News

Ukraine minerals deal imminent: Trump

2025/03/21 10:00

U.S. President Donald Trump says a minerals deal with Ukraine is getting close, while officials from the U.S., Ukraine and Russia will be in Saudi Arabia next week in the hope of finding a breakthrough in peace talks. Lee Seung-jae reports. U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday, that a minerals and natural resources deal with Ukraine is getting closer. Trump made the announcement at the White House,.. after signing an order to increase U.S. production of critical minerals. "We're doing very well with regard to Ukraine and Russia. And one of the things we are doing is signing a deal very shortly with respect to rare earths with Ukraine, which they have tremendous value in rare earth. And we appreciate that." Washington and Kyiv said earlier this month that they had agreed to conclude the minerals deal as soon as possible. The comments by Trump also come as he spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday, in what the White House said was a "fantastic" one-hour phone call. President Trump also said Thursday that progress towards a ceasefire deal between Russia and Ukraine is progressing well. "And we spoke yesterday with, as you know, President Putin and President Zelenskyy. And we would love to see that come to an end. And I think we're doing pretty well in that regard. So hopefully we would save thousands of people a week from dying. That's what it's all about. They're dying." Meanwhile, officials from the U.S., Russia and Ukraine will head to Saudi Arabia next week to hold talks on a potential ceasefire deal. Talks on a U.S.-led proposal for a partial ceasefire will resume next Monday with Russian and Ukrainian officials holding talks separately with U.S. officials. According to President Zelenskyy speaking at a news conference in Oslo on Thursday, U.S. officials would meet with Ukrainian experts, and then hold separate talks with Russian representatives. The White House issued a statement saying that President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to technical negotiations on a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, and a potential full ceasefire and permanent peace during their talks on Tuesday. Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.

Constitutional Court to rule on PM's impeachment on Monday before announcing Pres. Yoon's verdict date

2025/03/21 10:00

While the country anxiously waits for the Constitutional Court to announce a ruling date for President Yoon's impeachment verdict, the court says it will deliver its verdict on Prime Minister Han Duck-soo's impeachment in the coming week. Our Oh Soo-young reports. The Constitutional Court will rule on Prime Minister Han Duck-soo's impeachment on Monday, likely before revealing the date for President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment verdict. On Thursday, the Court notified the media that the eight-member bench will deliver its decision, on whether or not to uphold the National Assembly's motion to remove the PM from office. In late December, the National Assembly with an opposition party majority pushed through an impeachment motion against Han. It accused him of abetting President Yoon’s December 3rd martial law and refusing to approve the appointments of three Constitutional Court justices. If the Constitutional Court dismisses the impeachment, Han Duck-soo will immediately resume his duties as prime minister and acting president. As Han's case is largely relevant to the President's impeachment, it seems the Court has deliberated on it first. Yoon's ruling date, however, is unlikely to be announced this week, according to one official. As the Court usually gives at least two days of notice in advance, and tends not to schedule ruling dates consecutively, this means the President's impeachment verdict could be delivered on Wednesday at the earliest. For over three weeks, the justices have been convening every day to deliberate on the top-level case -a record period of time compared to past presidential impeachment cases. Park Geun-hye's ruling was out 14 days after her final trial hearing, and Roh Moo-hyun's 11 days. It seems the justices are highly conscious that their constitutional decision could have explosive political and social ramifications, as protests for and against impeachment grow more ferocious by the day. A poll released on Thursday shows 60 percent of some 1-thousand people surveyed believe the Court should uphold Yoon's impeachment, while 35 percent believe the President should return to office. 57 percent believe the Court will choose to impeach Yoon,.. while 34 percent believe his case will be dismissed. Those supporting Yoon's impeachment wish to quickly trigger a snap presidential election, which polls show would largely favor opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung. Meanwhile, conservatives including Yoon's supporters are calling for the case to be dismissed, or for the Court to deliver a ruling after Lee Jae-myung's own verdict, on one of his five criminal cases next Tuesday. Experts say the judicial bench is likely fine-tuning the judgment on Yoon's case to ensure it can be broadly accepted by a highly polarised public. With various overlaps in the grounds for impeachment between Yoon and Han's respective cases, the Court's ruling on the PM's trial may provide insights into how the justices are deliberating on the President's impeachment. Oh Soo-young, Arirang News.

Constitutional Court to rule on PM's impeachment on Monday before announcing Pres. Yoon's verdict date

2025/03/20 20:00

Thank you for joining us. I'm Yoon Jung-min. The Constitutional Court will not be ruling on President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment this week. But the judicial bench says it will deliver its verdict on Prime Minister Han Duck-soo's impeachment first. Our Correspondent Oh Soo-young explains how this affects the schedule of the Court's top-level case. The Constitutional Court will rule on Prime Minister Han Duck-soo's impeachment on Monday, likely before revealing the date for President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment verdict. On Thursday, the Court notified the media that the eight-member bench will deliver its decision, on whether or not to uphold the National Assembly's motion to remove the PM from office. In late December, the National Assembly with an opposition party majority pushed through an impeachment motion against Han. It accused him of abetting President Yoon's December 3rd martial law and refusing to approve the appointments of three Constitutional Court justices. If the Constitutional Court dismisses the impeachment, Han Duck-soo will immediately resume his duties as prime minister and acting president. As Han's case is largely relevant to the President's impeachment, it seems the Court has deliberated on it first. Yoon's ruling date, however, is unlikely to be announced this week, according to one official. As the Court usually gives at least two days of notice in advance, and tends not to schedule ruling dates consecutively, this means the President's impeachment verdict could be delivered on Wednesday at the earliest. For over three weeks, the justices have been convening every day to deliberate on the top-level case -a record period of time compared to past presidential impeachment cases. Park Geun-hye's ruling was out 14 days after her final trial hearing, and Roh Moo-hyun's 11 days. It seems the justices are highly conscious that their constitutional decision could have explosive political and social ramifications, as protests for and against impeachment grow more ferocious by the day. A poll released on Thursday shows 60 percent of some 1-thousand people surveyed believe the Court should uphold Yoon's impeachment, while 35 percent believe the President should return to office. 57 percent believe the Court will choose to impeach Yoon,.. while 34 percent believe his case will be dismissed. Those supporting Yoon's impeachment wish to quickly trigger a snap presidential election, which polls show would largely favor opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung. Meanwhile, conservatives including Yoon's supporters are calling for the case to be dismissed, or for the Court to deliver a ruling after Lee Jae-myung's own verdict, on one of his five criminal cases next Tuesday. Experts say the judicial bench is likely fine-tuning the judgment on Yoon's case to ensure it can be broadly accepted by a highly polarised public. With various overlaps in the grounds for impeachment between Yoon and Han's respective cases, the Court's ruling on the PM's trial may provide insights into how the justices are deliberating on the President's impeachment. Oh Soo-young, Arirang News.

Trump-Zelenskyy call: Trump proposes running Ukrainian nuclear power plants

2025/03/20 20:00

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agrees to a partial ceasefire with the Kremlin on energy and infrastructure during talks on the phone with U.S. President Donald Trump. Choi Soo-hyung has the latest. U.S. President Trump and Ukraine's President Zelenskyy have had a direct phone call to talk about a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. On Wednesday local time, Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, that the call "to align both Russia and Ukraine in terms of their requests and needs" lasted about an hour and went smoothly. Trump said Zelenskyy also agreed on a partial ceasefire for energy and infrastructure facilities. During the call, Trump suggested that the U.S. could help with nuclear power plant operations using its expertise in the energy sector. "He said that the United States could be very helpful in running those plants with its electricity and utility expertise. American ownership of those plants would be the best protection for that infrastructure and support for Ukrainian energy infrastructure." The White House added that the U.S. will continue to provide intelligence resources to Ukraine to end the war. This means that Trump rejected Putin's demand to stop military support and intelligence sharing with Ukraine. "They reviewed the situation in Kursk and agreed to share information closely between their defense staffs as the battlefield situation evolved." President Zelenskyy also reportedly requested additional air defense systems, including the Patriot missile system and Trump said he would work to find available systems in Europe to support Ukraine. Trump also promised to help ensure that children who were kidnapped or went missing during the war could return to Ukraine. Regarding the partial deal on Tuesday, after the call with Putin, the White House stated that the U.S. position supports a ceasefire for "energy and infrastructure," not just energy infrastructure, as Russia claims. The U.S. will continue negotiations with Russia for a wider ceasefire deal in meetings in Saudi Arabia in the end of this week. Choi Soo-hyung, Arirang News.

Defense ministry calls in Russia's defense attaché to protest KADIZ intrusions by Russian warplanes

2025/03/20 20:00

The defense ministry called in Russian Defense Attaché to South Korea, Colonel Nikolai Marchenko on Thursday to protest Russian military warplanes intruding into South Korea's air defense identification zone, or KADIZ. According to the ministry, the Russian warplanes reportedly entered the KADIZ eight times from March the 11th to the 20th. Earlier, warplanes even flew as close as 20 kilometers to the outer edge of South Korean airspace without responding to the military's attempts at communication. In response, the Air Force scrambled fighter jets in accordance with international law. The defense ministry strongly protested the incidents, and urged measures to prevent any recurrence.

S. Korea-U.S. Freedom Shield joint military exercise wraps up on Thurs. after 11-day run

2025/03/20 20:00

A major military exercise between South Korea and the U.S. came to an end on Thursday after 11 days of comprehensive drills. This year's Freedom Shield was the first under the second Trump administration and featured expanded on-field drills. It also took into account realistic threats such as potential changes in North Korea's military strategy in light of its defense deal with Russia. Meanwhile, North Korea, for its part, condemned the annual training between South Korea and U.S. and test-launched a series of close-range ballistic missiles into the West Sea on the first day of the training but stayed silent in the following days.

S. Korea's National Pension System reformed so that workers will pay more to get more

2025/03/20 20:00

A reform bill that would affect the lives of pension payers in the country. was approved today upon bipartisan agreement. In what will be the first pension reform in almost two decades, workers will pay more and ultimately get more after they retire. Our political correspondent Kim Do-yeon explains. Pay more and get more. On Thursday the National Assembly passed a bill changing the National Pension System that will raise the insurance premium to an eventual 13 percent over the next eight years while the nominal income replacement rate will be raised to 43 percent from the current 41.5 starting next year. This is the first reform in 18 years. "At a time of heightened tension and deep conflict, it was truly a valuable process for both the ruling and opposition parties to come together with a focus on the lives of the people. I believe this is a significant matter that will be greatly recorded in our political and social history." In addition to this the two parties agreed to give more credit months. Those who served mandatory military service will now receive 12 additional months in their pension credit instead of six. Women who give birth will also receive credits. For the first two children, it will be 12 months each while starting from the third child it'll be 18 months. "It took 18 years for these new changes to the pension system because it's a sensitive issue that requires agreements across the aisle, generations, and working classes. But, it's something that needs to be done as the fund will be depleted in a few decades due to aging population and the low birth rate." The new changes, however, only pushed back the depletion time by 10 years to 2055. Because of this more changes will be made and a special committee will be formed. The committee chaired by the ruling People Power Party will be made of 13 members six from the PPP, six from the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea and one from a minor party. The members will discuss structural reform issues, including the revision of the multi-layered income security system linked to pensions, such as basic, retirement, and private pensions, as well as financial stability concerns. Kim Do-yeon, Arirang News.

Israel resumes ground operations in Gaza

2025/03/20 17:00

In the Middle East. Israel has re-deployed its boots on the ground in Gaza further fueling fears about the fate of civilians in the region. Lee Seung-jae has more. Airstrikes in Gaza on Tuesday killed at least 400 Palestinians, ending the two months of relative calm in the enclave. On Wednesday, Israel resumed ground offensives following the end of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement earlier this month, and killed dozens more. Israeli forces say it regained control of the Netzarim Corridor,.. in order to expand a "security zone and create a partial buffer" between the northern and southern regions of the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military had withdrawn from the corridor last month, allowing civilians in central and southern Gaza to return to what little remained of their homes in the north. The resumption of Israeli attacks comes as the two sides have failed to come to an agreement on the second phase of the ceasefire deal, that would have released more Israeli hostages. Meanwhile,.. with the resumption of Israeli strikes, the United Nations says one of its workers was killed, and others injured after a compound in Gaza was damaged on Wednesday. The Palestinian health ministry blamed an Israeli strike, while Israel's military denied striking the UN compound in Deir al-Balah. The UN Office for Project Services said that an "explosive ordinance was dropped or fired" at the compound. However, it added that there was no confirmation on the nature of the incident or the type of artillery used. The UNOPS stressed that the incident was "not an accident," while UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack and called for a full investigation. More than 300 humanitarian workers have been killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023, with most being staff members of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.

Trump-Zelenskyy call: Trump proposes running Ukrainian nuclear power plants

2025/03/20 17:00

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agrees to a partial ceasefire with the Kremlin on energy facilities during talks on the phone with U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday. Our Choi Soo-hyung has the latest. U.S. President Trump and Ukraine's President Zelenskyy have had a direct phone call to talk about a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. On Wednesday local time, Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, that the call "to align both Russia and Ukraine in terms of their requests and needs" lasted about an hour and went smoothly. Trump said Zelenskyy also agreed on a partial ceasefire for energy and infrastructure facilities. During the call, Trump suggested that the U.S. could help with nuclear power plant operations using its expertise in the energy sector. "He said that the United States could be very helpful in running those plants with its electricity and utility expertise. American ownership of those plants would be the best protection for that infrastructure and support for Ukrainian energy infrastructure." The White House added that the U.S. will continue to provide intelligence resources to Ukraine to end the war. This means that Trump rejected Putin's demand to stop military support and intelligence sharing with Ukraine. "They reviewed the situation in Kursk and agreed to share information closely between their defense staffs as the battlefield situation evolved." President Zelenskyy also reportedly requested additional air defense systems, including the Patriot missile system and Trump said he would work to find available systems in Europe to support Ukraine. Trump also promised to help ensure that children who were kidnapped or went missing during the war could return to Ukraine. Regarding the partial deal on Tuesday, after the call with Putin, the White House stated that the U.S. position supports a ceasefire for "energy and infrastructure," not just energy infrastructure, as Russia claims. The U.S. will continue negotiations with Russia for a wider ceasefire deal in meetings in Saudi Arabia in the end of this week. Choi Soo-hyung, Arirang News.

S. Korea-U.S. Freedom Shield joint military exercise wraps up on Thurs. after 11-day run

2025/03/20 17:00

A major military exercise between South Korea and the U.S. came to an end on this Thursday after 11 days of comprehensive drills. This year's Freedom Shield was the first under the second Trump administration and featured expanded on-field drills. It also took into account realistic threats such as potential changes in North Korea's military strategy in light of its defense deal with Russia. Meanwhile North Korea for its part condemned the annual training between South Korea and U.S. and test-launched a series of close-range ballistic missiles into the West Sea on the first day of the training but stayed silent in the following days.

Bipartisan agreement reached for pension reform but another unilateral special probe bill for first lady

2025/03/20 17:00

Meanwhile at the parliament. A bill to overhaul Korea's pension system secured bipartisan approval at a plenary session this afternoon. The gist of the new plan is pay more to get more. I have our correspondent Kim Do-yeon live on the line with more. Do-yeon, welcome. Let's begin with the significance of this latest event. That's right, Sun-hee, it's significant in that this is a reform to the nation's pension system, a sensitive issue that requires agreements across the aisle, generations, and working classes but something that needs to be done as the fund will be depleted due to the aging population and the low birth rate. This also comes as the nation's political scene has only been seeing strong stand-offs. First, take a listen to what the speaker of the National Assembly had to say. "At a time of heightened tension and deep conflict, it was truly a valuable process for both the ruling and opposition parties to come together with a focus on the lives of the people. I believe this is a significant matter that will be greatly recorded in our political and social history." Now to be specific, the current insurance premium stands at 9 percent and it will be raised by 0.5 percent annually for the next eight years to reach 13 percent. That means that the portion from people's paychecks will be bigger but starting next year the money you receive after retiring will be at 43 percent. According to the current standing pension system the return rate was at 41.5 percent this year but was gradually getting lower with the goal of 40 percent by 2028. The credit system has also been expanded. Credit means additional months added to the insured period for specific people. Those who served mandatory military service will now receive 12 additional months in their pension credit instead of 6. Women who give birth will also receive credits. For the first two children, it will be 12 months each while starting from the third child it'll be 18 months. However, there are more things that need to be settled and that is why the two parties have agreed to kick off a special committee. The current system according to the new plan pushed back the depletion of the fund by around 10 years until around 2055. The Committee is set to tackle issues like this going forward. Now despite consensus with regard to pension reform I hear lawmakers continued to clash over other matters? That's right, Sun-hee. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea is set to unilaterally pass another special probe bill against First Lady Kim Keon Hee. The bill would kick off an investigation into the first lady and her allegations of stock meddling. Such a bill had been passed unilaterally four times before and was vetoed three times by President Yoon Suk Yeol and once by then Acting President Han Duck-soo. In addition, another special probe bill is likely to be passed unilaterally, a new one that would look into the allegations that some customs officers were involved in smuggling drugs into South Korea with the allegations pointing toward the top office. That's all for now, back to you Sun-hee. All right Do-yeon, thank you for the latest at the National Assembly.

PARTIAL CEASEFIRE ON ENERGY FACILITIES

2025/03/20 17:00

Welcome to Press Perspective for this Thursday March 20th here in Seoul. I'm Min Sunhee. Today we touch U.S. efforts to end the three-year Russian aggression against Ukraine given its broader implications on global stability and order. For more I have Celio Fioretti for French daily La Croix. Celio it's great to have you here. I also have Ruy Valdes with Spanish news agency EFE Spain. Ruy it's a pleasure to have you with us. 1) Celio, let's begin with the latest on efforts to halt Russian aggression against Ukraine. The heads of the White House and the Kremlin spoke on the phone on Tuesday U.S. time. What has been shared about their talks by their respective offices? 2) And Ruy, for the sake of clarity, do walk us through some of the details of the thirty-day truce that the U.S. and Ukraine had agreed upon, and Russia's following calls for additional conditions on Ukraine. 3) Ruy, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also spoke with Mr. Trump following the latter's talks with Putin. What was the gist of their conversation? 4) In the meantime, Celio, France and Germany continue to underscore the importance of Ukraine's role in peace talks with Russia. Do tell us more. 5) Celio, France has also spoken of extending its nuclear umbrella to allies. What's the latest on that front? 6) Ruy, the big question now is "can France's nuclear umbrella protect Europe?" What appears to be the general consensus? 7) Celio, moving on. Also this week, there was a war of words, if you will, between a French politician and the White House Press Secretary. First for the sake of those who may not be aware, do tell us about the confrontation itself, and your takeaways as a French journalist. 8) Staying with broader diplomacy, Ruy, what can you tell us about trade talks between Mexico and the U.S.? All right.

Constitutional Court to deliver impeachment verdict on PM Han Duck-soo next Monday

2025/03/20 17:00

We start with the latest on the political front. The fate of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will be determined next Monday. According to the court today its ruling on the impeachment of Han will be shared on the morning of March 24th. Now this verdict comes 87 days after the opposition-led National Assembly voted to remove him from his post as acting president following his reluctance to approve new justices for the Constitutional Court.

World News: Erdogan rival arrested days before becoming presidential candidate

2025/03/20 17:00

This is the World Now, bringing you the latest stories from around the globe. Turkiye is seeing widespread protests following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor and potential presidential candidate Ekrem Imamoglu. On Wednesday local time, Turkiye authorities detained Imamoglu on charges of corruption and alleged links to terrorist organizations. The arrest comes just days before the Republican People's Party primaries, where Imamoglu, a prominent opposition figure against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was anticipated to be nominated as the presidential candidate for the 2028 elections. Imamoglu's party has denounced the detention as a "coup," arguing that it is politically motivated to undermine the opposition. In response to the arrest, thousands of citizens have taken to the streets in Istanbul and Ankara to protest what they see as a violation of democratic processes. The Turkiye government has refuted allegations linking Imamoglu's detention to President Erdogan. In Africa, the presidents of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda have addressed the escalating conflict in eastern DRC, in their first in-person encounter since hostilities resurged in the region earlier this year. President Felix Tshisekedi of the DRC and President Paul Kagame of Rwanda met in Qatar on Tuesday, facilitated by Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The leaders jointly called for an "immediate and unconditional ceasefire" in eastern DRC, to stop the ongoing violence that has resulted in thousands of deaths and the displacement of millions. The conflict intensified in January when the M23 rebel group, reportedly backed by Rwanda, captured key cities in the mineral-rich eastern region of the DRC. The DRC government accuses Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebels, while Rwanda denies the claim, asserting its forces act in self-defense. In Germany, the outgoing government has approved approximately 3.3 billion U.S. dollars in additional military aid for Ukraine. The decision, announced by the Finance Ministry on Wednesday local time, follows a recent fiscal policy overhaul that allows increased borrowing to support defense initiatives. The aid package includes 2.8 billion dollars allocated for immediate military assistance, supplemented by reimbursements from the European Peace Facility. Germany also plans to commit an additional 8.9 billion dollars between 2026 and 2029 to bolster Ukraine's defense capabilities. In other news, German automaker Mercedes-Benz is integrating AI-powered humanoid robots into its manufacturing processes at the Digital Factory Campus in Berlin. According to reports on Tuesday, the automaker is testing the 175 centimeters Apollo robot, in collaboration with U.S.-based robotics firm Apptronik, to handle tasks such as transporting components and conducting quality inspections. Unlike traditional factory robots, Apollo isn't fixed and can move around. The aim is to enhance efficiency by automating repetitive and physically demanding activities, and allowing human workers to focus on more complex tasks. Choi Chi-hee, Arirang News.

Gov't vows to support successful hosting of APEC 2025 in Gyeongju, promote travel across Korea

2025/03/20 17:00

Acting President Choi Sang-mok was at the ancient Korean city of Gyeongju today as the city is poised to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit this autumn. On the checklist were accommodation, transportation, and the city's framework for public safety. Choi also pledged full government support to ensure a successful APEC summit this year which is Korea's second hosting of the event following the first in the southern port city of Busan back in 2005. Meanwhile, at a meeting that followed, Choi also shared intentions to bolster tourism to different parts of the country among international visitors.

[Short-form] Gyeongju, where tradition and modernity blend seamlessly

2025/03/20 14:00

Dive into the charms of Gyeongju, the ancient capital of the Silla Kingdom and the host city of the 2025 APEC Summit.

German government backs additional $3.3 billion in military aid for Ukraine

2025/03/20 10:00

In Germany, the outgoing government has approved approximately 3.3 billion U.S. dollars in additional military aid for Ukraine. The decision, announced by the Finance Ministry on Wednesday local time, follows a recent fiscal policy overhaul that allows increased borrowing to support defense initiatives. The aid package includes 2.8 billion dollars allocated for immediate military assistance, supplemented by reimbursements from the European Peace Facility. Germany also plans to commit an additional 8.9 billion dollars between 2026 and 2029 to bolster Ukraine's defense capabilities.

Congolese and Rwandan presidents meet in Qatar to discuss east Congo conflict

2025/03/20 10:00

Over in Africa, the presidents of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda convened in Qatar to address the escalating conflict in eastern DRC, in their first in-person encounter since hostilities resurged in the region earlier this year. President Felix Tshisekedi of the DRC and President Paul Kagame of Rwanda met in Doha on Tuesday, facilitated by Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The leaders jointly called for an "immediate and unconditional ceasefire" in eastern DRC, to stop the ongoing violence that has resulted in thousands of deaths and the displacement of millions. The conflict intensified in January when the M23 rebel group, reportedly backed by Rwanda, captured key cities in the mineral-rich eastern region of the DRC. The DRC government accuses Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebels, while Rwanda denies the claim, asserting its forces act in self-defense.

Erdogan rival arrested days before becoming presidential candidate

2025/03/20 10:00

Starting in Turkiye, which is seeing widespread protests following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor and potential presidential candidate Ekrem Imamoglu. On Wednesday local time, Turkiye authorities detained Imamoglu on charges of corruption and alleged links to terrorist organizations. The arrest comes just days before the Republican People's Party primaries, where Imamoglu, a prominent opposition figure against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was anticipated to be nominated as the presidential candidate for the 2028 elections. Imamoglu's party has denounced the detention as a "coup," arguing that it is politically motivated to undermine the opposition. In response to the arrest, thousands of citizens have taken to the streets in Istanbul and Ankara to protest what they see as a violation of democratic processes. The Turkiye government has refuted allegations linking Imamoglu's detention to President Erdogan.

On-point: President Yoon's impeachment ruling date up in the air; when will it be?

2025/03/20 10:00

The justices are really taking their time before they rule to reinstate or remove President Yoon over his martial law order. Let's turn to legal expert Kim Ji-su for more. Thanks for joining us. 1. No announcement yet is it safe to say the ruling will come next week? 2. Speculations abound over why the court's decision is being delayed. 3. Speaking of the timing of the ruling 4. Do you think the ruling will be aired live? Or recorded considering what we went through including all the violence at the Seoul Western District Court? 5. Some say the ruling for Prime Minister Han Duck-soo's impeachment trial will come after Yoon's. Thanks so much for connecting with us, Jisu.