South Korea's ex-President Yoon faces potential death sentence request in trial

By Joyce Lee

SEOUL, Jan 9 (Reuters) - A South Korean court trying former President Yoon Suk Yeol on insurrection charges put off a sentencing request till next week after a marathon session on Friday, in a ​case that could give him the death penalty over his failed martial law bid in 2024.

Yoon, who is accused ‌of masterminding an insurrection, could face the death penalty or life in prison under South Korean law if found guilty. South Korea has not executed ‌a death-row inmate since 1997, although it has not abolished the death penalty.

A special prosecutor had been expected to make their request for a sentence to the Seoul Central District Court for Yoon and seven other defendants on Friday but the court decided to resume proceedings on January 13 after more than 12 hours of arguments.

Prosecutors have alleged that Yoon and then-defence minister, Kim Yong-hyun, began ⁠devising a scheme as far back as October ‌2023 to suspend parliament and assume legislative powers.

Prosecutors accuse Yoon of seeking to brand his political opponents - including then-opposition leader Lee Jae Myung - as "anti-state forces" and to detain them.

They have said Yoon ‍and Kim also tried to manufacture a pretext for martial law by escalating tensions with North Korea through a covert drone operation.

While the botched bid to impose martial law lasted only about six hours, it sent shockwaves through South Korea, which is Asia's fourth-largest economy, a key ​U.S. security ally and was long considered one of Asia's most resilient democracies.

Yoon, 65, has denied the charges. The conservative ‌former career prosecutor has argued he had the powers as president to declare martial law and that his action was aimed at sounding the alarm over opposition parties' obstruction of government.

DEFENCE LAWYERS HAVE NOT FINISHED PRESENTING ARGUMENTS

Dressed in a dark suit and white shirt and appearing noticeably thinner than at the start of the trial in February, Yoon sat with the seven other defendants including Kim and legal counsel.

The session opened earlier than usual for the defence arguments, followed by the prosecutors' final arguments and ⁠sentencing requests relating to each of the defendants.

But by late Friday ​evening, defence lawyers were still hours away from finishing their arguments, prompting the ​court to set a new session for January 13. In South Korea, the court rules whether to convict a defendant and sets the sentence.

The court is expected to rule in February, capping more than ‍a year of political upheaval following ⁠Yoon's martial law declaration on December 3, 2024, which was revoked within hours after lawmakers scaled fences to break through a security cordon around the National Assembly to vote.

Yoon was later impeached and removed from office by the ⁠Constitutional Court and a snap presidential election in June last year brought liberal-leaning Lee Jae Myung to power.

Yoon faces a string of other criminal charges, ‌including obstructing the execution of an arrest warrant and abuse of power.

(Reporting by Joyce Lee, Kyu-seok Shim ‌and Jack KimEditing by Ed Davies, Kate Mayberry and Gareth Jones)

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

January 09, 2026

South Korea's ex-President Yoon faces potential death sentence request in trial

By Joyce Lee SEOUL, Jan 9 (Reuters) - A South Korean court trying former President Yoon Suk Yeol on insurrection...

Read More

Tornadoes tear across Mississippi as major storm threatens millions with severe weather, flash flooding

JACKSON, Miss. —A powerful line of thunderstorms produced at least two radar-confirmedtornadoesin Mississippi around 6:30 a.m. CT. These storms were powered by a cold front from a cross-country storm that's delivering heavy rounds ofrainto millions east of theMississippiRiver, as parts of the Deep South and Gulf Coast remain in the bullseye for significantflash floodingandsevere stormsthrough Friday.

Download The Fox Weather App

Tornado Warnings were issued across parts of Mississippi and Louisiana on Friday morning.

No word on the extent of any damage or injuries.

Damaging wind gusts are expected to remain the main threat of severe storms, but moretornadoesare possible. This comes after the first cross-country storm spawned at least four tornadoes across Oklahoma Thursday.

Tornado Rips Through Purcell, Oklahoma Spawning Trail Of Damage

Meanwhile, an intense corridor of flash flooding will be possible Friday into Saturday across southern Mississippi nearHattiesburgand south ofJackson,according to the FOX Forecast Center.

Over eight million people are under a 2 out of 5 severe storm risk that is in place across parts ofLouisiana,Mississippiand westernTennessee, with the highest risk extending fromBaton Rouge, Louisiana, north toMemphis, Tennesseeand east toBirmingham, Alabama.

How To Watch For Weather

The continued threat of tornadoes comes after a strong EF-1 tornado ripped throughPurcell,Oklahoma, as a line of storms moved through the area. Though no one was injured, the tornado left a trail of destruction, downing power lines and uprooting trees.

The National Weather Service offices inNormanandTulsaare still surveying damage, but confirmed three other tornadoes near the Oklahoma City area/

In a classic set up for severe weather in the South, multiple rounds of storms are expected Friday from the Tennessee Valley to the Gulf Coast, elevating the threat of flash flooding.

The first round will arrive on Friday morning into midday, followed by another round later in the afternoon and overnight.

How To Watch Fox Weather

Given the abundant moisture and the likelihood of repeated rounds of storms, flash flooding remains a concern across middle Tennessee, northern Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.

Rainfall totals will generally range from 2 to 3 inches across most of theTennessee Valley; however, isolated pockets could see totals reach up to 5 inches.

However, the greatest threat covers parts of southern Mississippi, where NOAA's Weather Prediction Center has issued a Level 3 out of 4 risk of flash flooding.

A corridor from Jackson to Hattiesburg could see rain rates of up to 3 inches per hour Friday, the FOX Forecast Center said.

Flood Watchesare now up fromNew OrleansthroughNashville, extending over 600 miles.

Much of the areas included in flood watches are currently in a drought, increasing the risk for flash flooding as the expected rainfall rates may exceed what the dry ground can absorb.

Severe weather may continue into Saturday as the cold front moves east. A level 1 out of 5 severe storm risk is already in place across parts ofGeorgiaand the Carolinas.

As the storm exits the region, the possibility of flash flooding remains across east Tennessee and westernNorth Carolina.

Original article source:Tornadoes tear across Mississippi as major storm threatens millions with severe weather, flash flooding

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

January 09, 2026

Tornadoes tear across Mississippi as major storm threatens millions with severe weather, flash flooding

JACKSON, Miss. —A powerful line of thunderstorms produced at least two radar-confirmedtornadoesin Mississippi around 6:30...

Read More

Iran shuts off internet as protesters start fires in widening unrest

By Parisa Hafezi

DUBAI, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Iran was largely cut off from the outside world on Friday after authorities blacked out the internet to curb growing unrest, as video showed buildings ablaze in anti-government protests raging in several cities across the country.

Rights groups have already documented dozens of deaths of protesters in nearly two weeks and, with Iranian state TV showing ​clashes and fires, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that several police officers had been killed overnight.

In a televised address, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed not to back down, accusing demonstrators of ‌acting on behalf of émigré opposition groups and the United States, and a public prosecutor threatened death sentences.

The unrest has not mobilised as many layers of society as other bouts of protest in recent years, but the authorities look more vulnerable because of a dire ‌economic situation and the aftermath of last year's war with Israel and the United States.

While the initial protests were focused on the economy, with the rial currency losing half its value against the dollar last year and inflation topping 40% in December, they have morphed to include slogans aimed directly at the authorities.

BUILDINGS AND VEHICLES ON FIRE

The internet blackout has sharply reduced the amount of information flowing out of the country. Phone calls into Iran were not getting through. At least 17 flights between Dubai and Iran were cancelled, Dubai Airport's website showed.

Protests began late last month with shopkeepers and bazaar merchants demonstrating over accelerating inflation and the rial's plunge, but soon spread to universities and provincial cities, ⁠young men clashing with security forces.

Images published by state television overnight showed what ‌it said were burning buses, cars and motorbikes as well as fires at underground railway stations and banks. It blamed the unrest on the People's Mujahedin Organisation, an opposition faction headquartered abroad that splintered off after the 1979 Islamic Revolution and is also known as the MKO.

A state TV journalist standing in front of fires on Shariati Street ‍in the Caspian Sea port of Rasht said: "This looks like a war zone - all the shops have been destroyed."

Videos verified by Reuters as having been taken in the capital Tehran showed hundreds of people marching. In one of the videos, a woman could be heard shouting "Death to Khamenei!"

Other chants included slogans in support of the monarchy.

Iranian rights group Hengaw reported that a protest march after Friday prayers in Zahedan, where the Baluch minority predominates, had been met with gunfire that wounded several people.

Authorities ​have tried a dual approach - describing protests over the economy as legitimate while condemning what they call violent rioters and cracking down with security forces.

Last week President Masoud Pezeshkian urged authorities to take a "kind and ‌responsible approach", and the government offered modest financial incentives to help counter worsening impoverishment as inflation has soared.

But with unrest spreading and clashes appearing more violent, the Supreme Leader, the ultimate authority in Iran, above the elected president and parliament, used much tougher language on Friday.

"The Islamic Republic came to power through the blood of hundreds of thousands of honourable people. It will not back down in the face of vandals," he said, accusing those involved in unrest of seeking to please U.S. President Donald Trump.

Tehran's public prosecutor said those committing sabotage, burning public property or engaging in clashes with security forces would face the death penalty.

FRAGMENTED OPPOSITION

Iran's fragmented external opposition factions called for more protests, and demonstrators have chanted slogans including "Death to the dictator!" and praising the monarchy that was overthrown in 1979.

Reza Pahlavi, exiled son of the late shah, told Iranians in a social media post: "The eyes of ⁠the world are upon you. Take to the streets."

However, the extent of support inside Iran for the monarchy or for ​the MKO, the most vocal of émigré opposition groups, is disputed. A spokesperson for the MKO said units with the group had taken ​part in the protests.

Trump, who bombed Iran last summer and warned Tehran last week that the U.S. could come to the protesters' aid, said on Friday he would not meet Pahlavi and was "not sure that it would be appropriate" to support him.

Despite the increased pressure, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Friday the chance of foreign military intervention in ‍Iran was "very low". He said the foreign minister of Oman, ⁠which has often interceded in negotiations between Iran and the West, would visit on Saturday.

U.N. rights chief Volker Turk said he was "deeply disturbed by reports of violence" and by communications shutdowns.

The Islamic Republic has weathered repeated bouts of major nationwide unrest across the decades, including student protests in 1999, mass demonstrations over a disputed election outcome in 2009, demonstrations over economic hardships in 2019, and the Woman, ⁠Life, Freedom protests in 2022.

The 2022 protests, sparked by the killing of a young woman in the custody of Iran's Islamic morality police, drew a large variety of people onto the streets, with men and women, old and young, rich and poor.

They were ultimately suppressed, ‌with hundreds of people reported killed and thousands imprisoned, but authorities also subsequently ceded some ground with women now routinely disobeying public dress codes.

(Reporting by Parisa Hafezi and Dubai Newsroom; ‌additional reporting by Vinaya K and Marine Delrue; writing by Angus McDowall; editing by Kevin Liffey and Mark Heinrich)

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

January 09, 2026

Iran shuts off internet as protesters start fires in widening unrest

By Parisa Hafezi DUBAI, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Iran was largely cut off from the outside world on Friday after author...

Read More

Minnesota woman dead after suspected shark attack in US Virgin Islands

A 56-year-old Minnesota woman has died after a suspected shark attack Thursday afternoon at Dorsch Beach in the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to police.

Emergency services received multiple calls around 4:28 p.m. reporting that a woman had been bitten while in the water, the Virgin Islands Police Department said.

MORE: 3 police officers shot 'without warning' while responding to domestic call in Rochester

Marine units, along with fire and emergency medical services, responded to the scene on St. Croix and found the woman had suffered the loss of an arm during the attack, police said.

Authorities initially believed there may have been a second victim, but a search of the surrounding beach area by St. Croix Rescue did not find anyone else injured.

MORE: Family members charged in death of pregnant woman in Michigan

The woman was later identified by her family as Arlene Lillis, 56, of Minnesota. She died from her injuries, authorities confirmed.

The investigation into the incident remains ongoing.

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

January 09, 2026

Minnesota woman dead after suspected shark attack in US Virgin Islands

A 56-year-old Minnesota woman has died after a suspected shark attack Thursday afternoon at Dorsch Beach in the U.S. V...

Read More

550-pound bear finally evicted from California home after bizarre strategy ends monthlong ordeal

A 550-pound bear that had been living beneath a California man's home for over a month has finally left after a bizarre strategy ended a long streak of failed removal attempts by state officials.

Themale black bearwas reportedly removed from the crawl space Tuesday after bear-removal experts from Tahoe traveled to the Altadena home. One team member crawled inside and fired paintballs filled with vegetable oil, wildlife organization BEAR League told Fox News Digital on Thursday.

According to surveillance video, the large bear has been wedging itself in and out of a small crawl space beneath Ken Johnson's house since late November. Johnson said that the animal caused extensive damage to his home, costing tens of thousands of dollars. It also created a dangerous, unlivable situation involving structural and gas line issues.

"Right after surviving theEaton fire, I lost my job, and shortly after that the bear began tearing into the structure of my home," Johnson said in a GoFundMe page. "I have video footage of it twisting gas pipes, which created an extremely dangerous situation and forced me to shut off my utilities just to stay safe."

Bear Remains Under California Home After Weeks Of Failed Removal Attempts

The bear eviction finally took place after Johnson contacted BEAR League, an organization that specializes in bear removal emergencies in Lake Tahoe, located seven hours north of Altadena.

Read On The Fox News App

BEAR League told Fox News Digital on Thursday that the organization was "pleased to have helped Ken Johnson with this bear."

"A Southern California homeowner had a large male bear living under his house for more than a month before reaching out to the BEAR League for help," the organization added in a post on Facebook on Thursday.

BEAR League told Fox News Digital that the league used paintballs filled with vegetable oil that hit the bear in the backside. The wildlife rescue group reportedly finished the job in less than 20 minutes.

Wild Bear Makes 'Very Polite' Surprise Visit To California Zoo Before Returning To Forest

"After earlier removal attempts by state wildlife officials were unsuccessful, BEAR League first responders Scott and Dave traveled to theLos Angelesarea to assist," the organization added. "Scott, one of our most experienced responders, crawled beneath the home—fully aware the bear was still there—to get behind him and encourage him to exit through the crawl space opening."

To prevent the bear from denning in the crawl space again, the organization said it "loaned electric unwelcome mats to give the homeowner time to make repairs and secure the crawl space to prevent another visit."

Click Here To Download The Fox News App

According tosocial media footageposted by the organization, the mat worked just as designed, and the bear scurried away when it returned.

BEAR League emphasized that residents should be cautious about having open crawl spaces, noting that properly securing them helps people coexist safely with wildlife.

"We remind those who live in bear country that a poorly-secured crawl space is an open invitation for a winter visitor like this bear," the league said to Fox News Digital. "BEAR League responds multiple times per day at this time of year to evict bears from under homes in the Lake Tahoe region, and we've done so for 30 years without cost to the homeowner.  We work hard to educate people who share space with the bears that if humans take some very simple steps, they can live in harmony with the bears."

Tuesday's success ended a long streak of failed eviction attempts by theCalifornia Department of Fish and Wildlife, which had been trying to remove the bear for over a month. At one point, a trap even caught the wrong bear. Efforts that included bait, noisemakers and even a trap that caught the wrong bear all failed.

Original article source:550-pound bear finally evicted from California home after bizarre strategy ends monthlong ordeal

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

January 09, 2026

550-pound bear finally evicted from California home after bizarre strategy ends monthlong ordeal

A 550-pound bear that had been living beneath a California man's home for over a month has finally left after a bizar...

Read More

Tennessee professor awarded $500k after firing over Charlie Kirk comments

Days after being reinstated to his position, a theater professor at a Tennessee university will receive a $500,000 payout as part of a settlement following his firing in September due to comments he made on social media about conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.

A lawyer for Professor Darren Michael confirmed to The Tennessean that Michael, a professor at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, will receive $500,000, as well as reimbursement for therapeutic counseling services, as part of a settlement agreement with the Clarksville university.

David King, Michael's attorney, confirmed that while the settlement closes the chapter on restoring Michael's employment, they are "exploring future options" against those who "interfered with (Michael's) First Amendment rights."

The settlement deal was first reported byWKRN.

Michael was reinstated to his position at the school on Dec. 30, 2025, three monthsafter he was originally fireddue to comments he made on social media about conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, after the school admitted to not following its termination policy.

More:Charlie Kirk social media reactions have gotten some commenters fired: What the law says

Kirk, the founder of the conservative Turning Point USA organization, was killed during an event at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10. Following his death, Michael shared an article on his personal social media account titled "Charlie Kirk says gun deaths are 'unfortunately' worth it to keep 2ndAmendment," which discussed controversial comments made by Kirk shortly after the Covenant School shooting.

There was no additional caption written by Michael alongside the shared post.

Two days later, U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, shared a screenshot of his post on her X account.

Blackburn's caption stated: "What do you say, Austin Peay?"

Later that day,the Clarksville university released a statementsaying that Michael had been fired for social media comments that were "insensitive, disrespectful and interpreted by many as propagating justification for unlawful death."

"Such actions do not align with Austin Peay's commitment to mutual respect and human dignity," APSU President Mike Licari said in a statement about Michael's firing. "The university deems these actions unacceptable and has terminated the faculty member."

But in October,the school walked back his termination,stating that the professor was instead suspended and that administration had begun the process of terminating Michael's tenure.

Now, the school is taking a larger step back. Licari announced in a Dec. 30 emailoriginally obtained by Clarksville Nowand later confirmed by The Tennessean, that APSU "did not follow the required tenure termination process in this matter."

"I deeply regret and apologize for the impact this has had on Professor Michael and on our campus community," Licari said, in the email. "I am committed to ensuring that due process and fairness are upheld in all future actions."

In a request for comment regarding the settlement, a spokesperson for APSU confirmed the settlement agreement, but did not comment on the terms.

Michael one of many employees fighting back after wave of Charlie-Kirk-linked firings

Michael is one of many people across Tennessee and the nation seeking First Amendment vindication after commenting on Kirk's legacy in the wake of his death. His case is part of a broader backlash, as conservative activists, influencers and politicians have mounted a largely online campaign pushing for employment consequences against individuals perceived as posting negatively about Kirk.

Notable Tennessee lawsuits on the issue include:

• A 21-year MTSU faculty member, Laura Sosh-Lightsy, was serving as the Associate Dean of Student Care and Conduct when she was fired on Sept. 10 after posting on her personal Facebook page about Kirk's death. She filed a First Amendment lawsuit against the school in early November.

• Moncia Meeks, a former employee of the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance and state representative candidate, was fired after responding to a friend's social media posts about Kirk. She filed a First Amendment lawsuit against the state in early December.

• Larry Bushart, a retired police officer and National Guardsman living in Lexington, was arrested on Sept. 22 after he posted a picture of a quote from President Donald Trump on a social media comment thread about a Kirk memorial.

He was charged with threats of mass violence and held on a $2 million bond, causing him to lose his job in medical transportation due to his incarceration, until mounting public pressure resulted in his release on Oct. 29.

He has filed a First Amendment lawsuit against Perry County, Perry County Sheriff Nick Weems and Perry County Sheriff's Investigator Jason Morrow.

The USA TODAY Network - The South region's coverage of First Amendment issues is funded through a collaboration between the Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean:APSU professor awarded $500k after firing over Charlie Kirk comments

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

January 09, 2026

Tennessee professor awarded $500k after firing over Charlie Kirk comments

Days after being reinstated to his position, a theater professor at a Tennessee university will receive a $500,000 payout...

Read More

Greenland and Denmark envoys to U.S. meet with White House officials

WASHINGTON — The top representatives to the U.S. from Denmark and Greenland met withWhite House officialsThursday, according to a source familiar with the discussions, to seek a better understanding ofU.S. policy on the semiautonomous island.

A White House official confirmed the meeting with the Danish ambassador to the U.S., Jesper Møller Sørensen, and Greenland's representative to the U.S., Jacob Isbosethsen, but both sources declined to say who from the Trump administration participated in the discussions.

President Donald Trump has said he needs the Arctic island for national security purposes, with White House officials publicly discussing a range of options to acquire the Danish territory, from using the U.S. military to purchasing the land.

Asked about Greenland in a recentNew York Times interview, Trump said that "ownership is very important."

Ownership is "what I feel is psychologically needed for success," Trump said. "I think that ownership gives you a thing that you can't do with, you're talking about a lease or a treaty. Ownership gives you things and elements that you can't get from just signing a document."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet with the foreign ministers from Denmark and Greenland next week for further discussions.

Vice President JD Vance, who took questions from reporters at Thursday's White House briefing, reiterated the U.S. interest in Greenland.

"We'll continue to deliver some of these messages in private, some of them in public, but I guess my advice to European leaders and anybody else would be to take the president of the United States seriously," Vance said.

"Number one, Greenland is really important, not just to America's missile defense, but to the world's missile defense. Number two, we know that there are hostile adversaries that have shown a lot of interest in that particular territory, that particular slice of the world," he said. "So what we're asking our European friends to do is to take the security of that land mass more seriously, because if they're not, the United States is going to have to do something about it."

Sørensen and Isbosethsen also met Thursday with a bipartisan group of U.S. senators.

In asocial media postafter the meeting with lawmakers, Sørensen said Denmark, a member of NATO, has recently invested $4 billion in Arctic security, including expanding the permanent presence of its armed forces.

He called Denmark and Greenland "strong, reliable partners" for U.S. security interests.

As for purchasing the island, Isbosethsen was blunt.

"Greenland is not for sale," he told NBC News following meetings on Capitol Hill. "I think our prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, and our foreign minister, Vivian Motzfeldt, has made it very, very clear our country belongs to the Greenlandic people."

Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker, R-Miss., a Trump ally, said Thursday that there's no avenue to acquire Greenland.

"I think it's been made clear from our Danish friends and from our friends in Greenland that that future does not include a negotiation," he said. "There's no willingness on their part to negotiate for the purchase or the change in title to their land, which they've had for so long. That's their prerogative, and they're right, and they've made that very clear to us."

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

January 09, 2026

Greenland and Denmark envoys to U.S. meet with White House officials

WASHINGTON — The top representatives to the U.S. from Denmark and Greenland met withWhite House officialsThursday, according to a source fa...

Read More