International News
Martial Law: South Korea Opposition Files Impeachment Motion Against President Yoon
South Korea’s political landscape was thrown into chaos on Wednesday as lawmakers accused President Yoon Suk Yeol of declaring martial law in a bid to avoid criminal investigations into himself and his family.
The unprecedented declaration of martial law—South Korea’s first in over four decades—was swiftly overturned by a dramatic overnight vote in parliament, but the fallout has plunged the nation into political turmoil and raised alarm among its allies.
Yoon, elected president in 2022 and a former star public prosecutor, now faces an impeachment push after opposition lawmakers filed a motion accusing him of “gravely and extensively” violating the constitution.
The motion claims that Yoon’s imposition of martial law was an unconstitutional and illegal effort to avoid impending investigations into alleged illegal acts involving himself and his family.
The motion could be put to a vote as soon as Friday morning, and with the opposition holding a large majority in the 300-member National Assembly, Yoon’s chances of surviving the vote appear slim.
The dramatic events began Tuesday evening when Yoon declared martial law, citing the threat from North Korea and “anti-state forces.”
In response, more than 190 lawmakers defied the military’s lockdown of parliament and forced their way into the chamber to vote against the declaration.
Under South Korea’s constitution, martial law must be lifted if a majority of lawmakers demand it, which forced Yoon to rescind his order just six hours later in a televised address.
Yoon’s decision has been met with outrage across the nation.
Senior aides, including the defense minister, resigned on Wednesday, taking responsibility for the confusion caused by the martial law order.
By evening, Yoon had not made a public appearance, and protests continued to intensify.
Outside parliament, demonstrators celebrated the repeal of martial law, with many calling for Yoon’s resignation.
Lim Myeong-pan, a 55-year-old protester, said, “Yoon’s act of imposing it in the first place without legitimate cause is a serious crime in itself.
“He has paved his own path to impeachment with this.”
In another show of defiance, thousands of protesters gathered outside Yoon’s office in central Seoul, demanding that he step down.
“I was so incensed I couldn’t sleep a wink last night, I came out to make sure we push out Yoon once and for all,” said 50-year-old Kim Min-ho, a protester at the assembly.
The opposition’s Democratic Party has also filed a complaint of “insurrection” against Yoon, several of his ministers, and top military and police officials—charges that could lead to life imprisonment or even death if proven.
Yoon’s declaration took South Korea’s close allies by surprise.
The United States, which has nearly 30,000 troops stationed in the country, said it had not been informed in advance and expressed relief when the martial law order was reversed.
While China refrained from commenting on the situation, it urged Seoul to take steps to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens.
Yoon’s approval rating has dropped to a record low of 19% following controversies surrounding his leadership, including issues involving his wife, Kim Keon Hee.
In a bid to support low-income workers, Mexico has announced plans to raise its minimum wage by 12% starting January 2025.
The announcement was made Wednesday by Labor Minister Marath Bolaños during President Claudia Sheinbaum’s daily press conference, underscoring the government’s commitment to a “humanist economy” focused on reducing inequality.
The increase will see the daily minimum wage rise from 249 pesos ($12.23) to 278.80 pesos nationwide, while workers in northern border regions will earn approximately 420 pesos per day due to higher regional costs.
This adjustment reflects an agreement between labor and business sectors and builds on significant wage hikes in recent years.
“We continue on the path to rebuild the minimum wage and the purchasing power of Mexican men and women,” Bolaños said, highlighting that the wage has more than doubled—up 135%—since 2018 under successive leftist governments.
President Sheinbaum, who assumed office in October, has committed to maintaining annual wage increases of around 12% throughout her term.
Responding to concerns that the hike could stoke inflation, she dismissed such fears as unfounded.
“They said this would increase inflation. That’s false,” Sheinbaum said, pointing to central bank data indicating the hike will not have significant inflationary effects.
The administration’s long-term goal is to ensure the minimum wage covers 2.5 “basic food baskets,” a measure of essential groceries for a family of 3.7 people, by the end of Sheinbaum’s term.
International News
Cameroonian Curator Appointed As First African Woman To Lead 2026 Venice Biennale
In a historic moment for the global art world, Koyo Kouoh, the esteemed Cameroonian curator, has been appointed the first African woman to curate the Venice Biennale, one of the most prestigious contemporary art exhibitions in the world.
At 57 years old, Kouoh will oversee the 2026 edition of the biennale, making her mark in the 130-year-old institution that draws hundreds of thousands of art lovers to Venice every two years.
Kouoh, who has served as the director of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) in Cape Town since 2019, was hailed by Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, president of the Biennale, as a “curator, scholar, and influential public figure.”
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He emphasized that Kouoh’s leadership would bring a fresh and dynamic vision to the event, incorporating the “most refined, young, and disruptive intelligences” into the iconic exhibition.
Before her role at Zeitz MOCAA, Kouoh founded the RAW Material Company in Dakar, Senegal, and has long been a prominent figure in the Pan-African art scene.
Raised between Douala, Cameroon, and Switzerland, her global perspective has shaped her curatorial approach. Kouoh’s work in Cape Town has been groundbreaking, focusing on bold programs that highlight artists from Africa and its diaspora.
Describing her appointment as a “once-in-a-lifetime honour,” Kouoh expressed her ambition to bring forward a show that “carries meaning for the world we currently live in—and most importantly, for the world we want to make.”
She sees the Venice Biennale as a unique opportunity to reflect on the pulse of the contemporary world and address pressing global issues through art.
Kouoh’s Pan-African vision extends beyond the boundaries of the continent, challenging traditional ideas of identity and geography.
She has been vocal in her belief that African culture spans far beyond Africa itself, calling America “another African country” and linking Brazil, Cuba, and Haiti to the African diaspora.
“Africa is for me an idea that goes beyond borders. It’s a history that goes beyond borders,” she has said, emphasizing the significance of black culture and its global impact.
Kouoh follows in the footsteps of the late Nigerian art critic Okwui Enwezor, who made history as the first African to curate the Venice Biennale in 2015.
Her appointment reflects a growing recognition of the influence of African and diasporic art on the global stage.
The Biennale’s announcement follows Kouoh’s recommendation by Buttafuoco, a Sicilian intellectual appointed to lead the Venice board with support from Italy’s right-wing Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni.
Gabriel Boric, Chile’s president and the youngest leader in Latin America, made a groundbreaking announcement early Wednesday.
In a midnight Instagram post, Boric, 38 and his partner, Paula Carrasco, revealed they are expecting their first child, sharing an ultrasound image alongside a heartfelt message.
“While we are waiting for you… we will do our best to make sure you can live in a fair and happy Chile,” the couple wrote, garnering over 300,000 likes within hours.
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This marks a historic moment for Chile, a socially conservative and predominantly Catholic nation.
Boric will become the first president in the country’s history to have a child without being married to his partner.
The announcement has sparked conversations about modern family dynamics and evolving societal norms in Chile.
Paula Carrasco, 30, is an environmental chemist working in the Ministry of the Environment and a professional basketball player representing Chile’s national team.
Boric met Carrasco during the Pan American Games held in Santiago in October 2023.
Their relationship became public in September 2024, just over a year after Boric ended his previous relationship with Irina Karamanos, a political scientist who briefly served as Chile’s first lady before stepping down.
Since taking office in March 2022, Boric has consistently challenged traditional norms.
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