Politics

A federal judge in Massachusetts has temporarily halted the deportation of Rumeysa Ozturk, a 30-year-old Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University who was detained by US immigration officials after expressing support for Palestinians amid Israel's Gaza war. Ozturk was forcibly taken into custody by masked federal agents near her Massachusetts home on Tuesday, with immigration authorities also revoking her visa. On Friday, US District Court Judge Denise Casper ordered the government to respond to an updated complaint from Ozturk's legal team by Tuesday evening. "To allow the Court's resolution of its jurisdiction to decide the petition, Ozturk shall not be removed from the United States until further order of this court," the judge wrote. Ozturk's arrest occurred one year after she co-authored an opinion piece in Tufts' student newspaper criticizing the university's response to student calls for divestment from companies […]

Hundreds of thousands of South Koreans demonstrated both for and against impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol in central Seoul as the Constitutional Court considers his political fate. Main thoroughfares through downtown Seoul were packed with opposing protesters carrying political signs and flags despite cold weather conditions. The demonstrations highlight the deepening political divide in the country. President Yoon has been suspended from office since his impeachment by the liberal opposition-controlled National Assembly over his December 3 martial law decree, which has thrown the country into political upheaval. The Constitutional Court is now deliberating whether to formally dismiss him or restore him to power. If removed from office, a presidential election would be held within two months to select his replacement. The ongoing uncertainty has fueled larger weekend protests from both sides. "The people are overwhelmed with fatigue and frustration as... […]

Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed placing Ukraine temporarily under UN control to elect a "more competent" government, marking another attempt to challenge Kyiv's legitimacy. Ukraine swiftly rejected the suggestion as a "crazy" idea designed to delay peace negotiations. The proposal emerged as the United States seeks to broker a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict, now entering its fourth year. Speaking to a nuclear submarine crew in Murmansk, Putin suggested a temporary UN administration could facilitate democratic elections and bring a government "trusted by the people" to power. He proposed discussing this approach with the United States, European countries, and Russia's partners. Moscow argues that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is illegitimate, claiming he has remained in power beyond his term. However, Zelensky's extended tenure is legally justified by martial law and the practical challenges of holding elections during wartime, with […]