's President was banned Monday from travelling abroad, the justice ministry said, less than a week after he plunged the country into chaos by briefly imposing . Yoon sent special forces and helicopters to parliament on the night of December 3 before lawmakers forced him to rescind the order by rejecting his decree. The unpopular leader narrowly survived an impeachment motion in parliament Saturday even as huge crowds braved freezing temperatures to call for his ouster. Despite remaining in office, a clutch of investigations has been closing in on Yoon and his close allies, including a probe for alleged insurrection. The ministry of justice confirmed on Monday that Yoon had become the first sitting South Korean president to be banned from leaving the country. A lawmaker was asked at a Monday parliamentary hearing whether Yoon had been banned from international travel. "Yes, that's right," replied Bae Sang-up, an immigration services commissioner at the ministry. Also under travel bans for their roles in last week's events are former defense minister Kim Yong-hyun -- currently in detention -- and ex-interior minister Lee Sang-min. General Park An-su, the officer in charge of the martial law operation, and defense counterintelligence commander Yeo In-hyung are also barred from leaving South Korea. Investigators hauled Park in for further questioning Monday, and Yonhap news agency reported that prosecutors had asked for a warrant for Kim's formal arrest. The impeachment push failed to pass after members of Yoon's own People Power Party (PPP) walked out of parliament, depriving it of the necessary two-thirds majority. The PPP says that in exchange, the 63-year-old Yoon has agreed to hand power to the prime minister and party chief, prompting howls of protest from the opposition. "This is an unlawful, unconstitutional act of a second insurrection and a second coup," Democratic Party floor leader Park Chan-dae said. Under South Korea's constitution, the president remains head of government and commander in chief of the army unless he or she is incapacitated, resigns or steps down. In such a case, power would then be handed to the prime minister on an interim basis until elections could be held. Claiming Yoon can remain in office but has delegated his powers to the prime minister and leader of his ruling PPP -- who is not an elected official -- is "a blatant constitutional violation with no legal basis", Park said. "Their attitude of placing themselves above the constitution mirrors that of insurrectionist Yoon Suk Yeol," he said. South Korea's ally the United States indicated it would still deal with Yoon but said it "will keep lines of communication open with all relevant parties". "President Yoon is the president of Korea, and the political process in Korea will play out, as it should, under Korea's laws and Korea's constitution," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters. The defense ministry confirmed Monday that the embattled Yoon still oversees the country's security apparatus, despite the apparent power vacuum in a country that remains technically at war with nuclear-armed North Korea. "Legally, (control of military forces) currently lies with the commander in chief," defense ministry spokesperson Jeon Ha-kyou said. Yoon has apologised for "anxiety and inconvenience" caused by his declaration of martial law but has not stepped down, saying instead he would entrust decisions about his fate to his party. He also said he would accept all political and legal responsibility for the martial law fiasco. There is no constitutional basis supporting the ruling party's claim that Yoon can stay in office but hand over his power to unelected party officials, said Kim Hae-won, a constitutional law professor at Pusan National University Law School. "It seems to resemble an unconstitutional soft coup," he told AFP. "If there are issues with the president, there are ways laid out in the constitution such as suspending the president from his duties, and then move on to proceedings set out in the constitution, such as impeachment," he said. The opposition has already said they would try again to impeach Yoon, with leader Lee Jae-myung saying another vote would be held Saturday.
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He originally joined the Army Service Corps as a Private but rose through the ranks, joining the 4th Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment as a 2nd Lieutenant on the July 3, 1918, whilst it was recovering from losses suffered earlier in the year. Later, when the battalion was disbanded, William was with supervising German prisoners at Fort McDonald near Lille in France. At the end of the war, they wrote two thank you letters to Harrison, one in German and one in English, expressing gratitude for his "humane and fair" treatment. The English version is on display in the Green Howards Museum in Richmond , North Yorkshire. The English version of the thank you letter written to William Alexander Harrison is on display in the Green Howards Museum, Richmond (Image: THE GREEN HOWARDS MUSEUM) Signed by their Regimental Sergeant Major, the Quartermaster Sergeant, two Sergeants and two Privates, it reads: “To 2nd Lieutenant W A Harrison, 226 Company, Sir! "We German prisoners of war from the 226 P.O.W. Coy wish to thank you for the humane and fair treatment which we have received from you during the period of time in which you have been in command of us. "On the cause of our repatriation we bid you 'farewell' and we wish you the very best of luck and prosperity in the future in the name of the whole company.” The foot of the letter also features a watercolour of the camp, showing prisoners sitting around a well-stocked table and others looking at people beyond the wire. Illustration at the bottom of the English version of the letter showing German POWs eating at a well-stocked table (Image: THE GREEN HOWARDS MUSEUM) The German version has a touching scene of a prisoner being welcomed home to a cottage after his repatriation. Both versions have an array of British and French flags and a royal crown at the top. Fort Macdonald had a notorious reputation as a German POW camp. It was known as 'The Black Hole of Lille' due to the terrible conditions in which prisoners had been kept. Second Lieutenant William Alexander Harrison in First World War uniform (Image: THE GREEN HOWARDS MUSEUM) A former inmate described his experience there as "one long nightmare," adding: "Nothing was given to us to drink. There were no latrines. The filth and putrescence in the corridor outside lay inches thick on the floor... "Of all the torture subsequently endured, none equalled the 13 days and nights in the Black Hole of the fort near Lille." Second Lieutenant Harrison retired from the army in May 1922. Medals awarded to Second Lieutenant William Alexander Harrison, on display in the Green Howards Museum (Image: THE GREEN HOWARDS MUSEUM) He was awarded several medals, including the 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal, and the Croix de Guerre from Belgium, all of which are on display at the Green Howards Museum. William Alexander Harrison pictured in 1922 in civilian clothes (Image: THE GREEN HOWARDS MUSEUM) After his retirement from the army, he became a clock and watch repairer in Wiltshire.SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Even when Penn State quarterback Drew Allar gets some praise, it's usually a backhanded compliment. They say he's a good game manager and stays within himself, or that he doesn't try to do too much. They mention he might not be flashy, but he gives the team a chance to win. And here's the thing about Penn State since Allar stepped under center: The Nittany Lions have won games. A lot of them. Sometimes that's hard to remember considering the lukewarm reception he often gets from fans. "I get it — we have a really passionate fan base and they're a huge part of our success," Allar said Sunday at College Football Playoff quarterfinals media day. "For us, we always want to go out there every drive and end with a touchdown, so when we don't do that, there's nobody more frustrated than us." The polarizing Allar is having a solid season by just about any standard, completing more than 68% of his passes for 3,021 yards, 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions while leading the sixth-seeded Nittany Lions to a 12-2 record and a spot in the Fiesta Bowl for Tuesday's game against No. 3 seed Boise State. But in a college football world filled with high-scoring, explosive offenses, Allar's no-frills performances often are the object of ire. The Penn State offense is a run-first bunch, led by the talented combo of Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. "If we had a nickel for every time there was a Monday morning quarterback saying some BS stuff, we'd all be pretty rich," offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki said. "I think part of being a quarterback, especially at Penn State but really anywhere, is how you respond to and manage criticism." The 20-year-old Allar has made strides in that department after a trying 2023 season that finished with a 10-3 record. He says that's largely because once fall camp started back in August, he logged off the social media platform X. Allar said negative online experiences wore on him last year, and his phone number was leaked a few times, which added to the stress. He finally realized that controlling outside narratives was impossible, so the best course of action was to eliminate a needless distraction. "I've been more mentally free, as much as that sounds crazy," Allar said. "I think that's been a huge difference for me this year." The biggest criticism of Allar — and really Penn State as a whole during the 11-year James Franklin era — is that he isn't capable of winning the big games. He's 0-2 against rival Ohio State and threw a late interception against Oregon in the Big Ten title game earlier this month, which sealed the Ducks' 45-37 victory. He wasn't great in the CFP's first round, either, completing just 13 of 22 passes for 127 yards as Penn State muscled past SMU 38-10 on a cold, blustery day to advance to the Fiesta Bowl. But the quarterback is confident a better performance — aided by a game that will be played in comfortable temperatures in a domed stadium — is coming. "For me, I just have to execute those (easy) throws early in the game and get our guys into rhythm," Allar said. "Get them involved early as much as I can and that allows us to stay on the field longer, call more plays and open up our offense more. That will help us a ton, building the momentum throughout the game." Allar might be a favorite punching bag for a section of the Penn State fan base, but that's not the case in his own locker room. Star tight end Tyler Warren praised his quarterback's ability to avoid sacks, saying that the 6-foot-5, 238-pounder brings a toughness that resonates with teammates. "He's a football player," Warren said. "He plays quarterback, but when you watch him play and the energy he brings and the way he runs the ball, he's just a football player and that fires up our offense." Now Allar and Penn State have a chance to silence critics who say that the Nittany Lions don't show up in big games. Not that he's worried about what other people think. "I think it's a skill at the end of the day — blocking out the outside noise," Allar said. "Focusing on you and the process and being honest with yourself, both good and bad."
The Albanese government has voted against Israel at the United Nations in a move that has been expected to anger the Israeli Netanyahu government. Australia voted in favour of the motion on Thursday calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. The motion also expressed support for the mandate of humanitarian aid organisation United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). It comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the Albanese government of an “extreme anti-Israel position”. The Australian government has justified its stance by emphasising the importance of UNRWA in delivering critical humanitarian assistance to the region. “Australia supports this resolution's unwavering commitment to the vision of a two state solution,” Australia's representative to the United Nations James Larsen said. The Australian diplomat also said “limiting UNRWA's operations will only exacerbate an already terrible humanitarian crisis”. Mr Larsen acknowledged the “shortcoming” of the resolution that it did not condition the release of hostages with the ceasefire deal. Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon told the assembly the vote was not one of “compassion” but “complicity”. “If this betrayal is not enough, you push through a resolution which failed to even condition a ceasefire on the release of the 100 hostages still held by Hamas,” he said. As of December, there were still 100 Israeli and foreign hostages held in captivity by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The opposition, including shadow home affairs minister James Patterson, has also opposed Australia's UN decision to support UNRWA due to its links to Hamas . "UNRWA has admitted they employed multiple terrorists involved in the October 7 atrocities,” Mr Paterson told Sky News on Thursday. "They have also employed Hezbollah terrorists. This is an unreformable and unreformed organisation." The opposition has also argued that Australia's shifting stance on Palestine and its recent UN votes were contributing to rising antisemitism domestically. Israel’s Prime Minister also accused the Albanese government of an “extreme anti-Israeli position” after a previous UN vote. In response to criticisms from the opposition, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese explained the rationale behind his government's approach on Wednesday. "Palestinians (have) a right to have their legitimate aspirations fulfilled. It has to be done in a way that provides security for everyone in the region," Mr Albanese said. "That is my position and it’s the position overwhelmingly supported by countries in the United Nations." The United Nations vote received 158 votes in favour – including Australia – with only nine votes against, including Israel and the United States.Waste Sorting Robots Market Forecast 2024-2031: Challenges and Strategic Recommendations