Author: Trainee Reporter

South Korea: South Korean authorities have requested an arrest warrant for suspended President Yoon Suk-yeol, charging him with insurrection and abuse of power after his brief imposition of martial law earlier this month. If approved, it would mark an exceptional moment in the nation’s history. The Joint Investigation Headquarters, a coalition of officials from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), the police, and the Ministry of Defence, announced the move. The team stated that Yoon had skipped three summonses to appear for questioning, prompting the request for his detention. A court will now decide whether to allocate the…

United States: Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, passed away at the age of 100. Jimmy Carter entered hospice care in February 2023 after years of declining health. Diagnosed with cancer in 2015, he became the longest-lived U.S. president, achieving a milestone century in October 2024. Carter’s post-presidential humanitarian work, including disease eradication and election monitoring, gained him a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. His presidency, marked by a groundbreaking Middle East peace accord, was hindered by domestic economic challenges and the Iranian hostage crisis. Born in rural Georgia during the Great Depression, Carter’s upbringing on a…

United States: Donald Trump has expressed his full support for the H-1B visa programme for foreign tech workers, backing comments made by billionaire tech CEO Elon Musk. Musk, who has become an influential figure in the Trump administration’s transition, took to social media to defend the programme, vowing to “go to war” to protect it from growing opposition among hard-right activists. Trump, who limited the use of the visa during his first term, switched his stance in an interview. Trump called the H-1B visa programme “great,” stating that, “I have many H-1B visas on my properties. I’ve been a believer…

UK: The UK’s major airports have been hit by severe delays and cancellations for the second consecutive day due to persistent heavy fog. Gatwick and Stansted were among the worst affected, with disruptions expected. Heathrow, Birmingham, and Manchester also reported significant delays, causing widespread inconvenience for travellers. Passengers have been urged to check their flight status before travelling, as visibility issues persist to cause problems. The UK’s air traffic control provider, Nats, stated that temporary air restrictions stay in place for areas with low visibility, with the situation being closely monitored. At Gatwick’s South Terminal, frustrated passengers were seen sitting…

United States: The United States has observed “early indications” that Russia may have played a role in the Azerbaijan Airlines crash on December 25, which resulted in the deaths of 38 people, according to White House spokesman John Kirby. While Kirby did not deliver specific details, he confirmed that the US has offered aid in the ongoing investigation. Aviation experts and eyewitnesses have raised distrust that Russian air defence systems may have targeted the Embraer 190 aircraft as it attempted to land in Chechnya, forcing it to divert across the Caspian Sea to Kazakhstan, where it ultimately crashed. The Kremlin…

United States: US President-elect Donald Trump has requested that the US Supreme Court delay a proposed TikTok ban, as he works toward a “political resolution” after taking office. In a legal brief filed, Trump’s lawyer argued that the former president resists the ban and should be allowed to resolve the matter through political means rather than legal battles. The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on January 10 regarding a US law requiring TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell the app to an American company or face a ban by January 19, one day before Trump’s inauguration. The…

Panama: Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino has dismissed recent accusations by US president-elect Donald Trump, who claimed that Chinese soldiers are stationed at the Panama Canal. Trump’s comments, made via his Truth Social account, indicated that China is “illegally” operating the canal, a claim Mulino called “nonsense” and unequivocally denied. In response to Trump’s claims, Mulino stated that, “There is not a single Chinese soldier in the canal,” emphasising that there is “absolutely no Chinese interference.” Mulino also rejected Trump’s demand for lower tolls for US ships, strengthening that the canal is entirely under Panamanian control and that there would…

India: Former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, one of India’s most revered leaders and architects of modern economic reforms, has died at the age of 92. Singh, who served as India’s prime minister from 2004 to 2014 and formerly as finance minister, passed away in Delhi after his health deteriorated. Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid homage to Singh, calling him “one of India’s most distinguished leaders” and praising his “wisdom and humility.” Congress leaders Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi also mourned the loss, with Rahul directing Singh as a “mentor and guide.” Born on September 26, 1932, in the Punjab region…

Kazakhstan: Dozens of people have survived a tragic crash involving Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243, which was carrying 67 passengers and crew when it crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan. Local authorities notified that 38 individuals were killed in the incident. The flight, which had departed from Baku, Azerbaijan, at 03:55 GMT on 25th December, was en route to Grozny, Russia, when it was diverted due to dense fog. The plane tried an emergency landing approximately 3 kilometres from Aktau but caught fire as it descended. The crash occurred around 06:28 GMT, and the aircraft descended rapidly with its landing gear deployed before…

Russia: Russia has launched a large-scale overnight assault on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in a Christmas Day attack, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemning the strikes as a “conscious choice” to impose suffering. Ukraine’s air force reported detecting 184 missiles and drones during the attack, many of which were intercepted or failed to reach their targets. Casualties were reported, though no precise figures have been released. The assault initiated widespread power outages, including in Kyiv’s capital, where residents sought shelter in metro stations. Ukrainian energy company DTEK confirmed that this was the 13th major attack on the country’s energy sector this…