South Korean President Charged with Insurrection

According to a report, the south Korean president who has been in prison since January 15 has been charged with insurrection. Reportedly, insurrection is one of the few criminal charges a south Korean president is not immune to. According to the report, President Yoon Suk Yeol imposed emergency martial law after accusing the opposition of anti state criminality and trying to overthrow free democracy by impeaching members of his cabinet and blocking his budget plans.

Reportedly, following his decision, soldiers bearing rifles entered the parliament building through windows, and after around 6 hours Mr Yoon retracted his martial law decision. According to the report, his lawyers said the decision was a warning intended to break political deadlock. Reportedly, the court will decide whether to remove the president from office or reinstate him.

Russia Ukraine Ceasefire

According to a report, the russian president said Russia is in favour of a ceasefire but there are nuances. Reportedly, he said Russia was back in control of Russia’s Kursk region where Ukraine launched an invasion in August, and that ukrainian troops had been isolated. According to the report, he said, They are trying to leave but we are in control, their equipment has been abandoned.

Reportedly, the russian president questioned who would police the ceasefire. According to the report, Ukraine want a 2 stage process, an immediate ceasefire followed by discussions about a longer term settlement, Russia believes that you cannot separate the two and the issues should be decided straight away.

Reportedly, the u.s. president has been discussing with Ukraine land that will be kept and lost and all of the other elements of a final agreement.

Ceasefire

According to reports, Ukraine said they are ready to accept a 30 day ceasefire following talks with the u.s. in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. Reportedly, the u.s. president said they had a meeting with Russia on Thursday, and that he hoped the president of Russia would agree to the proposal. Achieving an end to the war has been one of his goals. According to the report, the u.s. secretary of state said he would present the offer to Russia and that he hoped peace was back on track, and the eu has welcomed the positive development.

Reportedly, the u.s. and Ukraine have agreed to finalise a rare earth minerals deal as soon as possible and the u.s. will restart intelligence sharing and security assistance to Ukraine. According to the report, the u.s. secretary of state said that the deal was not the subject of Tuesday’s talks but has been the subject of talks between u.s. and ukrainian treasuries.

Reportedly, a Russian spokesperson said 337 drones were intercepted over Russia, and three people were killed in the Moscow region. According to the report, Moscow currently controls about 20% of ukrainian territory.

Canada’s New Prime Minister

According to reports, former canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau will resign and retire as mp when Mark Carney, previously governer of the bank of England becomes the next prime minister. Reportedly, the new leader of the liberal party said that Canada will not become the 51st state of the usa and has promised to keep retaliatory tariffs in place until the u.s. shows some respect. According to the report, Mr Carney described the situation between Canada and the u.s. as dark days brought on by a country that can no longer be trusted.

Conflict in Syria

According to reports, the british based Syrian observatory for human rights said about 745 civilian alawites thought to be loyal to former president Bashar al-Assad were killed in around 30 massacres on Friday and Saturday, and a total of more than a thousand people have been killed over the past two days in the worst surge of violence since Mr Assad was removed in December. Reportedly, alawites of which Bashar al-Assad is a member are an offshoot of shia islam, they make up 10% of the population which is predominantly sunni muslim. According to the report the conflict includes troops loyal to Mr Assad, who attacked government forces which resulted in revenge killing. Reportedly, the new government has blamed individual actions for the violence, and hundreds of people have fled their homes, some going to Lebanon.

According to reports, 125 security force members of Syria’s new sunni muslim government and 148 pro-Assad troops have been killed in the conflict as the government fought for control. Reportedly, large crowds gathered outside a Russian military base in Latakia chanting, People want russian protection.

According to a report, the u.n.’s special envoy to Syria called on all sides to refrain from actions which could destabilise the country and jeopardise a credible and inclusive political transition.

162 people executed

According to a report, security forces in Syria have carried out executions on people belonging to the alawite faith of which former president Bashar al-Assad is a member. Reportedly, the alawite faith is an offshoot of shia islam (sunnies constitute the majority of Syria’s population).
According to the report, the Syrian observatory for human rights said 162 civilians, including 13 women and 5 children have been killed in field executions in the region.

Reportedly, Syria’s new government said a military operation is being launched in Mr Assad’s hometown of Qardaha, and that Syria would pursue the remnants of the Assad regime and bring them to trial. According to the report, the violence has left the alawite community shocked and horrified.

Syria

According to a report, forces loyal to Syria’s new rulers fought with forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad in the coastal cities.of Latakia and Tartous resulting in the deaths of more than 70 people. Reportedly, curfews have been imposed in the region which is where the Assad family live.

According to the report, Syria’s new islamist government came to force in December following an ambush. Reportedly, Syria’s defence ministry has issued a warning to Assad loyalists to lay down their weapons. According to the report, the new government say they are committed to destroying any remaining stockpiles of chemical weapons produced by Assad.

Uk Ireland summit

According to reports, the first of a series of annual uk Ireland summits agreed by the then taoiseach Simon Harris in September is occurring in Liverpool on Thursday. Reportedly, it is attended by the irish taoiseach, Michael Martin and several mps, Simon Harris, Helen McEntee, Daragh O’Brien and Jim O’Callaghan. According to the report, a programme of new strategic cooperation between Ireland and the UK until 2030 will be agreed, includes cooperation on energy with a new data sharing programme for commercial developers.

Reportedly, the taoiseach said the summit is one of the most significant bilateral engagements between the two governments in a generation. According to the report, Ireland has announced new investments into the uk worth €220.87 euro. The taoiseach will be flying to Washington to meet the u.s. president for St Patrick’s day.

The u.s. pause military aid

According to reports, the u.s. is pausing and reviewing military aid to Ukraine but the proposed length of the pause is uncertain, as is whether Ukraine will receive ammunition for weapons already delivered or if Washington will continue to share intelligence with Kyiv.

Reportedly, the u.s. vice president said he saw big problems with the ukrainian president’s accusation that the u.s. president is on Russia’s side. According to the report, a Whitehouse official said the u.s. president is focused on peace and the review is to establish whether u.s. aid is contributing to a solution.

U.s. president imposes tariffs

According to a report, stockmarkets around the world fell following news of the u.s. president’s introduction of trade tariffs on goods entering from Canada, Mexico and China. Reportedly, tariffs on goods entering from Canada and Mexico are to be charged 25%, and China 20%. According to the report, analysts said the tariffs could raise prices for u.s. households and around the world.

Reportedly, according to the president the tariffs are a response to drugs and illegal immigrants entering the u.s. but Canada said they are responsible for less than 1% of fetanyl entering the u.s. Fetanyl is a highly potent synthetic opioid said to be 30 to 50 times more potent than heroin. According to the report, in response, Canada are expected to impose 25% tariffs on $150 billion worth of u.s. goods.