.
Thitisan Utthanaphon was found dead in his cell at Bangkok’s Klong Prem Central Prison on Friday night, prison authorities said.
A Department of Corrections statement confirmed that prison officials were notified of an inmate’s death at 8.50pm on Friday. The deceased was later identified as Thitisan, who had served three years and six months in prison.
“Prison officials have been informed that one inmate named Thitisan Utthanaphon has been found dead,” the statement said.
CCTV footage showed nobody had entered the cell, but an autopsy is being conducted to determine the cause of death, the statement said.
A Thai court in 2022 had jailed six police officers, apart from Thitisan, for life for torturing and killing a drug suspect during interrogation. A Bangkok court initially sentenced the six officers to death for coercion, malfeasance, abuse of authority and death by torture, but commuted that to life imprisonment for their cooperation and attempts to revive the suspect, court documents showed.
The then 40-year-old Thitisan, a police chief in Nakhon Sawan province, was arrested with six other officers in August, when an interrogation video went viral showing the victim with plastic bags over his head, suffocating while pinned down on the floor. One of the officers was jailed for eight years for malfeasance, commuted to just over five years.
The video captured huge attention in Thailand and sparked a debate about abuse and corruption by police and the extent to which powerful law enforcement figures are untouchable.
The trial was seen as a test of Thailand’s judicial system and its willingness to hold senior police accountable.
All of the officers planned to appeal their sentences, Chokchai Angkaew, a lawyer for Thitisan, had told Reuters in 2022.
Thitisan, a career policeman, was also being investigated about the extent and sources of his wealth after the discovery of a dozen luxury vehicles, including a Lamborghini and Ferrari, during a raid on his plush Bangkok home.
Pornpen Khongkachonkiet, a Thai human rights activist who monitors and documents torture cases, said at that time the verdict was an important precedent for legal cases concerning abuse by state officials.
On Friday afternoon, his wife visited him in prison, with officers reporting no unusual behaviour at the time, the Malay Mail reported.
His family had reportedly raised concerns over previous allegations of mistreatment in prison. On 26 February, his mother formally lodged a complaint with the Department of Corrections, calling for an investigation into her son’s treatment in prison, the report said.
His lawyer, Weerasak Nakhin, had claimed that Thitisan instructed him to file a complaint with the Prachachuen police regarding an alleged assault in prison, the outlet reported.
Woman held for locking naked partner out on freezing balcony
A 54-year-old Japanese woman has been arrested for allegedly locking her naked partner out on the balcony overnight, leading to his death three years ago.
The woman, identified by local media as Miho Tsumura from Isahaya, was arrested on suspicion of assault and lethal confinement, police in the Nagasaki region said.
The reason for the delayed arrest was not immediately clear.
The woman forced the victim onto their balcony without his clothes in February 2022 and prevented him from getting back in, a local official, Masafumi Tanigawa, said.
She ordered the victim, her common-law spouse, to get out on a balcony while he was naked and “confined him there”. The next day, police responded to an emergency call and discovered the 49-year-old man “nearly dead” in a room, Mr Tanigawa said.
According to prefectural police, Ms Tsumura called the emergency line at around 6.25am on 7 February 2022, reporting that the man was unresponsive.
When police arrived, they found him lying dead in a room, completely naked.
Police say the victim had been forced to spend the night on the balcony of the woman’s second-floor apartment in Hasami on the night of 6-7 February 2022.
He succumbed to hypothermia as temperatures dropped to 3.7C in Sasebo, a nearby city, according to data from the Japan Meteorological Agency.
Police said on Friday that the woman had previously attacked her partner with a knife, causing injuries that took two weeks to heal.
An autopsy revealed a cut wound on the man’s nose. Prefectural police were investigating whether the suspect had subjected the victim to ongoing violence.
The woman denies the charges. “I have done nothing,” Mr Tanigawa quoted her as saying.
Boy with 95 per cent of face covered in hair sets Guinness record
An 18-year-old in India has made history by securing the Guinness world record for the hairiest face on a man.
Lalit Patidar has nearly 202 hairs per square centimetre on his face due to a rare condition called hypertrichosis, or “werewolf syndrome”.
Despite facing stares from classmates as a child, the teenager from the central Madhya Pradesh state told Guinness World Records that he embraces his uniqueness and now shares glimpses of his daily life on his YouTube channel.
Recently, the teenager travelled to Milan for Lo Show dei Record, where his record was officially confirmed. Over 95 per cent of his face is covered in hair.
“Lalit is one of only around 50 documented cases reported worldwide since the Middle Ages, making him one in a billion,” Guinness World Records said on its website.
“It’s very rare that people are not treating me well. Most people are good to me. It depends on the person. The first day of school wasn’t so good because the other kids were scared of me, but when they got to know me, they realised I’m not so different from them.”
After receiving the title, he said: “I am speechless. I don’t know what to say because I am very happy to get this recognition.”
While some people urge him to remove his facial hair, he confidently responds that he likes himself as he is. “I like how I am, and I don’t want to change my look.”
Patidar has 265,000 followers on Instagram and 108,000 on YouTube.