International

Hunger Strike, South Korea opposition leader hospitalised

Published

2 years ago

September 18, 2023

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South Korea’s main opposition leader Lee Jae-myung was hospitalised Monday after 19 days on hunger strike to protest against government policies, his party said.

Hours after he was transferred to hospital, prosecutors issued an arrest warrant for him over corruption allegations.

Lee, 58, launched his hunger strike on August 31, over what he calls the government’s “incompetent and violent” policies, in particular its failure to protest against Japan’s release of treated wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear reactor.

Lee, a former presidential candidate, looked pale and weak in media footage. His transfer to hospital did not stop prosecutors from seeking to arrest him.

“Whether to fast or not and how to fast is a matter of personal freedom, but it should not affect the investigation or trial,” South Korea’s Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon told a parliamentary session.

“If a precedent is set that affects investigations and trials, wouldn’t everyone, including petty criminals, start fasting when they receive a summons notice?”

Prosecutors have accused Lee of bribery in connection with a firm that is suspected of illicitly transferring $8 million to North Korea.

He is also accused of breaching his duties, which allegedly resulted in a loss of 20 billion won ($15 million) for a company owned by Seongnam city during his term as its mayor.

Lee refutes all the allegations.

In order for a court to consider the prosecution’s request for an arrest warrant, Lee’s parliamentary immunity would have to be waived by the 300-member National Assembly, where the Democratic Party — headed by Lee — hold a majority.

Lee’s party slammed the latest development, saying the arrest warrant was “a clear sign of how violent and oppressive” President Yoon Suk Yeol’s administration is, it said in a statement.

The National Assembly previously dismissed a request for an arrest warrant in February.

The ruling People Power Party has asked Lee to stop fasting and said that it was ready to talk with Lee on his policy concerns once he recovers his health.

A former child factory worker who suffered an industrial accident as a teenage school drop-out, Lee rose to political stardom partly by playing up his rags-to-riches tale.

But his bid for the top office has been overshadowed by a string of scandals. He faced scrutiny over a questionable land development deal and persistent rumors linking him to organised crime.

At least five individuals connected to Lee’s various scandals in the past have been found dead, some in what appeared to be suicides.

He lost to Yoon in last year’s presidential election by a margin of 0.7 percent.

AFP

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International

IEA agrees to release record 400 million barrels of oil to address Iran war supply disruptions

The IEA did not set out a timeline for when the stocks would hit the market

Published

10 hours ago

March 11, 2026

OCHEFA

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Merchant ship on fire hits by Iran in Strait of Hormuz.

The International Energy Agency on Wednesday agreed to release 400 million barrels of oil to address the supply disruption triggered by the Iran war, the largest such action in the organization’s history.

The IEA did not set out a timeline for when the stocks would hit the market.

It said that the reserves would be released over a time frame that is appropriate to the circumstances of each of its 32 member countries.

IEA members are primarily advanced economies in Europe, North America and northeast Asia. The organization is tasked with maintaining global energy security.

It was founded in 1974 in response to the oil embargo imposed by Arab producers over U.S. support for Israel during the 1973 Arab-Israeli war.

(CNBC)

International

Iran tells world to get ready for oil at $200 a barrel as it fires on merchant ships

The war unleashed with joint U.S. and Israeli air strikes nearly two weeks ago has so far killed around 2,000 people, mostly Iranians and Lebanese, as it has spread into ‌Lebanon and thrown global energy markets and transport into chaos.

Published

10 hours ago

March 11, 2026

OCHEFA

17 Views

(REUTERS): Iran said the world should be ready for oil at $200 a barrel as its forces hit merchant ships on Wednesday and the International Energy Agency recommended a massive release of strategic reserves to dampen one of the worst oil shocks since the 1970s.

Despite what the Pentagon has described as the most intense airstrikes since the start of the war, Iran also fired at Israel and targets across the Middle East on Wednesday, demonstrating it can still fight back.

On Wednesday, three vessels were reported to have been hit in Gulf waters as Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said their forces had fired on ships in the Gulf that had disobeyed their orders.

While Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz said the operation “will continue without any time limit, as long as required, until we achieve all objectives and win the campaign,” Trump suggested the campaign would not last much longer.

International

NASA’s Satellite Crashing Back to Earth After 14 Years in Orbit

The spacecraft weighting 1,300 pound is called Van Allen Probe A, has been orbiting the planet for nearly 14 years and is now predicted to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere within the next day or two.

Published

20 hours ago

March 11, 2026

OCHEFA

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A satellite launched by NASA more than a decade ago is expected to return to Earth soon.

The spacecraft weighting 1,300 pound is called Van Allen Probe A, has been orbiting the planet for nearly 14 years and is now predicted to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere within the next day or two.

The space agency earlier estimated that the probe would begin re-entry around 7:45 p.m. ET on Tuesday (March 10), though the timing could vary by as much as 24 hours.

According to NASA, the risk of damage on the ground is extremely low.

Most of the more than 600-kg spacecraft is expected to burn up due to intense heat while passing through Earth’s atmosphere.

However, some small components may survive the re-entry. Scientists estimate that the chance of debris harming a person is about one in 4,200, which the agency describes as minimal.