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The defeat of the motion is expected to intensify public protests calling for Yoon’s ouster and deepen political chaos in South Korea, with a survey suggesting a majority of South Koreans support the president’s impeachment. Yoon’s martial law declaration drew criticism from his own ruling conservative party, but it is also determined to oppose Yoon’s impeachment apparently because it fears losing the presidency to liberals. Impeaching Yoon required support from two-thirds of the National Assembly, or 200 of its 300 members. The opposition parties who brought the impeachment motion had 192 seats, but only three lawmakers from PPP participated in the vote. The motion was scrapped without ballot counting because the number of votes didn’t reach 200. National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik called the result “very regrettable” and an embarrassing moment for the country’s democracy that has been closely watched by the world. “The failure to hold a qualified vote on this matter means we were not even able to exercise the democratic procedure of deciding on a critical national issue,” he said. Opposition parties could submit a new impeachment motion after a new parliamentary session opens next Wednesday. There are worries that Yoon won’t be able to serve out his remaining 2 1⁄2 years in office because his leadership took a huge hit. Many experts say some ruling party lawmakers could eventually join opposition parties’ efforts to impeach Yoon if public demands for it grow further. If Yoon is impeached, his powers will be suspended until the Constitutional Court decides whether to remove him from office. If he is removed, an election to replace him must take place within 60 days. Woo repeatedly urged ruling party members to return to the chamber to participate in the vote, waiting several hours for them to come. At one point, Democratic Party leaders visited a hall on the floor below the main chamber where PPP lawmakers were gathered, attempting to persuade them to vote. After being blocked from entering, they angrily accused the conservatives’ leadership of preventing its lawmakers from voting freely. Earlier Saturday, Yoon issued a public apology over the martial law decree, saying he won’t shirk legal or political responsibility for the declaration and promising not to make another attempt to impose martial law. He said would leave it to his party to chart a course through the country’s political turmoil, “including matters related to my term in office.” “The declaration of this martial law was made out of my desperation. But in the course of its implementation, it caused anxiety and inconveniences to the public. I feel very sorry over that and truly apologize to the people who must have been shocked a lot,” Yoon said. Since taking office in 2022, Yoon has struggled to push his agenda through an opposition-controlled parliament and grappled with low approval ratings amid scandals involving himself and his wife. In his martial law announcement on Tuesday night, Yoon called parliament a “den of criminals” bogging down state affairs and vowed to eliminate “shameless North Korea followers and anti-state forces.” The turmoil resulting from Yoon’s bizarre and poorly-thought-out stunt has paralyzed South Korean politics and sparked alarm among key diplomatic partners like the U.S. and Japan. Tuesday night saw special forces troops encircling the parliament building and army helicopters hovering over it, but the military withdrew after the National Assembly unanimously voted to overturn the decree, forcing Yoon to lift it before daybreak Wednesday. The declaration of martial law was the first of its kind in more than 40 years in South Korea. Eighteen lawmakers from the ruling party voted to reject Yoon’s martial law decree along with opposition lawmakers. Yoon’s speech fueled speculation that he and his party may push for a constitutional amendment to shorten his term, instead of accepting impeachment, as a way to ease public anger over the marital law and facilitate Yoon’s early exit from office. Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the main liberal opposition Democratic Party, told reporters that Yoon’s speech was “greatly disappointing” and that the only way forward is his immediate resignation or impeachment. His party called Yoon’s martial law “unconstitutional, illegal rebellion or coup.” The passage of Yoon’s impeachment motion appeared more likely Friday when the chair of Yoon’s party called for his removal on Friday, but the party remained formally opposed to impeachment. On Saturday, tens of thousands of people densely packed several blocks of roads leading up to the National Assembly, waving banners, shouting slogans and dancing and singing along to K-pop songs with lyrics changed to call for Yoon’s ouster. Protesters also gathered in front of PPP’s headquarters near the Assembly, angrily shouting for its lawmakers to vote to impeach Yoon. A smaller crowd of Yoon’s supporters, which still seemed to be in the thousands, rallied in separate streets in Seoul, decrying the impeachment attempt they saw as unconstitutional. Lawmakers on Saturday first voted on a bill appointing a special prosecutor to investigate stock price manipulation allegations surrounding Yoon’s wife. Some lawmakers from Yoon’s party were seen leaving the hall after that vote, triggering angry shouts from opposition lawmakers. On Friday, PPP chair Han Dong-hun, who criticized Yoon’s martial law declaration, said he had received intelligence that during the brief period of martial law Yoon ordered the country’s defense counterintelligence commander to arrest and detain unspecified key politicians based on accusations of “anti-state activities.” Hong Jang-won, first deputy director of South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, told lawmakers in a closed-door briefing Friday that Yoon had ordered him to help the defense counterintelligence unit to detain key politicians. The targeted politicians included Han, Lee and Woo, according to Kim Byung-kee, one of the lawmakers who attended the meeting. The Defense Ministry said Friday it suspended three military commanders including the head of the defense counterintelligence unit over their involvement in enforcing martial law. Vice Defense Minister Kim Seon Ho has told parliament that Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun ordered the deployment of troops to the National Assembly after Yoon imposed martial law. Opposition parties accused Kim of recommending to Yoon to enforce martial law. Kim resigned Thursday, and prosecutors imposed an overseas travel ban on him.It is worth noting that half of China’s territory is now open to citizens from developed economies. These include the nation’s most populous areas, its economic and political heartlands, and hundreds of cities. Places still off-limits to visa-free exploration include Tibet, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Qinghai, Gansu, as well as Jilin, China’s border province with North Korea. But more than that, the policy also reflects a subtle shift in Beijing’s thinking: policymakers are a bit concerned, to say the least, about China’s reduced interactions with the rest of the world. Those policies have worked. The number of foreign-passport holders entering China reached 29 million in the first 11 months of 2024, a hefty increase of 86 per cent from the same period last year. Still, it should be noted that the flow was much thinner than pre-Covid levels. In 2019, China recorded 98 million entries and exits by foreigners, which translated to about 49 million entries.
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By LINDSEY BAHR Do you have a someone in your life who plays Vulture’s Cinematrix game every morning? Or maybe they have the kitchen television turned to Turner Classic Movies all day and make a point of organizing Oscar polls at work? Hate to break it to you: They might be a hard-to-please cinephile. But while you might not want to get into a winless debate over the “Juror No. 2” release or the merits of “Megalopolis” with said person, they don’t have to be hard to buy gifts for. The Associated Press has gathered up some of the best items out there to keep any movie lover stylish and informed. While Christopher Nolan dreams up his next film, fans can tide themselves over by revisiting his modern classic “Interstellar,” which will be back in IMAX theaters on the weekend of Dec. 6, followed by the home release of a new collector’s edition on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray ($59.95). A third disc in the set, available Dec. 10, contains more than two hours of bonus content, like a never-before-seen storyboard sequence, and new interviews with Nolan, producer Emma Thomas and famous fans Peter Jackson and Denis Villeneuve . Elaine May does not give interviews anymore. But thankfully that didn’t deter writer Carrie Courogen, who did a remarkable job stitching together the life of one of our culture’s most fascinating, and prickly, talents. “Miss May Does Not Exist” is full of delightful anecdotes about the sharp and satirical comedian who gained fame as one half of Nichols and May and went on to direct films like “The Heartbreak Kid” and “Mikey and Nicky.” Courogen writes about May’s successes, flops and her legendary scuffles with the Hollywood establishment. It’s a vital companion to Mark Harris’ biography of Mike Nichols . Macmillan. $30. The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures has an exclusive new “Matrix” sweatshirt for sale in conjunction with its Cyberpunk exhibition. Brain Dead Studios designed and created several items, including the black hoodie ($140), a white rabbit tee ($54) and a pint glass ($18). If you can’t make it to Los Angeles to check out the “Color in Motion” exhibit for yourself, the Academy Museum also has a beautiful new companion book for sale ($55) charting the development of color technology in film and its impact. It includes photos from films like “The Red Shoes,” “Vertigo,” “2001: A Space Odyssey,” and images of rare prints from the silent era. The Academy Museum Store is having a sale (20% off everything) from Nov. 28 to Dec. 2. Related Articles Things To Do | US airports with worst weather delays during holiday season Things To Do | The right book can inspire the young readers in your life, from picture books to YA novels Things To Do | These holiday gifts change the game when building fires, printing photos, watching birds and more Things To Do | ‘Gladiator II’ review: Are you not moderately entertained? Things To Do | Beer pairings for your holiday feasts Want to look like a real film festival warrior, the kind who sees five movies a day, files a review and still manages to make the late-night karaoke party? You’re going to need the ultimate status tote from the independent streaming service MUBI . Simple, to-the-point and only for people in the know. $25. Film magazines may be an endangered species, but print is not dead at The Metrograph . Manhattan’s coolest movie theater is starting a biannual print publication “for cinephiles and cultural connoisseurs alike.” The first issue’s cover art is by cinematographer Ed Lachman (“Carol”), and contributors include the likes of Daniel Clowes, Ari Aster, Steve Martin and Simon Rex. There’s also a conversation with Clint Eastwood. It’s currently available for pre-order and will be in bookstores Dec. 10 for $25 ($15 for Metrograph members). This is not a book about filmmaking styles, camera angles and leadership choices. It’s literally about what directors wear. “How Directors Dress: On Set, in the Edit, and Down the Red Carpet” ($40) has over 200 archival photos of filmmakers in action: Spike Lee in his basketball caps, Sofia Coppola in her Charvet button-ups, Steven Spielberg’s denim on denim and many more. With a forward by the always elegant Joanna Hogg and writing from some of the top fashion journalists, it’s a beautiful look at how filmmakers really dress for work — and might even be a source of inspiration.TEHRAN – A strategic cooperation agreement is poised to deepen the partnership between Iran and Russia, a development welcomed by insiders and despised by those who hope to decouple the two challengers of Western hegemony. A 20-year strategic agreement signed in 2001 marked the first major cooperation pact between Tehran and Moscow, establishing collaboration in areas such as industry, technology, security, energy, and nuclear energy. Extended for five years in 2020, this initial agreement is now being replaced by a new At a press conference on Monday, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, revealed that both parties are consulting to identify the optimal time to sign the agreement. “We hope that the deal will be finalized and signed by the end of January,” he stated. Baghaei's remarks were quickly validated when a high-ranking Russian diplomatic delegation arrived in Tehran hours later for meetings with President Masoud Pezeshkian. Word has come that the new strategic cooperation agreement between Iran and Russia will be signed during Pezeshkian’s long-anticipated visit to Moscow next year. A strategic cooperation agreement between two countries is a high-level, long-term pact designed to foster deep and enduring collaboration across multiple areas of mutual interest. These agreements establish a framework for broad cooperation, often encompassing political, security nergy, and educational sectors. The most significant and widely reported strategic agreement Iran has signed recently is the 25-year Cooperation Program with China in March 2021. The deal has been described as a “cooperation road map” by former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif who oversaw its signing. Zarif is now back as the Vice President for Strategic Affairs under Pezeshkian’s government. The upcoming strategic cooperation agreement will be similar to the one Iran signed with China, said Mahmoud Shouri, a Russia expert and director of the Institute of Iran and Eurasia Studies. It will, however, be more expansive than the 2001 pact with Moscow. The expert told the Tehran Times that the agreement's text is already drafted, and both countries are now focused on scheduling a signing ceremony. "The agreement will be broader in scope," he explained, "encompassing defense, security, and political aspects, while also including new areas of cooperation such as medical, customs, and novel economic fields." Shouri said both countries have considered the changes in the regional and international landscape. "Many developments have occurred since 2001," he stated, "and Tehran and Moscow are addressing these issues in a way that benefits them both." Western media coverage of the impending agreement with Russia is also expected to mirror the attention given to the previous agreement with China: malicious and diabolical. "Based on this deal Iran will sell Kish Island to China,” said an anti-Iran analyst on a Western-based Persian-language TV news channel, maintaining a composed demeanor while spewing nonsense. Similar unfounded and ridiculous claims circulated on other comparable programs and channels. The details of the agreement with Beijing have yet to be disclosed. According to Shoaib Bahman, an expert in international affairs and head of the Institute of Contemporary International Studies in Tehran, Western states will be concerned and provoked into launching media campaigns against any cooperative pacts involving Iran, Russia, and China. “These countries are averse to the current existing Western-dominated world order. The West considers each a threat and naturally observes their collaboration with anxiety,” the expert remarked. Bahman acknowledged that the forthcoming Iran-Russia cooperation agreement will come under attack by the same propaganda campaign, but he predicts it will be more fruitful than the agreement with China. He attributed the challenges with China to sanctions, which have impeded the practical implementation of many deals. "Sanctions have been a constant obstacle for collaboration between Iran and China," he noted. In contrast, he believes that Iran and Russia will have more freedom in future agreements because "Russia is already subject to extensive sanctions and won't be negatively impacted by those aimed at Iran." Since the beginning of the Ukraine war and the subsequent storm of accusations against Iran for its refuted role in the conflict, Western think tanks, institutes, and media outlets have been exploring methods to drive Iran and Russia apart. The West has tried everything—from secondary sanctions and propaganda campaigns to promoting dissent, cyber-attacks, and exploiting differences—in its ongoing attempts to separate Tehran and Moscow, and it is still exploring additional measures. Not only have past attempts failed, but future efforts are also likely to be fruitless. The only significant shift observed between Iran and Russia is their growing closeness, fueled by a mutual desire to push back against Western dominance and pressure. During his October meeting with Pezeshkian, Russian President Vladimir Putin said ties with Iran are a “top priority”. That came after the Iranian president said Tehran will not forget the “friends that aided it during difficult days”.Lument Finance Trust, Inc. Declares Quarterly Cash Dividends for its Common and Preferred Stock and Announces Special Cash Dividend Distribution