risk

The Houthis in Yemen have launched their first attacks on Israel, opening a new front in the month-long regional war. Al Jazeera’s Virginia Pietromarchi explains why the move could raise new risks for oil shipping, and civilians in Yemen.

March 20 (Asia Today) — This commentary is the Asia Today Editor’s Op-Ed.

With Seoul apartment values posting their biggest increase in five years, concerns are growing that a heavier property tax burden will spill into the Jeonse and monthly rental markets. Jeonse is a unique Korean housing lease system where tenants pay a large lump-sum deposit instead of monthly rent, and get it back at the end of the lease.

Landlords are already showing signs of passing higher holding costs on to tenants through steeper rents and larger Jeonse deposits. If the government now moves to raise taxes further, including on single-home owners whose properties are deemed non-residential, it risks worsening instability in the rental market.

According to the Korea Real Estate Board, Seoul apartment Jeonse prices rose for a 57th straight week as of the second week of March, with the cumulative increase reaching 4.79%. Monthly rents climbed even faster. In February, the average monthly rent for an apartment in Seoul stood at 1.515 million won, or about $1,010, up 12.5% from a year earlier.

The sales market, by contrast, has cooled. Apartment prices in Seoul’s three Gangnam districts and Yongsan-gu have fallen for four consecutive weeks. But the Jeonse and monthly rental markets are becoming more unstable as new apartment supply shrinks and listings for existing units tighten. The shortage has been aggravated by the reinstatement in May of a capital gains tax surcharge on owners of multiple homes.

Against that backdrop, higher officially assessed home values are likely to add even more upward pressure on rents. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said this year’s official values for multifamily housing in Seoul rose 18.67% from a year earlier. That was the third-largest increase on record, behind only 2007 and 2021, both periods of sharp home-price gains.

In the three Gangnam districts and the Mapo-Yongsan-Seongdong area, where assessed values climbed more than 20%, many homeowners could see property tax bills rise by more than 50%. Even without a revision to tax law, the annual burden can increase by as much as 50%. Once local education taxes and the rural special tax are included, the actual increase can be even greater.

The number of single-home owners subject to the comprehensive real estate tax also rose sharply. Homes assessed above 1.2 billion won, or about $800,000, now total 487,362, up 170,000 from a year earlier.

For many elderly homeowners living on national pension payments, interest income or dividends, annual property taxes running from several million won to tens of millions of won can be difficult to absorb. Assessed values are also used to calculate regional health insurance premiums and can affect existing pension burdens, making the overall impact even heavier.

South Korea has already seen what happens when landlords shift tax costs onto tenants. During the previous progressive administration, rising tax burdens contributed to sharp increases in monthly rents and Jeonse deposits. Past data show that when the property tax rate rises by 1 percentage point, about 30% of the additional burden is passed on through Jeonse deposits and roughly 40% to 50% through monthly rent.

Even so, the government is considering higher property taxes or smaller long-term holding deductions to curb what it calls high-value single-home investments used for non-residential purposes. But real estate taxation can have broad collateral effects. If efforts to suppress housing prices go too far, tenants may once again end up paying the price.

The government should scrap any reckless plan to raise property tax rates on single-home owners.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260319010005978

Experts have urged holidaymakers to make this check before jetting off

Brits planning a getaway have been warned to check one crucial detail beforehand or risk potentially losing hundreds or even thousands of pounds. Neglecting to do so could leave your travel insurance worthless, meaning you’d be left out of pocket should anything go wrong.

With the Easter break looming, countless families across the UK will be gearing up for trips overseas. However, experts have issued an important reminder about an essential check that must be completed before departing.

The team at Travel Health Pro stressed that travellers must always keep abreast of guidance regarding their destination from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). You should “keep checking” during the “days and weeks leading up to your trip” to ensure you don’t miss anything.

This guidance will inform you whether there are any present dangers associated with your chosen location. These could stem from severe weather conditions, criminal activity, political instability, conflict, or terrorism threats.

Occasionally, the advice may be severe enough to recommend not travelling altogether, whilst in other instances it might suggest steering clear of particular regions or remaining vigilant about certain circumstances. Travel Health Pro stated: “Planning to travel abroad?

“Before you book your trip, check Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) foreign travel advice for information on safety and security at your destination. Remember to keep checking FCDO advice in the days or weeks leading up to your trip too, as circumstances can change very quickly.” The guidance elaborated on the meaning of these warnings: “If the FCDO think the risk of travel is unacceptably high, they will formally advise British people against ‘all but essential travel’ or ‘all travel’ to a particular country or region.

READ MORE: Your UK passport could be invalid and you do not even realise itREAD MORE: Holidaymakers in Tenerife ‘can’t wait to go home’ as Storm Therese hits Canary Islands

“The ‘warnings and insurance’ section of each FCDO country advice page lists all the areas (if appropriate) to which this applies. You can also receive FCDO email alerts about specific countries by signing up through a link on the FCDO country page for your destination.”

Neglecting to carry out this verification and venturing to a high-risk destination could result in your insurance policy becoming void. This could mean you’re left out of pocket for hundreds or even thousands of pounds if something goes wrong and your trip is cancelled or cut short.

Travel Health Pro warned: “Remember – your foreign travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against FCDO advice. If you travel, remember to check FCDO travel advice regularly, as situations can change quickly.”

Nations with an FCDO warning currently active

At the time of publication, numerous countries are currently subject to an FCDO travel warning. These include:

• Afghanistan
• Belarus
• Burkina Faso
• Haiti
• Iran
• Iraq
• Israel
• Mali
• Niger
• Russia
• South Sudan
• Syria
• Ukraine
• Yemen

The complete list of foreign travel advice for countries can be viewed online here.

THERE could be trouble ahead for those who have booked holidays to far-flung destinations as airlines are warning of even more flight cancellations.

The rising price and shortage of jet fuel caused by the Iran crisis means airlines may be forced to axe longer journeys.

Following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the price of jet fuel has risen sharply from $90 (£67) per barrel to as much as $200 (£150) per barrel – with oil traders now also expecting a shortage of it in the coming weeks.

As a result, there’s a rising risk of airlines cancelling services especially to long-haul destinations.

This is because airlines heading to far-flung places may not have enough fuel for the return journey.

The Times reported that the problem could even go on until summer quoting an industry source that said it could “take up to six months to get back to normal” – which sees us through to August.

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Some airlines are already taking action to preserve fuel. Earlier this week, Air New Zealand said that it will be cutting back on flights until May 2026.

The airline will see roughly a five per cent reduction in its services which works out to around 1,100 flights.

Following suit, Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) announced that it would be cancelling 1,000 flights.

Certain countries, like Vietnam have now warned that flights could be cancelled from April, affecting the Easter break.

Meanwhile, China and Thailand have halted exports of fuel to maintain their own supplies – which in turn will affect airlines operating in other countries.

Closer to home, Brits could be affected as some of its jet fuel is imported from the likes of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

International Air Transport Association said that “Europe is among the most exposed, with 25–30 per cent of its jet fuel demand originating from the Persian Gulf.”

Meanwhile, Watson Farley & Williams, the energy, infrastructure and transport law firm, said: “If airports and airlines’ stocks of fuel are depleted for any length of time, airlines will cease to be able to fuel their aircraft and will have to reduce their operations.

“This may have far-reaching consequences.”

This implies that there could be a knock-on effect for airlines later on, too.

It added that “further flight cancellations can be expected, even by airlines operating from home bases where there is a reliable supply of fuel.”

Certain UK airlines are less affected for now because they have secured some of their fuel at a fixed price for a certain amount of time.

These include Ryanair, easyJet, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic.

Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary said the rise in jet fuel “won’t affect our costs and it won’t affect ​our low fares.”

For more on the Iran crisis, British Airways has cancelled all flights to Dubai until June.

Yet, these two beautiful holiday islands with direct UK flights are seeing ‘huge demand’ as Brits swerve from Dubai, says TUI boss.

A deaf 6-year-old boy snatched by immigration agents from Northern California and deported to Colombia this month needs to be returned to the U.S. immediately or he could die, a lawyer representing the child said Wednesday.

Attorney Nikolas De Bremaeker said the boy, Joseph Lodano Rodriguez, was “at risk every day that he is not getting his treatments.” The child has a cochlear implant that requires the same routine maintenance and cleaning he was receiving stateside but may not get in Colombia.

“Joseph is at immense risk for his life if he does not continue the treatment that he was receiving in the United States,” De Bremaeker said at a virtual news conference hosted by California Supt. of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, a Democratic gubernatorial candidate.

“He is at risk of infection, he is at risk of meningitis, he is at risk of death if he is not given the proper care for his surgical implants.”

Joseph, his 28-year-old mother, Lesly Rodriguez Gutierrez, and another son, 5, were detained by federal agents on March 3 while attending an immigration meeting and deported shortly after.

Rodriguez Gutierrez traveled to the United States in 2022 seeking asylum from domestic violence and lived in Hayward. She was told in the run up to the March 3 meeting that she needed to bring her two children for a routine check-in to update the photos Immigration and Customs Enforcement had of them.

Shortly after arriving, ICE agents “tried to force her to sign a document without explanation, and then pushed the family into a vehicle to be put on a flight to a faraway detention facility, “ De Bremaeker told The Times earlier.

The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to questions sent Wednesday after office hours but has consistently said that Rodriguez Gutierrez was “an illegal alien from Colombia” who “illegally entered the United States in 2022.”

She was issued a removal order on Nov. 25, 2024, according to DHS.

Thurmond, the superintendent, called on the public to lobby Congress and the Trump administration “to return Joseph so he can continue his studies.”

Thurmond showed a 40-second clip of Joseph and his family at a Colombian facility for the deaf.

The child appeared to struggle communicating with his sibling and mother, while his brother repeatedly tried to give directions to him in Spanish with little avail.

Joseph’s only language is American Sign Language, Thurmond said. Joseph was studying at the state-funded Fremont’s California School for the Deaf.

“Joseph is struggling,” Thurmond said. “He does not have the ability to communicate with anyone and in many ways, he can barely communicate with his mom. Like Joseph’s mom, Lesly was just beginning to learn American Sign Language.”

Both California senators — Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff — along with state Democratic congressional members Eric Swalwell, Nanette Barragán, Zoe Lofgren, Kevin Mullin and Lateefah Simon called on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the State Department to investigate the deportation.

The group is also calling on both government agencies to return the family to the U.S. through the process of humanitarian parole. That move would allow Joseph to re-enroll in school and receive specialized care.

Celena Ponce, founder of Hands United, a nonprofit organization dedicated to aiding deaf immigrant children and families, said her group was trying to connect the family with the deaf community and services, like interpreters, in Colombia.

She said, however, that Joseph and his family face several challenges. The first hurdle if he ends up staying in Colombia, is that he and his mother will have to learn Colombian sign language, which differs from American sign language.

Ponce added that Joseph also suffered language deprivation, meaning he is delayed in comparison to other 6-year-olds who are hearing.

“Because Colombia does not have residential schools similar to what California has, the ability to be fully immersed in language is not present,” she said.

Whatever gains he made at the California School for the Deaf would likely end, she said.

Times staff writers Clara Harter and Christopher Buchanan contributed to this report.

Some viewers have dubbed the new documentary a ‘wake up call’

A brand new documentary just added to Netflix has been dubbed a “wake up call” by terrified viewers.

The Plastic Detox arrived on the streaming service just this week, exploring the impact of exposure to everyday plastic items such as clothing fibres, cosmetics and kitchen tools on human health and fertility.

The feature-length film centres around six couples who are all trying for a baby. They all have one thing in common: they have been unable to conceive, with some of the pairs having spent years trying unsuccessfully to make it happen.

They are tasked with lowering their exposure to plastics over the course of three months supported by scientists and researchers to see if doing so can turn their fortunes around.

Netflix’s official synopsis reads: “Strange symptoms. Unexplained infertility. Human extinction? Six couples cut back on plastics while trying to conceive in this absorbing documentary.” The film is directed by Louie Psihoyos who was behind 2024 Netflix documentary, You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment.

Viewers have been quick to flood social media with their first thoughts about the documentary, with one warning fellow viewers: “I was not prepared to be so enraged and also disgusted. So many chemicals. In everything. All the time. Just watch at your own risk.”

A second said: “Everyone needs to watch this. It’s a wake-up call,” as a third remarked: “I just made the grave mistake of watching The Plastic Detox on Netflix and that was a mistake. I mean, it wasn’t, but it was. I would not recommend if you’re a spiraller… because, wow.”

Environmental and reproductive epidemiologist Dr Shanna Swan who appears in the documentary, told Netflix’s Tudum: “I think it empowers people to know that they can do things to protect themselves, at least if not completely, to a large extent.

“And that’s what the film really shows — when these couples took action and reduced their exposure, they saw differences.”

At time of writing, it has been revealed that three of the six couples that took part in the experiment have since gone on to become pregnant. One of the couples, Monique and Bruno, are actually expecting their second baby at the end of this month.

As well as seeing a difference in fertility, the couple shared that they had seen a huge impact in their overall health too. They shared with Tudum: “We sleep better, our skin is less dry, and Bruno’s extreme eczema has decreased considerably.”

The Plastic Detox is now available to stream on Netflix.

The Middle East conflict risks adding a staggering 45 million to acute hunger levels, warns the UN’s World Food Programme.

Tens of millions more people will face acute hunger if the United States-Israel war on Iran, and its reverberations through Iran’s retaliation, continue through to June, the United Nations warned.

“If the Middle East conflict continues through June, an additional 45 million people could be pushed into acute hunger by price rises,” Carl Skau, the deputy executive director of the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP), said on Tuesday.

“This would take global hunger levels to an all-time record, and it’s a terrible, terrible prospect,” Skau said, with 319 million people, already a historic high, currently acutely food insecure.

The US-Israeli attacks on Iran that began on February 28 have choked up key humanitarian aid routes, delaying life-saving shipments to some of the world’s worst crises.

Skau said shipping costs are up 18 percent since the war began and that some have had to be rerouted.

The extra costs come on top of deep spending cuts by the WFP, as donors focus more on defence, he added.

Hunger crises in Gaza, Sudan

In Gaza, residents are rushing to stockpile dwindling goods as border closures and the Iran war further strain already fragile supplies, with shortages worsening across the besieged enclave as Israel presses on with its genocidal war there.

Israel is set to partially reopen Gaza’s Rafah crossing with Egypt on Wednesday, ending a two-week shutdown that has deepened an already catastrophic humanitarian crisis in the decimated territory.

Israel shut the crossing the same day it and the US launched strikes on Iran, citing “security” reasons.

The World Health Organization’s regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean warned last week that only about 200 trucks a day were entering Gaza, far short of the estimated daily requirement of 600.

Meanwhile, more than 21 million people in Sudan, nearly half of the population, face acute hunger. Famine has been confirmed in areas where months of fighting have made access for aid workers largely impossible.

In January, the UN warned that aid to Sudan could run out within months unless hundreds of millions of additional dollars are pledged.

Three years of brutal war between the military government and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have killed tens of thousands of people and displaced 14 million.

A big rise in infections has been detected in a report published today

Health officials have issued an alert of a ‘high risk’ of being infected with a potentially lethal virus at one of the world’s most beautiful holiday destinations. In an alert issued today (Friday March 13) the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said gthere has been a huge surge in cases in people returning from this hotspot.

It said that since November 2025, more than 110 travel-related cases of chikungunya virus disease have been reported by 13 EU/EEA countries among travellers returning from Seychelles. In a report today it said: “This represents a marked increase compared with

the earlier months of 2025, and no cases have been reported in preceding years. The emergence of chikungunya virus disease in the Seychelles aligns with a broader regional spread throughout the Indian Ocean. Notably, Réunion (France) experienced a major outbreak in 2025.

“According to local health authorities, chikungunya virus has become more prevalent in the Seychelles compared with other circulating arboviruses.”

Approximately 20,000 to 30,000 people from the UK travel to the Seychelles annually, with 19,870 visitors recorded in 2023. The beaches of the Seychelles have been described as being the most beautiful in the world.

The Republic of Seychelles, to give the official name, is an archipelago consisting of 115 separate islands most of which are uninhabited. The islands are set in the western part of the Indian Ocean at a distance of between 480 and 1600 km from the east coast of Africa and to the north of Madagascar. At a latitude of 4 to 10 degrees south of the equator, they form what has been described as a tropical island paradise.

The ECDC report said: “The current likelihood of chikungunya virus infection for travellers to the Seychelles is high. Given that the peak travel period to the Seychelles occurs between February and April, it is important to strengthen communication to travellers and travel medicine clinics regarding the ongoing outbreak and the need for reinforced preventive measures.

“Vaccination of travellers may be considered, based on national recommendations. The likelihood of onward transmission of chikungunya virus in mainland Europe following introduction by a viraemic traveller is currently considered low, as environmental conditions are not favourable for Aedes mosquito activity at this time of year.”

The UK Health Security Agency said: ”In 2024, there were 112 confirmed and probable cases of chikungunya reported among travellers returning to England, Wales and Northern Ireland – nearly one and a half times the number reported in 2023. Travel to India accounted for the majority of these cases, followed by travel to Pakistan and Brazil – all popular destinations for people travelling from the UK.”

It explained Chikungunya spreads through the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes, particularly Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus species. Mosquitoes breed in natural and human-made sources of standing and stagnant water such blocked gutters and drains, litter, tarpaulins, open buckets, bins, plant pots and discarded items like tyres, and these are a risk factor for transmission if left around human habitation. Unlike malaria-carrying mosquitoes that are active at night, these insects are most active during the day, and particularly at dusk and dawn. This timing makes them troublesome for travellers engaged in daytime activities.

The UKHSA said: “The first symptoms of the disease are usually a high fever and severe joint pain, often more severe in the small joints or where there have been previous injuries. Many patients also experience muscle pain, headaches, sensitivity to light, and distinctive skin rashes. While most people recover fully within 1 to 2 weeks, the joint pain can persist for months or even years in some cases, with up to 12% of patients still experiencing discomfort 3 years after infection.

Serious complications are rare, occurring in approximately one in every 1,000 cases. However, certain groups face higher risks, including young babies, elderly people, and adults with underlying health conditions. Occasional complications affecting the eyes, nervous system, heart, and digestive system have been reported.”

For more information from the UKHSA click here.

Khan Younis, Gaza Strip – On the blue, wavy surface off the Khan Younis seaport, two Palestinian fishermen paddled their small, battered boat nearly 200 metres (656 feet) into the sea. On the shore, Dawood Sehwail, a 72-year-old Palestinian fisherman, stood inspecting a torn net, his eyes fixed on the waves as if reading a language only he understands.

Displaced from Rafah, further to the south, in May 2024 as a result of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, Sehwail now comes daily to the water’s edge, not just to fish, but to have an escape, to study the sea, and to remember.

“The feeling never gets old,” he said, with a sparkle in his eye that defies his age. “You come to see what wonders the sea might still have for you.”

“We were always shackled [by Israel],” Sehwail said quietly. “But one period was less harsh than another.”

Even before October 2023, when Israel started its genocidal war on Gaza, the Palestinian enclave’s fishermen operated under heavy restrictions imposed by Israel. Fishing zones were repeatedly reduced. Maritime boundaries outlined in agreements since the 1993 Oslo Accords were rarely implemented on the water. The distances fishermen were permitted to travel in the sea constantly shifted, often shrinking without warning.

“After every Israeli aggression, the consequences fell on us,” Sehwail explained. “We were supposed to [be allowed to] go further into the sea, but the occupation kept pushing us back.”

Controlling the sea

For a coastal territory, the sea should have been a source of wealth, stability, and fresh food. Instead, under Israel’s blockade that controls Gaza’s land, air, and sea since 2007, it has become another mechanism of control and persecution.

Sehwail once owned a stone distribution business, but was forced to shut it down after the Israeli blockade on Gaza tightened in 2007. He eventually turned to fishing, a skill he had learned as a child, and which he once thought he had abandoned.

“Our profession is day by day,” he said. “It used to be that, if you work, and are lucky, you can sell your catch and feed your family. If you’re very lucky, you save a little for the future of your children.”

But within a few days of Israel’s genocidal war, everything changed. Gaza’s seaport was destroyed by Israeli air strikes. Israel also bombed fishing installations from north to south. Boats were burned or sunk. The sector collapsed almost instantly.

“The Rafah fishermen had six fishing trawlers,” Sehwail recalled. “All of them were bombed and burned. I tried to keep my own small boat and nets for as long as I could, but they were destroyed by the occupation just days before we were displaced in May 2024.”

At Khan Younis port, the aftermath is no different. The harbour has turned into a crowded displacement site. Broken or burned boats are no longer vessels but tent supports, tied with ropes to hold fragile shelters in place.

A rusted metal skeleton of a trawler protrudes from the sand where displaced children now play around. But even in ruin, fishermen improvise.

“What we do now is try not to die,” Sehwail said. “We borrow tools. Some even turn refrigerator parts into floating boards. We have no motors, only paddles. We use whatever is left.”

Originally from the coastal village of Jourat Asqalan, depopulated of its Palestinian residents during the 1948 Nakba and the formation of Israel, Sehwail’s bond with the sea runs generations deep. “The connection is powerful,” he said. “My home in Rafah was also near the beach. Even in displacement, the sea keeps me company. But now my children and their families are scattered across displacement camps.”

No safety

Material destruction has been only part of the toll for Gaza’s fishermen. According to the Gaza Fishermen’s Syndicate, at least 238 fishermen have been killed by Israel since October 2023, whether at sea or on land, among more than 72,000 Palestinians.

The sector once consisted of more than 5,000 fishermen providing for more than 50,000 family members, who depended on fishing as a primary source of income. And Israeli violations have continued since the “ceasefire” began in October, with more than 20 fishermen reported to have been killed or detained.

“The sea is practically closed,” said Zakaria Baker, the head of Gaza’s Fishermen Syndicate, in a recent interview with Al Jazeera.

Baker explained that some fishermen do not risk venturing more than 800 metres (2,625 feet) offshore in small boats, as there is still uncertainty over how far they can go into the sea.

Standing on the shore, Sehwail pointed toward an Israeli naval boat.

“They are always there,” he said. “There is no official clearance for us. We enter at our own risk. The farthest we can go is about 800 metres, and even that depends on their mood.”

He described sudden chases by the Israeli navy: boats shot at or sunk, fishermen detained.

“They can see clearly what we are doing,” he said. “But it depends on the soldier’s mood whether he lets you fish or decides to shoot you dead.”

“Israel ‘executed’ fishing in Gaza,” Sehwail said, repeating the phrase in pain. “What we do now is not real fishing. It’s risking your life for the hope of bringing back one or two fish to your tent.”

Critical source of food

Before the genocide, Gaza’s fisheries sector played a vital role in food security and poverty alleviation. According to the United Nations, by the end of 2024, the sector was operating at less than 7.3 percent of its pre-October 2023 production capacity. The UN also estimated that 72 percent of Gaza’s fishing fleet had been damaged or destroyed.

The collapse has severely affected food availability, income generation, and community resilience. The reduction of fishing access to less than a nautical mile (1.85km) has drastically limited both quantity and species variety.

“The further west we used to go, the more variety [of fish] we could find,” Sehwail explained. “But now in shallow waters, you find only small quantities and mostly juvenile sardines that should be left to grow. But people needed whatever they could find.”

Months of Israeli starvation have turned fresh protein into a rarity; thus, fish is a special luxury.

Even now, with the relative relief brought by the “ceasefire”, fish seen in Gaza’s markets are largely frozen imports, often more expensive than fresh local fish was before the genocide. Catastrophic economic collapse means many families cannot afford them.

Baker emphasised that rehabilitation and recovery require more than ceasefire declarations. “No materials or compensation have been allowed in so far,” he said, “Israeli restrictions continue to block the entry of equipment. Fishermen need stable and safe conditions to return to work without fear of Israeli bullets.”

“The fishermen are simple, poor people,” Sehwail said. “We only want to live with dignity and provide for our families. Across Gaza from north to south, we’re all in need of support to finally fish as we actually deserve.”

March 4 (Asia Today) — In U.S. history, only one president served four terms: Franklin D. Roosevelt. Facing the unprecedented economic crisis of the Great Depression, Roosevelt pushed forward sweeping New Deal legislation to revive the economy. With Congress controlled by his Democratic Party, the political environment initially seemed favorable.

However, Roosevelt’s New Deal soon faced a major obstacle: opposition from the conservative-leaning U.S. Supreme Court. Several core New Deal laws were struck down as unconstitutional.

After winning re-election in 1936 with 61% of the vote, Roosevelt proposed a plan to expand the Supreme Court. Under the proposal, the president could appoint additional justices if sitting justices over the age of 70 years and six months did not retire. Because six justices were already over that age, the court could have expanded from nine members to as many as fifteen.

The proposal became known as “court packing” – an attempt to add justices favorable to the administration.

Opposition emerged from unexpected quarters. Not only Republicans but also members of Roosevelt’s own Democratic Party objected. Even Vice President John Nance Garner opposed the plan, warning it could create a dangerous precedent by allowing a president to reshape the judiciary for political purposes.

The proposal was ultimately withdrawn without a vote.

Another leader who reshaped the judiciary was Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. After taking power, Chávez expanded the number of Supreme Court justices and appointed individuals loyal to his government. Once the executive branch gained control over the judiciary, the court largely lost its ability to check the administration.

The consequences were severe. Venezuela’s political system deteriorated, and the power structure Chávez built has remained firmly in place under his successor, Nicolás Maduro.

In South Korea, a revision to the Court Organization Act aimed at expanding the number of Supreme Court justices passed the National Assembly on Feb. 28 with 173 votes in favor, 73 against and one abstention. The legislation now awaits promulgation by the president.

If enacted, the number of Supreme Court justices will increase from 14 to 26. President Lee Jae-myung would have the authority to appoint not only the 12 newly added justices but also replacements for 10 justices whose terms are set to expire, including Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae. In total, the president could appoint 22 of the court’s 26 justices during his term.

Expanding the number of justices is not simply a matter of increasing seats.

In Venezuela, Chávez filled the court with allies and during his tenure the Supreme Court issued virtually no rulings against the government. The judiciary effectively lost its role as an independent check on executive power.

Even Roosevelt – widely admired in American history – saw his attempt to expand the Supreme Court become one of the most controversial episodes of his presidency.

History offers clear lessons about the consequences of governments attempting to dominate the judiciary. Once the independence of the courts is compromised and the balance of powers between branches of government is weakened, any leader risks being viewed as moving toward authoritarian rule.

— Kim Chae-yeon, Asia Today

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the publication.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

As the Chicago Bears were rocketing toward an NFC North title and playoff run, quarterback Caleb Williams made a comment on social media about his Pro Bowl center Drew Dalman that has proven prophetic.

“He’s the brains behind all of it.”

Dalman informed the Bears on Tuesday that he will retire. Now. At age 27. After only five NFL seasons. After playing every snap in 2025, the first year of a three-year, $42 million contract.

Initial reaction around the league was that the decision was bonkers. Upon further review, however, it might be the most rational, reasoned move made this offseason.

Not long ago, most NFL players — linemen, certainly — couldn’t up and quit at the peak of their earning potential because their earnings weren’t enough to ensure a lifetime of financial stability.

Instead, they did what football players do — button their chin strap and play as long as their name remained on a roster. The risk of serious injury — including concussions — was simply the price of staying in the business.

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy? Early-onset dementia? Afterthoughts.

Today, it doesn’t take a mechanical engineering major to recognize that the equation has changed. Dalman, who happened to study mechanical engineering at Stanford, has yet to articulate why he is retiring.

But it is safe to presume that considerations included the roughly $24 million he banked in four years with the Atlanta Falcons and one with the Bears as well as the well-chronicled list of former players whose brains or other body parts no longer function properly because of the violent nature of the sport.

One of those players was Chris Dalman, an offensive lineman for the San Francisco 49ers from 1993-1999. He retired at 29 after suffering a neck injury during training camp in 2000 that left him temporarily paralyzed.

Chris is Drew’s father. He also graduated from Stanford and now is president of the private school in Salinas, Calif., that he and his son attended. This is what Chris told reporters when he retired in 2000:

“When I first got hurt and I couldn’t move, laying on the field for about 30 seconds, I knew it was probably over,” he said. “Still, it’s strange to think that this part of your life is over.”

Abruptly ending a career prematurely can’t be easy. It likely was as difficult for Drew Dalman as it was for his father. Yet the mountain of information regarding the link between repeated helmet-to-helmet hitting and CTE is irrefutable.

A 2023 Boston University study found that 345 of 376 (91.7%) post-mortem brains of former NFL players contained CTE, a progressive neurodegenerative disease caused by repeated head trauma. This condition is linked to dementia, cognitive decline and increased suicide risk among former players.

It remains to be seen whether more players will retire while at the top of their game. Already, several have done so, most prominently linebacker Luke Kuechly at 28 and quarterback Andrew Luck at 29.

Losing Dalman shocked the Bears, but they should be OK. The $10 million in salary cap space freed by his retirement can be spent on one of the several available free-agent centers.

That means Williams — the former USC Heisman Trophy winner and blossoming NFL quarterback — must adjust to a new center a year after he was thrilled that the Bears signed Dalman.

Williams’ words in December about Dalman’s exceptional brain, however, were followed by something less prophetic. While showering the Bears center with praise, Williams said, “And he’s the right guy for the job for my future and our future here.”

Dalman apparently prioritized his own future health instead.