Asia

Seoul: Supporters of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol stormed a Seoul court Sunday after a judge extended the impeached leader's detention over his ill-fated attempt to impose martial law. Yoon said he was "deeply shocked and saddened" by the pre-dawn attack on the court, where his supporters smashed windows and doors. Tens of thousands of people had gathered outside the Seoul Western District Court in a show of support Saturday for the president, who became South Korea's first sitting head of state to be arrested in a dawn raid this week. AFP journalists saw hundreds of police officers charge into the court, with the force arresting dozens and denouncing an "intolerable illegal and violent incident". The incident is the latest episode in South Korea's spiralling political crisis which erupted on December 3, when Yoon declared martial law and dispatched troops to parliament. His attempt to suspend civilian rule lasted just six hours after lawmakers defied soldiers to vote it down. They later impeached the president, suspending him from duty. Yoon vowed Sunday to "persist, no matter how long it takes, in rectifying any injustices", despite facing a Constitutional Court ruling on his impeachment and the criminal probe that has seen him detained. In announcing investigators could hold Yoon for a further 20 days, the Seoul court told AFP there were concerns he could destroy evidence if released. The president said he would attempt to show the "purpose and legitimacy of the martial law declaration", in a statement issued Sunday through his lawyers. His backers have claimed Yoon's decision was justified due to election fraud in legislative polls won last year by the opposition, for which they present no evidence. They frequently wave American flags and have adopted the "stop the steal" rhetoric associated with US President-elect Donald Trump, whose supporters stormed Washington's Capitol to try to overturn his earlier election defeat. Acting police chief Lee Ho-young said the force would "thoroughly investigate right-wing YouTubers if they were involved in this violent break-in" after the attack was livestreamed. 'Anger of many citizens' After the attack on the court, Yoon said he saw the "deep frustration and anger of many citizens". His lawyer Seok Dong-hyeon slammed the judge's decision, while also warning the president's supporters not to escalate the situation. Such violence could also "create burdens" for the president's future trials, the lawyer said in a statement. Yoo Jung-hoon, a lawyer and political columnist, said attacking a court was "unprecedented" in South Korea and those involved would likely face jail time. The judge was expected to keep the president in prison "given the myriad evidence supporting the insurrection charges", Yoo told AFP. "The court also placed significant weight on Yoon's attempts to destroy evidence" as a head of state, he added. With Yoon back behind bars after his court appearance on Saturday, prosecutors are due to formalise a criminal indictment for insurrection. The disgraced leader, who has said he does not accept the legality of the probe, could be jailed for life or executed if found guilty. He refused to attend questioning Sunday, said the Corruption Investigation Office which plans to summon him again at 10:00 am (0100 GMT) Monday. Yoon has meanwhile been absent from the parallel probe at the Constitutional Court, which is considering whether to uphold his impeachment. If that court rules against him, Yoon will formally lose the presidency and elections will be called within 60 days.

Europe

Tokyo: Sumo will stage a tournament in Paris for the first time in over three decades next year in a push to expand the ancient sport beyond Japan, organisers said Sunday. Accor Arena, which hosted basketball and gymnastics events at last year's Paris Olympics, will stage a two-day competition featuring top wrestlers in the French capital in June 2026. Japan Sumo Association (JSA) officials announced last month that they will also stage a tournament later this year at London's Royal Albert Hall -- the first overseas sumo competition in 20 years. "It's important for us to show our sport to the world," JSA chairman Hakkaku told reporters at Tokyo's Kokugikan, where the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament is currently taking place. "And for the wrestlers, they're the best in the world, they should be proud of that and see that they're admired all over the world." Paris hosted sumo tournaments in 1986 and 1995 at the invitation of former French president Jacques Chirac, who was known to be a huge fan of the centuries-old sport. Hakkaku, who competed at the 1986 Paris event, said he was "grateful for the long and deep relations between sumo and France". "We feel renewed joy and great responsibility as we prepare for our third performance in Paris in 2026," he said. "We are committed to fully sharing the charm of sumo... with the French people." French organisers said they would pull out all the stops to recreate the atmosphere of a sumo tournament in Japan. David Rothschild, promoter and executive producer for events organisers AEG, said the Paris tournament would be part of a "festival" celebrating Japanese culture. "When you say the word sumo, everyone in France knows it represents traditional Japanese culture," he said. "There was a time when it was shown on TV and there are people in France who are very knowledgeable about it," Rothschild added. "But time flies and we want to introduce the beauty of sumo to a new generation." Sumo has staged events in several countries around the world, including the Soviet Union, Mexico and the United States. The last overseas tournament organised by the JSA was in Las Vegas in 2005. Hakkaku, the JSA chairman, said the association's efforts to bring sumo to audiences abroad were meant to "introduce people to the traditional culture of Japan". "We thought a lot about how to develop our sport after Covid and I think this was the best idea, but it was already in our plans before that," he said.

Asia

Ternate, Indonesia: A volcano in eastern Indonesia has erupted at least a thousand times this month, according to an official report Sunday as efforts were underway to evacuate thousands of villagers living near the rumbling mountain. Mount Ibu, on the remote island of Halmahera in North Maluku province, sent a column of smoke up to four kilometres (2.5 miles) into the sky in an eruption on Wednesday. Indonesian officials raised its alert status to the highest level and called for the evacuation of 3,000 people living in six nearby villages. It was one of 1,079 eruptions by the volcano recorded since January 1 by Indonesia's Geological Agency, sending columns of ash reaching between 0.3 and 4 kilometres above its peak, according to the agency's data gathered by AFP. Read Also Indonesian rescuers evacuating thousands after volcano erupts Indonesia's Mount Ibu erupts, spews hot lava and smoke The latest big eruption occurred on Sunday at 1:15 am local time as it spewed a towering cloud of ash 1.5 kilometres into the air. "The ash was grey, with moderate to thick intensity, drifting southwest. A loud rumbling sound was heard all the way to Mount Ibu Observation Post," the agency said in a statement. It added that the volcano had erupted 17 times on Sunday alone. Despite deciding to evacuate affected villagers, local authorities had only managed to evacuate 517 residents as of Sunday, pledging to persuade those who remained to stay in safe shelters. Many have refused to evacuate, arguing that they were used to the situation and were in harvest season. "There might be economic considerations, as many residents are in the middle of harvesting crops. However, we will continue to educate the community and encourage them to evacuate," said Adietya Yuni Nurtono, Ternate district military commander in charge of a safe shelter. Mount Ibu, one of Indonesia's most active volcanos, has shown a significant increase in activity since last June. Residents living near Mount Ibu and tourists have been advised to avoid a five- to six-kilometre exclusion zone around the volcano's peak and to wear face masks in case of falling ash. As of 2022, around 700,000 people were living on Halmahera island, according to official data. Indonesia, a vast archipelago, experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity as it lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire. Last November, Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, a 1,703-metre (5,587-foot) twin-peaked volcano on the tourist island of Flores erupted more than a dozen times in one week, killing nine people in its initial explosion. Mount Ruang in North Sulawesi province erupted more than half a dozen times last year, forcing thousands from nearby islands to evacuate.