Briefly

SOUTH KOREA

Rallies held ahead of ruling on Yoon

South Koreans gathered in huge numbers in the capital Seoul on Saturday to support or oppose impeached President Yoon Sukyeol before a court decides whether his short-lived declaration of martial law disqualifies him from office. The Constitutional Court is expected to decide in the coming days whether to oust Yoon in a case that ignited South Korea's worst political crisis in decades and rattled markets. Yoon is also on trial on a criminal charge of insurrection, although he was freed from detention last week.

SOUTH AFRICA

Envoy to US given 72 hours to leave

South Africa said on Saturday that its US ambassador had been given 72 hours to leave the country following his expulsion by Washington. Ebrahim Rasool "was informed by the State Department yesterday that he had 72 hours to leave", the South African foreign ministry told AFP. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared Rasool "persona non grata" on X on Friday, after an address in which Rasool criticized US President Donald Trump.

SYRIA

Blast from suspected old bomb kills 16

A massive explosion believed to have been triggered by a scrap dealer handling an old bomb killed at least 16 people in Syria, civil defense officials said on Sunday. The blast on Saturday in the Mediterranean city of Latakia demolished a four-story building, ripping down slabs of concrete and crushing residents underneath chunks of their flattened homes.

Agencies - Xinhua