South Korean authorities have arrested President Yoon Suk Yeol, who faces charges of insurrection following an attempt to impose martial law.
Yoon is now at the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) – he said he agreed to the interrogation “even though it is an illegal investigation, in order to prevent any unsavoury bloodshed”.

Authorities served the warrant after an hours-long standoff with his security staff and supporters, which saw investigators using ladders and wire cutters to enter Yoon’s residence.

Yoon had been holed up for weeks – investigators tried to arrest him earlier this month but failed.

This marks the first time in South Korea’s history that a sitting president has been arrested.

Yoon’s impeachment trial, which will decide if he is removed from office, started yesterday but ended within four minutes because of his absence.

Key mediator Qatar says a Gaza ceasefire deal is at the closest point it has been in the past few months, adding that many of the obstacles in the negotiations have been ironed out.
As ceasefire negotiations advance, residents in Gaza are expressing “a mixture of optimism and deep-seated scepticism”, according to our team on the ground.

At least 61 Palestinians have been killed and 281 others injured in Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours, according to the enclave’s Health Ministry.

The war was triggered by Hamas’s attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others taken to Gaza as hostages.

Israel launched a military offensive in Gaza in response, and the enclave’s Hamas-run health ministry says more than 46,600 people have been killed there during the war.

(Agencies)

Weather forecasters in California are warning fierce winds which fuelled the infernos around Los Angeles are expected to pick up again this week, as fire crews on the ground race to make progress controlling three wildfires.

Officials warned that after a weekend of relatively calm winds, the notoriously dry Santa Ana winds would pick up again from Sunday night until Wednesday, reaching speeds of up to 60mph (96km/h).

Ahead of the wind’s uptick, some progress has been made in stopping the spread of the deadly Palisades and Eaton fires, which are burning on opposite ends of the city. Local firefighters are being assisted by crews from eight other states, as well as Canada and Mexico, who continue to arrive.

The LA County medical examiner updated the death toll on Sunday to 24, while officials said earlier at least another 16 remain missing.

Sixteen of the dead were found in the Eaton fire zone, while eight were found in the Palisades area.

Three conflagrations continue to burn around Los Angeles.

The largest fire is the Palisades, which has now burnt through more than 23,000 acres and is 13% contained.

The Eaton fire is the second biggest and has burnt through more than 14,000 acres. It is 27% contained.

The Hurst fire has grown to 799 acres and has been almost fully contained.

The wildfires are on track to be among the costliest in US history.

On Sunday, private forecaster Accuweather increased its preliminary estimate of financial losses from the blazes to between $250bn-$275bn.

(BBC News)