SEOUL, South Korea – South Korea’s main opposition party introduced a bill on Thursday to impeach acting President Han Duck-soo, accusing him of obstructing the constitutional process to remove his predecessor, President Yoon Suk Yeol, from office, as reported by AFP.

The move follows a deepening constitutional crisis sparked by Yoon’s declaration of martial law on December 3, which led to his suspension by parliament on December 14. However, a ruling from the Constitutional Court is needed to finalize his impeachment.

Han Duck-soo, who serves as acting president in Yoon’s absence, has refused to appoint three judge nominees to fill vacancies in the nine-member Constitutional Court. This refusal has stalled the impeachment process, as all six current judges would need to unanimously agree to remove Yoon from office, and any dissent would reinstate him.

The opposition Democratic Party has now filed an impeachment motion against Han, accusing him of failing to fulfill his duties in upholding the Constitution. “We have filed the motion… and will report it to the plenary session today,” said MP Park Sung-joon. “We will put it to a vote tomorrow.”

Park Chan-dae, the Democratic Party’s floor leader, said, “Han’s refusal to formally appoint the three judges proves that he does not have the will or qualification to uphold the Constitution.”

Han has argued that the appointment of judges should be based on a consensus between the ruling and opposition parties, adding that such a compromise is essential for national unity.

If the impeachment motion passes on Friday, it would mark the first time in democratic South Korea’s history that an acting president is impeached. If Han is removed, Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok would take over as acting president.

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Violent clashes erupted in the Syrian village of Khirbet al-Ma’za in the southern countryside of Tartous, resulting in the deaths of 14 Public Security Forces personnel and three militants, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Syrian war monitor.

The conflict began when a patrol team from the General Security Forces, under the Military Operations Department, attempted to apprehend Muhammad Kanjo Hassan, a former regime officer. Resistance from Hassan’s followers and local gunmen escalated into a deadly ambush and further clashes.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights in a statement on Thursday said, “14 members of the Public Security Forces were killed in clashes with gunmen in the village of Khirbet al-Ma’za in the southern countryside of Tartous. Three militants were also killed, in addition to injuries on both sides.”

“The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that a patrol from the General Security Forces affiliated with the Military Operations Department was on a mission to arrest an officer in the former regime forces, Muhammad Kanjo Hassan, who held the position of Director of the Military Justice Department and Head of the Field Court from his place of residence in Khirbet al-Ma’za in the Tartous countryside. During the search for him, the wanted man’s brother and armed young men from the officer’s followers intercepted them and expelled the patrol from the village, set up an ambush for them near the village, and targeted one of the patrol cars,” the statement added.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights further said that the Military Operations Department sent military reinforcements to arrest the militants in the village, and violent clashes took place with the Military Operations Department elements.

The Syrian Observatory indicated that violent clashes took place between gunmen from the village of Khirbet al-Ma’za in Tartous, and the General Security Forces affiliated with the Military Operations Department. The gunmen targeted a car belonging to the General Security Forces, which led to its burning, amid violent clashes between the two parties, and deaths on both sides.

The Syrian opposition fighters took control of Damascus on December 8, leading to Assad’s flight and ending his regime after over 13 years of civil war.

Forces loyal to al-Sharaa have established a three-month caretaker government. On the same day, Qatar called for the swift lifting of sanctions on Syria, following the reopening of its embassy in Damascus and a high-level visit that marked a shift in diplomatic relations. (ANI)

Rawalpindi — The negotiation committee of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is set to brief it’s incarcerated founder Imran Khan on the first round of parleys with the government at Adiala jail today (Thursday), after being granted permission to meet him at the facility, Geo News reported citing sources on Thursday.

The PTI negotiators will brief Khan on the first round of talks, held on Monday, and consult him on future strategy. The meeting is set to take place at 2pm, the insiders said.

The development came as Senator Irfan Siddiqui, part of the government’s negotiation panel, confirmed on Tuesday that they had approved the PTI’s team’s demand to consult Khan.

The much-anticipated negotiation process finally began earlier this week in Islamabad, following months of heightened political tensions between the PTI and the government.

The inaugural meeting, on the government’s part, was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, PM’s Adviser Rana Sanaullah, Senator Irfan Siddiqui, PPP leaders Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Naveed Qamar, and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Farooq Sattar.

Whereas, the PTI was represented by former NA Speaker Asad Qaiser, Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) Chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza, and Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen Allama Raja Nasir Abbas.

The two sides are set to hold the second session on January 2, when the PTI will present its demands before the government panel in written.

The government-PTI talks are being held in the wake of the former ruling party’s announcement of a civil disobedience movement if their demands of release of all political prisoners — including Khan — and the formation of a judicial commission for investigating the May 9 riots and the November 26 incident, go unmet.

The jailed former prime minister had last month called on his supporters to launch the anti-government movement by withholding remittances in the first phase.

Expressing his views on Geo News’ programme ‘Geo Pakistan’ about the ongoing dialogue, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political and Public Affairs, Rana Sanaullah, underscored the need for consensus on state interests regardless of differences.

“Neither they [PTI] would accept everything we say, nor would we accept everything they say,” said Sanaullah, while stressing that talks can lead to a situation convenient for both sides.

Commenting on the progress in the negotiation process, the PM’s aide said that the time frame for the culmination of parleys could only be ascertained once the PTI’s demands come to light.

“When the PTI comes [to negotiations] in black and white [writing], then we will also present [our stance] in writing,” he noted. — (Geo News)