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Militants Open Fire at Bus in Pakistan, Killing 9

Fishermen collect seafood before selling it to a market in Karachi, Pakistan, 28 November 2023 (issued 29 November). EPA/SHAHZAIB AKBER
Fishermen collect seafood before selling it to a market in Karachi, Pakistan, 28 November 2023 (issued 29 November). EPA/SHAHZAIB AKBER
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Militants Open Fire at Bus in Pakistan, Killing 9

Fishermen collect seafood before selling it to a market in Karachi, Pakistan, 28 November 2023 (issued 29 November). EPA/SHAHZAIB AKBER
Fishermen collect seafood before selling it to a market in Karachi, Pakistan, 28 November 2023 (issued 29 November). EPA/SHAHZAIB AKBER

Militants opened fire at a bus in northern Pakistan, killing nine people including two soldiers, local police said.
The shooting occurred on Saturday night in the Chilas area of the northern Gilgit Baltistan region, police officer Azmat Shah said.
The bus was carrying passengers from Gilgit to Rawalpindi. The driver lost control of the bus when it was hit by the gunfire and crashed into a truck. The truck caught fire, killing the drivers of both vehicles.
At least 26 people were injured in the incident and transferred to local hospitals.
The home minister of Gilgit Baltistan, Shams Lone, told journalists the incident was an “act of terrorism" and said that two soldiers from Pakistan's army were among those killed.
A local Islamic cleric, Mufti Sher Zaman, was also injured, The Associated Press quoted him as saying.
After the incident, the location was cordoned off and police helped move traffic through the area in convoys, said senior police official Sardar Shehryar.
The chief minister of Gilgit Baltistan, Gulbar Khan, said a special investigation team was formed to investigate the incident. Law enforcement agencies were ordered to identify and arrest the culprits, he said.
Muhammad Khorasani, a spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, denied in a statement any link with the shooting, saying it was not carried out by their group.

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Blinken Expresses Confidence in South Korea Democratic Process as Yoon Faces Arrest

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken attends a joint press conference with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul (not pictured) in Seoul, South Korea, 06 January 2025. EPA/Chung Sung-Jun / POOL
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken attends a joint press conference with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul (not pictured) in Seoul, South Korea, 06 January 2025. EPA/Chung Sung-Jun / POOL
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Blinken Expresses Confidence in South Korea Democratic Process as Yoon Faces Arrest

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken attends a joint press conference with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul (not pictured) in Seoul, South Korea, 06 January 2025. EPA/Chung Sung-Jun / POOL
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken attends a joint press conference with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul (not pictured) in Seoul, South Korea, 06 January 2025. EPA/Chung Sung-Jun / POOL

South Korean investigators will seek an extension of a warrant to arrest impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, as visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reaffirmed confidence in the key Asian ally's handling of the political turmoil.
Investigators probing Yoon over his Dec. 3 martial law on Friday again failed to serve an arrest warrant, blocked by presidential security service guards who formed a human chain to prevent access to Yoon, Reuters reported.
The arrest warrant, the first for a sitting president, expires at midnight on Monday (1500 GMT). The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) plans to request an extension of the arrest warrant in court on Monday.
Yoon, who has been impeached over his martial law declaration, is under criminal investigation for possible insurrection.
The brief six hour martial law declaration plunged one of Asia's strongest democracies into uncharted territory with the impeachment of not only Yoon, but also the prime minister who became acting president, and the appointment of a second acting leader.
Yoon's actions drew a rare rebuke from officials in Washington including Blinken's deputy, Kurt Campbell, who has said it was "badly misjudged."
Speaking after his meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, Blinken said Washington had expressed "serious concerns" to Seoul over some of the actions Yoon took over the course of his martial law declaration.
But the events unfolding since then have been a reflection of South Korea's brand as a democratic success, "which is remarkably strong," Blinken said at a news conference.
"The response that we’ve seen, and that we expect to continue to see, is one that is peaceful and fully consistent and in accordance with the constitution and the rule of law."
Yoon was impeached by parliament on Dec. 14 and suspended from presidential duties. The Constitutional Court is trying the case to decide whether to remove him from office permanently or reinstate him.
The CIO, which is leading the criminal insurrection probe into Yoon, has sent a notice to police requesting them to take over execution of the arrest warrant.
A police official said at a news briefing that police believed there was a legal dispute over such a transfer and would discuss it with the CIO.
Yonhap news cited a police official as saying the arrest warrant will now be executed under the authority of the police joint investigation team and the CIO.
Yoon's lawyers have argued that the CIO anti-graft force has no authority under South Korean law to investigate any case involving insurrection accusations.
On Monday, Seok Dong-hyeon, a lawyer advising Yoon, said the bid to transfer the execution of the arrest warrant is effectively an admission by the CIO that its probe and the warrant were "illegal".
The unprecedented attempt to arrest an incumbent president has intensified dueling rallies by those supporting Yoon, with the "Stop the Steal" slogans popularized by US President-elect Donald Trump voters, and those calling for Yoon's punishment.
On Monday, a group of hardcore Yoon supporters led by Christian pastor Jun Kwang-hoon held a news conference and described the fight for Yoon as an "international battle" for freedom.
"Sadly, there's no Fox News in Korea," it said in a statement, referring to the American cable news channel popular with Trump supporters.
Jun said Yoon supporters would continue rallies outside his residence until they "reap the results".