SOUTH KOREA
Yoon released from jail
Impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol was yesterday released from prison, a day after a Seoul court canceled his arrest to allow him to stand trial for rebellion without being physically detained. TV footage showed Yoon waving and bowing deeply to his supporters. In a statement distributed by his lawyers, Yoon said that he “appreciates the courage and decision by the Seoul Central District Court to correct illegality,” in an apparent reference to questions over his arrest. He said he also thanks his supporters and asked those who are on hunger strike against his impeachment to end it.
Photo: Reuters
SYRIA
Hundreds of Alawites killed
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights yesterday reported that 311 Alawite civilians have been killed in the past few days by security forces and their allies, as authorities clash with militants loyal to the administration of former president Bashar al-Assad. The new government, installed after Islamist-led forces ousted al-Assad late last year, are facing fierce attacks by members of the al-Assad clan’s Alawite minority and have launched a major counteroperation following deadly clashes on Thursday. The war monitor said the civilians were killed in “executions” carried out by security personnel or pro-government fighters and accompanied by “looting of homes and properties.”
Photo: Reuters
CANADA
Pub shooting injures 12
At least 12 people were injured when masked shooters indiscriminately opened fire at a pub in Toronto, police said yesterday, adding they were looking for three male suspects. Police did not provide a motive for the attack, which took place late on Friday. “Twelve injured, including six with gunshot wounds... Injuries non-life-threatening,” Toronto police wrote on X. All of the victims were hospitalized, but their lives were not in danger, the police said. Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said she had spoken to police Chief Myron Demkiw and was told “all necessary resources” had been deployed.
Photo: Reuters
UNITED STATES
Measles outbreak kills two
A measles outbreak in the southwest has killed two people and infected more than 200, prompting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to issue a travel warning. As of Friday, Texas had reported 198 cases and New Mexico 30, bringing the total to 228. Each state confirmed one death, and both, a child and an adult, were unvaccinated. “More cases are expected as this outbreak continues to expand rapidly,” the CDC said in a health alert network advisory to healthcare workers, public health officials and potential travelers.
Photo: REUTERS
JAPAN
Woman named oldest barber
A 108-year-old woman has been certified the world’s oldest barber, Guinness World Records said — and she has pledged to keep working until at least 110. Shitsui Hakoishi, born in 1916, decided to become a barber at the age of 14 when a friend’s mother asked if she wanted to become an apprentice at a hair salon in Tokyo. She still holds her own scissors, and this week participated in a celebration ceremony reportedly attended by her two children, an 85-year-old daughter and an 81-year-old son. “I’m very happy. My heart is full,” she said at the ceremony in Nakagawa. Guinness World Records said that the oldest barber category is split into male and female categories, but the oldest male barber — Anthony Mancinelli, who worked in New York until at least 107 years old — has passed away.
Photo: Kyodo Photo via AP
ACTIONABLE ADVICE: The majority of chatbots tested provided guidance on weapons, tactics and target selections, with Perplexity and Meta AI deemed to be the least safe From school shootings to synagogue bombings, leading artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots helped researchers plot violent attacks, according to a study published on Wednesday that highlighted the technology’s potential for real-world harm. Researchers from the nonprofit watchdog Center for Countering Digital Hate and CNN posed as 13-year-old boys in the US and Ireland to test 10 chatbots, including ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Perplexity, Deepseek and Meta AI. Eight of the chatbots assisted the make-believe attackers in more than half the responses, providing advice on “locations to target” and “weapons to use” in an attack, the study said. The chatbots had become a “powerful accelerant for
Australians were downloading virtual private networks (VPNs) in droves, while one of the world’s largest porn distributors said it was blocking users from its platforms as the country yesterday rolled out sweeping online age restriction. Australia in December became the first country to impose a nationwide ban on teenagers using social media. A separate law now requires artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbot services to keep certain content — including pornography, extreme violence and self-harm and eating disorder material — from minors or face fines of up to A$49.5 million (US$34.6 million). The country also joined Britain, France and dozens of US states requiring
Hungarian authorities temporarily detained seven Ukrainian citizens and seized two armored cars carrying tens of millions of euros in cash across Hungary on suspicion of money laundering, officials said on Friday. The Ukrainians were released on Friday, following their detention on Thursday, but Hungarian officials held onto the cash, prompting Ukraine to accuse Hungary’s Russia-friendly government of illegally seizing the money. “We will not tolerate this state banditism,” Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha said. The seven detained Ukrainians were employees of the Ukrainian state-owned Oschadbank, who were traveling in the two armored cars that were carrying the money between Austria and
Kosovar President Vjosa Osmani on Friday after dissolving the Kosovar parliament said a snap election should be held as soon as possible to avoid another prolonged political crisis in the Balkan country at a time of global turmoil. Osmani said it is important for Kosovo to wrap up the upcoming election process and form functional institutions for political stability as the war rages in the Middle East. “Precisely because the geopolitical situation is that complex, it is important to finish this electoral process which is coming up,” she said. “It is very hard now to imagine what will happen next.” Kosovo, which declared
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