South Korea's acting president, Han Deok-soo, was impeached because the opposition-controlled parliament accused him of refusing to appoint three justices to fill vacancies on the constitutional court, which is tasked with ruling on the impeachment of former President Yoon Sang-yeol. Han argued that the appointment was the president's responsibility, not his as acting president.
South Korea's political instability has led to the currency, the won, slumping to its lowest level against the dollar in 16 years. Business confidence is at its lowest since the pandemic, and the government is struggling to stabilize the situation and reassure the public.
Israel's attack on Yemen was its largest and most aggressive strike against the Iran-supported Houthis. It targeted the international airport in Sana'a, power stations, and ports, claiming the airport was used by Iran to smuggle weapons. The attack resulted in at least six deaths and dozens of injuries, escalating tensions in the region.
The Houthis, supported by Iran, have been targeting Israel and cargo ships in the Red Sea, a key conduit for international commerce, as part of their opposition to Israel's actions in Gaza. They vow to continue until Israel withdraws from Gaza.
Georgia is facing a political crisis as the newly elected president, Mikhail Kavilashvili, a critic of the West, is set to be inaugurated, while the incumbent president, Salome Zorobishvili, refuses to step down. Zorobishvili claims the government is undermining Georgia's pro-European path, leading to rising tensions and the risk of confrontation.
Russia is accused of undermining Georgian sovereignty by opposing its EU and NATO aspirations. The Kremlin has praised Georgia's government for introducing legislation that curtails civil liberties, and the governing Georgian Dream Party is led by a billionaire with ties to Russia, giving President Putin significant leverage.
North Korea's parliament has voted to impeach the country's acting president. Israel launched its largest and most aggressive attack so far against the Houthis in Yemen. And, the country Georgia is set to swear in a new president while the incumbent has refused to stand down. *Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter).Today's episode of Up First was edited by Andrew Sussman, Nick Spicer, Peter Granitz, Lisa Thomson and Alice Woefle. It was produced by Ziad Butch, Nia Dumas and Milton Guevara. We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange. And our Executive Producer is Kelley Dickens. *Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices)NPR Privacy Policy)