Top Asian News 4:24 a.m. GMT

South Korea’s opposition chief urges top court to act swiftly on impeachment

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s opposition leader on Sunday urged the Constitutional Court to rule swiftly on a bid to remove President Yoon Suk Yeol from office, a day after parliament voted to impeach him over a short-lived attempt to impose martial law. Yoon’s powers will be suspended until the court rules on the case, either removing Yoon from office or restoring his powers. The court has up to 180 to decide, and if he’s dismissed, a national election to choose his successor must be held within 60 days. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, the country’s No. 2 official, took over presidential powers later Saturday.

South Korea’s parliament votes to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his martial law order

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s parliament on Saturday impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol over his stunning and short-lived martial law decree, a move that ended days of political paralysis but set up an intense debate over Yoon’s fate, as jubilant crowds roared to celebrate another defiant moment in the country’s resilient democracy. The National Assembly passed the motion 204-85. Yoon’s presidential powers and duties were subsequently suspended and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, the country’s No. 2 official, took over presidential powers later Saturday. The Constitutional Court has up to 180 days to determine whether to dismiss Yoon as president or restore his powers.

A look at the South Korean leader who has been impeached after shocking martial law edict

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s parliament has voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol, a stunning fall from grace for a man who rose from political obscurity to the height of political power. His decades of achievement could be on the verge of crumbling due to a single, baffling decision to send out troops under martial law over vague claims that one of Asia’s leading democracies was under threat. The impeachment suspends Yoon’s presidential powers until the Constitutional Court determines whether to dismiss him as president or restore his powers. Yoon also faces investigations meant to find whether his Dec.

AP Photos: K-pop light sticks take over protests that fueled impeachment of South Korea’s president

Seoul (AP) — K-pop light sticks, Christmas lights and even Santa Claus outfits have taken over daily protests demanding the ouster of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol following his shocking martial law declaration this month. On Saturday, the country’s parliament voted to impeach Yoon to suspend his powers. The Constitutional Court will determine whether to remove him from office or restore his presidential powers. Yoon’s short-lived Dec. 3 order has sparked massive protests, drawing attention to their unique protest culture. Young demonstrators have taken over the streets with their K-pop light sticks, traditionally reserved for music concerts, to voice their dissent and in turn start a new trend in political protesting.

Filipino woman on Indonesia death row recalls a stunning last minute reprieve and ‘miracle’ transfer

YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Filipino death row inmate Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso knelt to pray when officers came to take her to an execution site in May 2015, just a few feet away from her isolation cell on an Indonesian prison island, where a 13-member firing squad was waiting. While she prayed, the Philippines government was wrapping up a lengthy legal battle over her fate. Veloso’s life was ultimately spared — temporarily — by Indonesia’s Attorney General’s Office, which issued a stay of execution shortly before Veloso was to be executed with eight other death row inmates. “Lord, many people there believe that I am guilty, but many people out there believe that I am innocent.

UN Security Council criticizes Taliban ban on Afghan women’s medical education

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. Security Council said Friday it was deeply concerned about the recent decision by Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers to ban women from medical education, which could leave millions of women and girls without health care in the future. The council criticized “the increasing erosion” of human rights under the Taliban, especially for women and girls who have been denied access to education beyond the sixth grade, economic opportunities, participation in public life, freedom of movement and other basics. Authorities previously had not confirmed reports that Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada ordered educational institutions to stop providing medical courses for women.

US Marines start partial transfer from Okinawa in Japan to Guam under plan agreed 12 years ago

TOKYO (AP) — The partial transfer of U.S. Marines from Okinawa to Guam began on Saturday, 12 years after Japan and the United States agreed on their realignment to reduce the heavy burden of American troop presence on the southern Japanese island, officials said. The relocation started with 100 members of III Marine Expeditionary Force stationed on Okinawa moving to the Pacific island for the initial logistical work, the U.S. Marine Corps and Japan’s Defense Ministry said in a joint statement. Under the plan agreed between Tokyo and Washington in April 2012, about 9,000 of the 19,000 Marines currently stationed on Okinawa are to be moved out of Okinawa, including about 4,000 of them to be moved to Guam in phases.

A look at the whirlwind events that led to the impeachment of South Korea’s president

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s parliament on Saturday voted to impeach embattled President Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived martial law decree this month, a shocking stunt that paralyzed the country’s politics, halted foreign policy and spooked financial markets. His suspension from power comes almost eight years after the impeachment of Seoul’s last conservative leader, Park Geun-hye, formally removed from office by the Constitutional Court in March 2017. Yoon, a former public prosecutor, was part of the investigation team that examined Park’s charges of bribery, abuse of power and other crimes that the court concluded warranted her removal from office.

Popular actor in southern India is freed on bail after spending a night in jail in a stampede case

NEW DELHI (AP) — A popular actor in southern India was released from jail on bail on Saturday, a day after he was arrested by police in connection with a stampede that led to the death of a woman at the premiere of his movie earlier this month. A 35-year-old woman died and her 8-year-old son was critically injured in the stampede, which occurred during the screening of Allu Arjun’s release for “Pushpa 2: The Rule” in southern Telangana state’s Hyderabad city on Dec. 4. Arjun was arrested after the woman’s husband filed a case against him, his security team and the theater’s management for not informing police of the actor’s plan to attend the screening, which resulted in a larger-than-expected crowd.

Thai police detain 2 suspects after a bomb in a border province killed 3 and injured scores

BANGKOK (AP) — Thai police on Saturday said two suspects were in custody as authorities investigated a bombing in the north that killed at least three people and injured dozens of others. An explosive device was thrown into a crowd during an outdoor performance at an annual festival in Umphang town in Tak province, which borders Myanmar, on Friday just before midnight, according to the Association of the Umphang Rescue Groups. Local police said at least 48 people were injured and that police have not yet pressed charges against the suspects as the investigation is ongoing. Thanathip Sawangsang, a spokesperson for the Defense Ministry, told The Associated Press that local police said there was a fight between rival groups of men before the explosion and that there was no wider security threat.