orders

Jan. 9 (UPI) — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Friday said he authorized the state’s National Guard to be “staged and ready” amid protests against the Trump administration after a federal immigration law enforcement officer fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis.

Protests have been reported in cities nationwide after a DHS officer shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Macklin Good on Wednesday in Minneapolis, with the city again being thrust into the national spotlight for protests against the federal government.

While the Trump administration is claiming the officer shot in self-defense, many activists and politicians say videos of the shooting contradict their explanation.

Amid the protests on Thursday, Walz, a Democratic and political opponent of President Donald Trump, ordered the Minnesota National Guard to be ready to assist local and state law enforcement in protecting critical infrastructure and maintain public safety.

“Minnesotans have met this moment. Thousands of people have peacefully made their voices heard. Minnesota: Thank you. We saw powerful peace,” Walz said in a Friday statement.

“Yesterday, I directed the National Guard to be ready should they be needed. They remain ready in the event they are needed to help keep the peace, ensure public safety and allow for peaceful demonstrations.”

Videos of the shooting show masked officers approaching Good in her car parked across a street. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer can be heard cursing and demanding Good to exit the vehicle before reaching into her driver-side window and trying to open the seemingly locked door.

The vehicle then backs a small amount before the wheels of the car are turned right and going forward. An ICE officer standing in front of the car then fires multiple shots, first into the front windshield and then through the opened driver-side window.

Trump and members of his administration have claimed the mother of three was a domestic terrorist trying to ram the ICE officer who fired on her in self-defense. Democrats and state and local officials have staunchly challenged the Trump administration’s claims.

“The Trump Administration is brazenly lying to justify murder, telling us to ignore what we’ve seen on video,” Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., said in a statement.

Jan. 7 (UPI) — President Donald Trump‘s first pick to serve as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia has been ordered to explain why she is still using the title despite her appointment being ruled unlawful.

U.S. District Judge David Novak ordered Lindsey Halligan to give an explanation of her continued use of the U.S. attorney title within seven days. Novak said her use of the title, including in court documents, may amount to false or misleading statements.

False and misleading statements in a court of law can result in punishment, including charges of perjury, fines and imprisonment.

Halligan, a Trump loyalist, was the president’s original pick to serve in the Eastern District of Virginia last year. A federal judge determined that the Department of Justice illegally appointed Halligan and barred her from assuming the role.

U.S. District Judge Cameron Currie ruled in November that Halligan was never eligible to hold the position of U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. Her appointment had circumvented the standard appointment process, including a Senate confirmation. She also has no experience as a prosecutor.

Despite the ruling, the Justice Department has kept Halligan in office.

On Tuesday, Novak said that Halligan and the department cannot continue to ignore the ruling.

“It remains the binding precedent in this district and is not subject to being ignored,” Novak said in his order.

Erik Siebert, the acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia prior to Halligan’s appointment, resigned in September after refusing to prosecute New York Attorney General Letitia James.

After her appointment, Halligan filed charges against James and former FBI Director James Comey, who investigated Trump’s ties to Russia during Trump’s first term.

Both cases were dismissed when Currie ruled that Halligan was not qualified for the U.S. attorney role.

Jan. 4 (Asia Today) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited what state media called a key military factory on Friday, inspecting upgraded production lines and ordering a roughly 2.5-fold expansion in output as he signaled a push for mass production and deployment of tactical guided weapons.

The Korean Central News Agency said Kim toured a “technologically upgraded” production area and a “flexible automated production system,” then directed the plant to increase its current capacity.

KCNA said Kim reviewed a “multi-purpose precision-guided weapon” produced at the factory and said it would be systematically fielded to major units starting in the first half of the year. The report said he told the Defense Ministry and the General Staff to expand production to meet unit-level demand.

State media portrayed the visit as a move to shift tactical guided weapons from years of testing and demonstrations toward operational deployment. KCNA said Kim pointed to shortcomings in production line design, mass-production facilities and modernization of the assembly process.

Kim also called for advancing modernization work while keeping current production running, a directive KCNA described as aimed at minimizing production gaps during new equipment investments. The report said he ordered a comprehensive review of construction and modernization plans for 2026 and demanded revised proposals.

KCNA separately released photos and footage of Kim inspecting guided-weapon production, including what the report described as anti-tank systems, while emphasizing improvements in the quality of parts supplied by cooperating factories.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday announced that he is issuing a letter of censure to Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona over the lawmaker’s participation in a video that called on troops to resist unlawful orders.

Hegseth said that the censure was “a necessary process step” to proceedings that could result in a demotion from Kelly’s retired rank of captain in the U.S. Navy.

The move comes more than a month after Kelly participated in a video with five other Democratic lawmakers in which they called on troops to defy “illegal orders.” President Donald Trump accused the lawmakers of sedition “punishable by DEATH” in a social media post days later.

In November, Kelly and the other lawmakers — all veterans of the armed services and intelligence community — called on U.S. military members to uphold the Constitution and defy “illegal orders.”

The 90-second video was first posted from Sen. Elissa Slotkin’s X account. In it, the six lawmakers — Slotkin, Kelly and Reps. Jason Crow, Chris Deluzio, Maggie Goodlander and Chrissy Houlahan — speak directly to U.S. service members, whom Slotkin acknowledges are “under enormous stress and pressure right now.”

Afterward, Trump accused them of sedition “punishable by DEATH,” reposting messages from others about the video and amplifying it with his own words.

Kelly, along with some of the other Democrats in the initial video, have sent out fundraising messages based off the Republican president’s reaction to their comments, efforts that have gone toward filling their own campaign coffers and further elevating their national-level profiles.

Toropin writes for the Associated Press.

Dec. 30 (Asia Today) — President Lee Jae-myung on Tuesday ordered prosecutors and police to investigate allegations that the Unification Church lobbied politicians, directing authorities to begin work even as political parties debate appointing a special prosecutor.

Speaking at a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office, Lee said investigators should coordinate in advance on how the case would be handled if it is later transferred to a special prosecutor.

“Even if it becomes a special prosecutor case during the investigation and is handed over then, it would be better for the prosecution and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety to consult beforehand and decide who will handle it or if they will work together, and form a team,” Lee said. “It doesn’t seem like something we should just wait around for.”

Lee said religious interference in politics, bribery and collusion are serious matters that threaten democracy and the country’s future.

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok also called for a strong response, saying he believes instability in state affairs has been fueled by what he described as “shamanistic politics” and church-state collusion.

Kim said it was timely that discussions are emerging about appointing a special prosecutor to investigate the Unification Church and potentially expanding the scope to include Shincheonji, while warning the process could be derailed by political disputes.

He suggested the government should prepare for the possibility the political process fails to produce an agreement and said authorities could consider setting up a government-level special investigation headquarters.

– Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

WAG Rebekah Vardy has run into trouble with her booze brand less than a year after it was launched.

Vardy, 43, launched SKTL last December with former footballer and I’m A Celebrity campmate Dennis Wise, 58.

The £25 flavoured vodka — inspired by husband Jamie’s love of mixing Skittles sweets into the spirit — appears to still be on sale from the company’s website.

But disappointed fans told The Sun on Sunday they had waited months for bottles ordered in October that never arrived.

Eventually, they received an automated message saying their money would be refunded but were given no explanation for the delay or cancellation of the order.

When one customer tried to contact Sktl, they found the company’s main email address bounced back.

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Another customer said: “I’m furious, it took two months to find out they weren’t going to deliver.”

Pals of Rebekah — whose husband moved from Leicester to Serie A side Cremonese this summer — revealed the mother of five has paused work on the drink brand to settle into life in Italy.

The source said: “There’s no problem with the brand; and it’s still something Rebekah wants to push on with.

“But, just for the moment, she’s had to take a breath – so she can focus on Italy and organising the family moving out and then getting settled in there.

“Once that’s all sorted, vodka will be back as one of her focuses!”

Dec. 26 (Asia Today) — President Lee Jae-myung has ordered a formal review of lowering the age threshold for juvenile offenders exempt from criminal punishment, reviving a long-running debate amid growing public concern over youth crime. Legal experts broadly support the intent but caution that the move may have only limited deterrent effects.

During a policy briefing with the Ministry of Justice on Dec. 19, Lee instructed officials to place the issue of lowering the minimum age for criminal responsibility on the Cabinet agenda, according to officials.

Under South Korea’s Criminal Act, established in 1953, children aged 10 to under 14 are classified as juvenile offenders and are exempt from criminal punishment, instead receiving protective measures focused on education and rehabilitation. The system was designed to prioritize the reformability of minors over punitive sanctions.

Critics argue, however, that crimes committed by juvenile offenders have risen sharply in both number and severity. According to the Supreme Court’s Judicial Yearbook 2025, 7,294 juvenile offenders received protective dispositions in 2024, more than double the 3,465 recorded in 2020.

Serious offenses, including sexual crimes and acts of extreme violence, have also increased. Police data show that between Jan. 1 and Sept. 10, 2024, juveniles under 14 accounted for about 20 percent – 63 out of 318 suspects – arrested in deepfake-related sexual crimes, highlighting concerns over new forms of digital abuse.

Many in the legal community agree that the age standard should reflect changes in adolescents’ physical and mental maturity as well as the social environment. Kim Ji-yeon, an attorney with Lawyers for a New Future for Youth, said the widespread perception that offenders under 14 cannot be criminally punished has been exploited. “Some youths commit serious crimes like deepfake offenses believing authorities cannot punish them,” she said, noting that the non-disclosure of juvenile criminal records has also been abused.

Kim added that lowering the age by about one year could help address these problems, even if it partially conflicts with the system’s rehabilitative purpose. “In reality, victims are often even younger, and protecting minor victims must be a priority,” she said.

Shin Hye-sung, a lawyer at Yulwoo Law Firm and a former juvenile court judge, also voiced support for lowering the age in cases involving sexual crimes. “Many 13-year-olds today are far more mature than in the past and capable of committing serious offenses,” he said. “Allowing the possibility of criminal trials could have a necessary deterrent effect.”

Still, Shin stressed the limits of such a reform. “Lowering the age will not bring dramatic change,” he said, noting that the rise in juvenile cases is largely driven by school violence. “Contrary to public perception, it is extremely rare for children under 14 to commit crimes serious enough to warrant criminal trials. Since such cases are uncommon, the overall impact of an age cut would likely be modest.”

As the issue returns to the National Assembly agenda, attention is focused on whether the proposal – which has repeatedly stalled in the past – can gain enough consensus to move forward this time.

–Copyright by Asiatoday

Britain’s Hamzah Sheeraz has been ordered to fight Diego Pacheco for the vacant WBO super-middleweight title following Terence Crawford’s retirement.

American Crawford left the sport last week, adding he has “nothing else left to prove” after beating Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvaraz in September to become the first man in the modern era to hold undisputed titles in three weight divisions.

In retirement Crawford, who won all 42 of his professional fights, vacated his belts, with the WBO instructing Sheeraz to fight American Pacheco for its title.

The bout gives 26-year-old Sheeraz a second option after he was previously ordered by the WBC to fight Christian Mbilli for their vacant super-middleweight title.

The sanctioning body stripped Crawford of his belt before his retirement because he did not pay sanctioning fees.

Sheeraz’s promoters Queensberry and Pacheco’s Matchroom have 20 days to agree on the terms of a fight but if they cannot reach an agreement they must proceed to purse bids according to WBO rules.

Sheeraz drew with WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames last February in an underwhelming performance over 12 rounds, before beating Edgar Berlanga in July.

He is unbeaten in 23 fights, while 24-year-old Pacheco has won all 25 of his bouts.

Dec. 19 (Asia Today) — President Lee Jae-myung on Friday questioned South Korea’s restrictions on access to North Korean state media such as Rodong Sinmun and the Korean Central News Agency, saying the policy treats citizens as if they could be swayed by propaganda.

“Isn’t the reason for blocking access to Rodong Sinmun because they fear the public might fall for propaganda and become communists?” Lee said during a joint briefing by the Foreign Ministry and the Unification Ministry at the Government Complex Seoul.

Lee criticized the approach as treating the public “not as autonomous beings” but as people susceptible to “propaganda and agitation,” and he ordered that access to North Korean media be opened.

Lee asked a Unification Ministry official whether opening access could trigger political backlash, including accusations that the government is trying to turn South Korea into a communist state.

The official cited Rodong Sinmun as an example, saying ordinary citizens and researchers currently cannot access it in real time under existing rules, even though South Korean media and scholars frequently cite it.

“There is a gap between the system and reality,” the official said.

Lee pressed the point, asking why citizens should be prevented from seeing it and whether officials were afraid they might be influenced by propaganda.

Lee said greater access could help the public better understand North Korea and its realities. He argued the restriction, as currently applied, assumes citizens are vulnerable to manipulation.

When a Unification Ministry official said the ministry would pursue opening access to North Korean information, including Rodong Sinmun, as a national policy task, Lee said it did not need to be treated as a solemn initiative.

“Why pursue this as a national policy task? Just open it up,” he said.

– Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Dec. 16 (UPI) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday ordered “a total and complete blockade” of all sanctioned oil tankers going to or from Venezuela, raising already high tensions between Washington and Caracas by going after the South American nation’s main revenue source.

Trump has sought to oust Venezuela’s authoritarian president Nicolas Maduro since his first term and has ratcheted up the pressure on the socialist leader since returning to the White House in January.

He has accused Maduro of sending an invasion of criminals to the United States and of being the leader of a narcotics trafficking organization, allegations that U.S. intelligence agencies have not publicly supported.

An armada of U.S. naval vessels has been deployed to waters near Venezuela, and the U.S. military has been attacking civilian ships in the region the Trump administration alleges are trafficking drugs to the United States, drawing domestic and international condemnation.

“Today, I am ordering A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela,” Trump announced in a statement on his Truth Social media platform.

“America will not allow Criminals, Terrorists or other Countries, to rob, threaten or harm our Nation, and, likewise, will not allow a Hostile Regime to take our Oil, Land or any other Assets, all of which must be returned to the United States IMMEDIATELY.”

It was not immediately clear what U.S. land or assets Trump was referring to, though he has repeatedly stated that the United States has been wrongly denied access to Venezuela’s oil reserves.

“Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America. It will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before — Until such time as they return to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land and other Assets that they previously stole from us,” Trump said.

Trump accused Maduro in the statement of using oil revenues to finance drug terrorism, human trafficking and murder.

Venezuela rejected Trump’s demands and called on the residents of the United States and the rest of the world to do likewise, saying the South American nation will “never again be a colony of any empire or foreign power.”

“The President of the United States intends to impose, in an absolutely irrational manner, a so-called blockade on Venezuela with the aim of stealing the wealth that belongs to our Homeland,” Venezuela’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

BREAKINGBREAKING,

The order comes a week after the US military seized an oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast.

United States President Donald Trump has ordered “a total and complete” blockade of all US-sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela.

“Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America,” Trump said in a post on his social media platform Truth Social.

“For the theft of our Assets, and many other reasons, including Terrorism, Drug Smuggling, and Human Trafficking, the Venezuelan Regime has been designated a FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION,” Trump said.

“Therefore, today, I am ordering A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela,” he said.

Trump’s comments come a week after US forces seized a sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela and as Washington has ordered a huge build-up of US military forces off the Venezuelan coast in an operation said to target drug smuggling.

The US military has killed at least 90 people since September in attacks on dozens of vessels in the eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea near Venezuela, in what international law experts have criticised as extrajudicial killings.

Washington claimed the vessels were involved in drug trafficking but has provided no evidence to support its allegations.

Caracas has long said the deployment of US forces to the region was aimed at allowing “external powers to rob Venezuela’s immeasurable oil and gas wealth“.

Despite holding the world’s largest proven oil reserves, Venezuela has faced severe restrictions on its exports in recent years under US sanctions first imposed during the first Trump presidency.

This is a breaking news story. More to follow shortly.