South Korean acting President Han Duck-soo. File
| Photo Credit: AP

South Korea’s acting President Han Duck-soo said on Thursday (May 1, 2025) he was resigning amid reports he will run in next month’s Presidential election.

Mr. Han said in a televised briefing that he had determined he would quit to take “a bigger responsibility” for the country. South Korean media reported Mr. Han will officially launch his Presidential campaign on Friday (May 2).

Mr. Han was appointed Prime Minister, the country’s No. 2 post, by then-President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was removed from office, triggering the by-election.

Also Read | South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol removed from office over ill-fated declaration of martial law

Han has been emerging as a potential conservative standard bearer, as the main conservative People Power Party remains in disarray over Yoon’s December 3 imposition of martial law.

Observers say Mr. Han is expected to align with the People Power Party to launch a unified conservative campaign against liberal front-runner Lee Jae-myung.

Government workers, green card holders, teachers, and student journalists across the US are asking editors to remove their names from old news stories, fearing backlash from President Donald Trump’s administration for views or identities now considered “politically risky.”
According to Poynter’s Kelly McBride, some government employees and others have asked journalists to remove their names from old news stories. These individuals are concerned that documented evidence of their sexual identity or positions opposing Trump’s policies could make them vulnerable to employment termination.
Kevin Naff, who serves as the editor of the Washington Blade, told the outlet that taking down stories “is not something I’ve ever done before with the exception of foreign sources who are facing life and death situations.”
The Washington Blade has a long history of reporting on governmental discrimination against gay employees. Currently, the publication continues its role in recording instances of intimidation and discrimination. “We’re going backwards,” he stated.
“The fear is really intense. People are scared. They’re scared to lose their pensions and, you know, all of that,” he added.
This wave of anxiety is not limited to career professionals, student journalists, especially those with ties to pro-Palestinian activism, are also asking for their bylines to be removed, fearing legal consequences, deportation, or professional retaliation, the Guardian reported.
The case of Rumeysa Ozturk, a Tufts University graduate student currently in ICE detention, has intensified fears. Ozturk had written a pro-Palestinian op-ed in her campus paper and is now fighting deportation despite no official evidence tying her writing to the visa revocation.
Ozturk joins approximately ten other academics and students detained by immigration officials since March 8, when Columbia graduate student and permanent resident Mahmoud Khalil faced arrest and deportation proceedings for participating in pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
Editors note particular concern among international student contributors, though requests for content removal due to fear of consequences now extend to American citizens as well.

Pakistan’s Gold medallist Arshad Nadeem.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Pakistan’s Olympic gold-winning javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem’s Instagram account has been blocked in India owing to a “legal request” in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack.

Users attempting to access Nadeem’s Instagram page from India are met with the message: “Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content.”

Twenty-six people, mostly tourists, were killed and several were injured when terrorists opened fire at a meadow near the popular tourist town of Pahalgam in south Kashmir on April 22. The government has since cracked down on Pakistani social media accounts that have large following in India.

Earlier this week, several Pakistani YouTube channels were also restricted in India for “disseminating provocative and communally sensitive content, false and misleading narratives and misinformation against India, its Army and security agencies”.

Also Read | Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem declines Neeraj Chopra’s invite to compete in NC Classic javelin event

Former cricketers Shoaib Akhtar, Basit Ali, and Shahid Afridi were among those whose YouTube accounts were withheld. Interestingly, while their YouTube content is no longer accessible, their Instagram accounts remain available, unlike Nadeem’s.

The Instagram accounts of current Pakistan cricketers, including Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheed Afridi are also accessible.

Other prominent Pakistani celebrities, including actors Mahira Khan and Ali Zafar, have also seen their Instagram accounts blocked in India.

Nadeem, who won gold at the Paris Olympics after upstaging Indian superstar Neeraj Chopra, had been invited by the latter to participate in the inaugural NC Classic javelin event scheduled for May 24 in Bengaluru.

However, he declined the invitation, citing prior commitments.