ALEX BLOG

By Kyu-seok Shim and Joyce Lee

SEOUL, Feb 23 (Reuters) - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung held summit talks in Seoul on Monday with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio ‌Lula da Silva, where they agreed to expand cooperation in sectors including trade, key ‌minerals, technology and culture.

The leaders plan to elevate the bilateral relationship into a strategic partnership, and for the countries to ​work together to support stability on the Korean Peninsula, Lee said.

"Peace, built on conditions where conflict isn't needed, is the strongest form of security," the South Korean president told a joint press conference.

The leaders oversaw the signing of 10 memorandums of understanding (MOUs) spanning trade and industrial policy, core minerals, digital economy ‌including AI, agriculture, health and biotech, ⁠small-business exchanges and joint policing against cybercrime, narcotics and other transnational threats.

In earlier remarks, Lee said the two sides adopted a four-year action plan to ⁠map out concrete steps for expanding bilateral cooperation, from strategic minerals to defence and space industries, as well as food security.

Brazil is South Korea's largest trading partner in South America, making economic cooperation a ​key part ​of the agenda.

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Lula said Brazil holds large rare-earth reserves ​and has substantial nickel deposits, and ‌that his government hoped to attract investment from South Korean companies.

In a message posted to X earlier in the day, Lee welcomed Lula, who is in Seoul for his first state visit in 21 years, pointing out the similarities in their backgrounds.

"As a former child labourer, you proved with your whole life that democracy is the most powerful tool for social and economic progress," Lee wrote.

"I ‌support your life, your struggle and your achievements, which ​will remain forever in the history of global democracy."

The leaders, ​who first met at the G7 ​summit in Canada last year and later at the G20 summit in South ‌Africa, appear to have bonded over shared experiences ​of childhood factory work and ​workplace injuries.

The talks took place in South Korea's presidential Blue House, the first large-scale official welcome ceremony to be held since Lee moved his office back to the building.

A ​state banquet is scheduled for ‌Monday evening where barbecue dishes and Brazilian bossa nova pieces are due to be ​performed by a Korean jazz band alongside a children's choir, Lee's office said.

(Reporting by ​Kyu-seok Shim and Joyce LeeEditing by Ed Davies)

By Jessie Pang and James Pomfret

Police stand guard as twelve pro-democracy activists appeal their convictions and sentences in a landmark national security case at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts building, in Hong Kong

HONG KONG, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Hong Kong's Court of Appeal rejected an appeal by 12 pro‑democracy activists and upheld their jail terms on Monday in a national security case that critics say highlights the China-ruled city's crackdown ‌on dissent.

The appeal stems from the "Hong Kong 47" case, where many leading pro-democracy activists and politicians were arrested en masse in early ‌2021 and charged with conspiracy to commit subversion. Following marathon legal proceedings, most of the democrats were eventually sentenced in late 2024 to between 4 and 10 years' imprisonment, with two ​others acquitted.

Rights groups and some countries, including the U.S. and Britain, condemned the case as persecution of Hong Kong's political opposition and called for the immediate release of all those arrested.

Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong said she was "deeply concerned" that Australian citizen Gordon Ng had lost his appeal, noting Canberra has "expressed our strong objections to Chinese and Hong Kong authorities on the continuing broad application of national security legislation".

Judges Jeremy Poon, Derek Pang and Anthea Pang wrote in their ‌judgment that the defendants were part of a conspiracy ⁠conceived, advocated and pursued by legal scholar Benny Tai to produce a "constitutional mass destruction weapon" aimed at toppling the constitutional order in Hong Kong.

'WHAT CRIMES HAVE THEY COMMITTED?'

The case centred on an unofficial "primary election" organised by the democrats in ⁠mid-2020 to select the strongest candidates for a legislative council election.

The prosecution alleged that the democrats were conspiring to win a majority in order to paralyse the government by indiscriminately vetoing the city's annual budget in a bid to force Hong Kong's leader to resign.

The 11 democrats who lost appeals against their convictions included former ​lawmakers ​Helena Wong, Lam Cheuk-ting, Raymond Chan and "Long Hair" Leung Kwok-hung; former district councillors Clarisse ​Yeung, Kalvin Ho and Tat Cheng; and activists Gwyneth Ho, ‌Owen Chow, Winnie Yu, Gordon Ng.

The democrats, and one other activist, Prince Wong, also failed in their appeals against their sentences, with the exception of Gwyneth Ho who only appealed her conviction.

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After hearing the result, the defendants appeared calm and waved to their families and supporters.

"What crimes have they committed?" said Chan Po-ying, the wife of activist Leung Kwok-hung, after the ruling, echoing the arguments of some defence lawyers that legislators in Hong Kong were free to vote against any bills and veto the budget as a lawful "check and balance" under the city's mini-constitution.

ACQUITTAL OF DEMOCRAT UPHELD

Despite the international criticism, Hong ‌Kong and Beijing insist the democrats received a fair trial, and say a China-imposed ​national security law in 2020 helped restore order to Hong Kong after mass pro-democracy protests ​the year before.

The judges said any plan to veto the budget ​indiscriminately, regardless of its content or merits, was "clearly an abuse of the power (of legislators)".

The judges, however, dismissed an appeal by ‌the Department of Justice against the acquittal of barrister Lawrence ​Lau, saying he had never openly and ​directly advocated for the vetoing of the budget, like the others.

Lau told reporters he was "happy" with the result.

So far, 18 of the 45 convicted democrats have been released after serving their jail terms.

"By failing to overturn these wrongful convictions and sentences today, the court has ​missed a critical opportunity to correct this mass injustice," ‌said Fernando Cheung, a spokesman for Amnesty International Hong Kong Overseas.

"Peaceful opposition to a government is not a crime, and all ​remaining jailed members of the Hong Kong 47 should be released immediately and unconditionally."

(Reporting by Jessie Pang and James Pomfret in ​Hong Kong, Christine Chen in Sydney; Editing by Saad Sayeed and Raju Gopalakrishnan)

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Dutch King Willem-Alexander is swearing in a new minority Dutch coalition government Monday led by the Netherlands' youngest-ever prime minister, who will have to use all his bridge-building skills to pass laws and see out a full four-year term in office.

Netherlands Politics

Rob Jetten, 38, heads athree-party administrationmade up of his centrist D66, the center-right Christian Democrats and the center-right People's Party for Freedom and Democracy. Together, the parties hold only 66 of the lower house of parliament's 150 seats. That means he will have to negotiate with opposition lawmakers to find support for every piece of legislation his government wants to pass.

That is likely to be tough with the biggest opposition bloc, the newly merged Green Left and Labor Party, already expressing strong objections to Jetten's plans to cut health care and welfare costs.

Opposition leader Jesse Klaver said Friday in a message on X that under the new government's plans, "ordinary people will have to pay hundreds of euros more, while the wealthiest are not asked to contribute anything extra." He added: "We are taking responsibility to adjust these plans. This must change."

Jetten and his team of ministers will formally accept their new roles when they are sworn in by the king at his palace in a forest on the edge of The Hague. They will then pose for a traditional photo of the new Cabinet on the steps of the palace before getting down to work with their first Cabinet meeting in the afternoon.

How we got here

Jettennarrowly wonan Oct. 29 election, taking the same number of seats as anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders' Party for Freedom, but with slightly more votes. The final result was decided by a count of postal ballots.

The snap election was forced when Wilders, who won the previous election,withdrew his ministersfrom the four-party right-wing coalition his party led in June last year. Outgoing premier Dick Schoof, whose 11-month-old administration was one of the shortest-lived governments in Dutch political history, has been caretaker leader ever since.

The new prime minister's foreign policy wish list

Jetten wants to usher in a new era of consensus in the Dutch parliament, after years of factional bickering across the splintered political spectrum.

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He is also looking for a reset of the Netherlands influential role in the European Union, which was widely seen as having eroded under the previous government.

Jetten, who has in the past voiced criticism of U.S. President Donald Trump, told The Associated Press last month that one of the first things he will do after taking office is "talk to my colleagues in Europe to see what role the Dutch can play again in strengthening the European cooperation."

But he also underscored the importance of ties with the United States, a major trading partner for the Dutch economy.

Jetten has pledged to maintain strong Dutch support for Ukraine as it battles against Russia's four-year-old invasion.

Who's who in Jetten's Cabinet

The ministers' posts in the new Cabinet are shared between Jetten's party and his coalition partners.

The new foreign minister is Christian Democrat Tom Berendsen. He is expected to seek to rejuvenate the Netherlands' position in Europe having previously served as the leader of his party's bloc in the European Parliament.

One name that is not changing is the finance minister — Eelco Heinen retains the job he held in the previous administration, where he was seen as a steady hand on the government's purse strings.

Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius, a former justice minister and leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, moves to the defense ministry where she will oversee moves to beef up the nation's military.

Bart van den Brink, a Christian Democrat, has been tapped to be minister for asylum and immigration policy and is expected to continue moves by the previous government to rein in migration and speed up procedures for handling asylum applications.

NEW YORK, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Children across parts of the U.S. Northeast will stay home on Monday as a powerful winter storm forced school closures and pushed offices and transit systems onto emergency schedules, with officials across the ‌region warning of heavy snow, strong winds and dangerous travel conditions.

Winter snow storm hits New York City

The storm has already snarled travel along the East Coast from ‌Washington to New England, with airlines canceling thousands of flights and officials urging people to stay off the roads. Winter weather in the Northeast may also slow the ​processing, transport and delivery of mail and packages, the U.S. Postal Service said.

New York City, the nation's largest school district, ordered all public school buildings closed for a traditional snow day, with no remote instruction and all after-school programs canceled.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani declared a state of emergency and ordered non-essential vehicles off city roads from Sunday night to noon Monday, saying plows and emergency crews needed the streets clear as snowfall intensified. ‌The city is under its first blizzard warning ⁠since 2017.

City offices will close for in-person services, and non-essential municipal employees may work remotely. "I'm urging every New Yorker to please stay home," Mamdani said.

REGIONAL EMERGENCIES

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said she had activated 100 National ⁠Guard members to assist in Long Island, New York City and the Lower Hudson Valley - areas expected to bear the brunt of the heavy snow and coastal winds. The storm also forced closure of the U.N. headquarters complex in Manhattan on Monday.

Parts of the Northeast could see up to two ​feet of ​snow and wind gusts could reach 70 mph, raising the risk of ​falling trees and power outages, according to the Department ‌of Homeland Security.

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In an update on Sunday, the agency said despite its ongoing funding lapse, the Federal Emergency Management Agency's disaster‑response work continues uninterrupted, including staff travel, emergency operations, and critical assistance for people affected by active disasters, with life safety and property protection remaining top priorities.

Last week, Reuters reported that President Donald Trump's administration had ordered FEMA to suspend the deployment of hundreds of aid workers to disaster-affected areas around the country while the DHS is shut down.

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey declared an emergency and told state workers to stay home. Connecticut ‌barred commercial vehicles from limited-access highways Sunday evening, exempting only emergency and essential ​deliveries.

New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill declared a statewide emergency effective noon Sunday and urged ​residents to take the storm seriously. "People need to take ​this very seriously," she told CNN.

TRAVEL DISRUPTIONS

Air travel was among the earliest casualties. Flight-tracking site FlightAware showed more ‌than 5,000 flights already canceled for Monday. Aviation analytics firm ​Cirium said more than 25,000 flights ​were scheduled to depart from the United States on Monday, with cancellations also rising for Tuesday, especially at major Northeast airports.

NJ TRANSIT suspended bus, light rail and Access Link service Sunday evening and halted statewide rail service by Sunday night, with operations ​resuming only when conditions allow.

In New England, the ‌Rhode Island Public Transit Authority said it would suspend all service — including its RIde paratransit program — from Sunday night ​through Monday and would announce plans to resume service only when conditions improve.

(Reporting by Rajesh Kumar Singh in Chicago; ​Additional reporting by Tatiana Bautzer in New York; editing by Diane Craft)

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union's top diplomats are set to meet Monday with the director of the Board of Peace in Brussels after a shaky and controversial embrace of U.S. President Donald Trump's efforts to secure and rebuild the war-ravaged Gaza Strip.

Board of Peace Explainer

Nikolay Mladenov,a former Bulgarian politician and U.N. diplomat chosen by Trumpto manage the Board of Peace, will meet the EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and foreign ministers from across the 27-nation bloc. The EU diplomats are also expected to discuss the war in Ukraine and fresh sanctions on Russia.

Just across the Mediterranean Sea from the Middle East,the EU has deep links to Israel and the Palestinians. It now plays a crucial oversight role at the Rafah border crossing, and is the top donor to the Palestinian Authority.

The question of whether to work with the Trump-led board has split national capitals from Nicosia to Copenhagen. The EU is supportive of the United Nations' mandate in Gaza.

EU members Hungary and Bulgaria are full members of the board, as are EU candidate countries Turkey, Kosovo and Albania.

Twelve other EU nationssent observers to the inaugural meeting in Washingtonon Thursday: Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. The EU flag was displayed at the event alongside EU observer and member nations.

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European leaders like French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen turned down invitation to join, as did Pope Leo XIV. But von der Leyen did send European Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica to the meeting in Washington as an observer.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said sending Šuica without consulting the European Council, the group of the bloc's leaders, broke EU regulations.

"The European Commission should never have attended the Board of Peace meeting in Washington," Barrot said in a post on X. "Beyond the legitimate political questions raised by the 'Board of Peace,' the Commission must scrupulously respect European law and institutional balance in all circumstances."

"It is in the remit of the Commission to accept invitations," von der Leyen spokesperson Paula Pinho said Friday.

While the executive is not joining the board, it is seeking to influence reconstruction and peacekeeping in Gaza beyond being the top donor to the Palestinian Authority, she said.

Trump'sballooning ambitionsfor the board extend from governing and rebuilding Gaza as a futuristic metropolis to challenging the U.N. Security Council's role in solving conflicts. But they could be tempered by the realities of dealing with Gaza, where there has so far been limited progress in achievingthe narrower aimsof the ceasefire.

The Department of Homeland Security on Sunday walked back its decision to suspend the Transportation Security Administration's PreCheck program, after initially sparking confusion for travelers when it said it was temporarily halting the popular service.

TSA "will evaluate on a case-by-case basis and adjust operations" according to staffing changes, a spokesperson for the agency told CNN on Sunday.

DHS said in a statement earlier in the day that PreCheck, along with the Global Entry program, would shut down at 6 a.m. ET amid apartial government shutdown.

But as of Sunday morning, travelers were still able to pass through lines servicing TSA PreCheck at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Dulles International Airport near Washington, DC.

CNN has reached out to Customs and Border Protection about the status of Global Entry.

Both programs are funded by fees charged to members.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem had said in a statement to CNN that TSA and CBP "are focusing on the general traveling public at our airports and ports of entry."

"Shutdowns have serious real-world consequences, not just for the men and women of DHS and their families who go without a paycheck, but it endangers our national security," the statement added. The Washington Postfirst reportedon the measures.

US Travel Association President Geoff Freeman said after the reversal his organization was "glad that DHS has decided to keep PreCheck operational and avoid a crisis of its own making."

"We are urging the same for Global Entry," Freeman said. "These Trusted Traveler Programs strengthen aviation security and improve screening efficiency. They are funded by user fees, and there is no reason at this time for them to be suspended."

The move to suspend the programs would be a significant escalation in how the DHS shutdown would impact travelers, effectively dismantling expedited airport security lanes and fast‑track customs processing relied on by millions of frequent flyers who are US citizens or legal permanent residents as well as international passengersfrom more than 20 countries.

The confusion comes during a partial government shutdown affecting only DHS, after Congress failed to reach a funding agreement amid a standoff overimmigration enforcement policy.

Democrats have pushed for new restrictions on agencies including Immigration and Customs Enforcement and CBP after the fatal shootings of two US citizens by federal officers in Minneapolis this year. Republicans have largely opposed the proposed changes, while pressing Democrats to agree to measures such as stricter enforcement against so‑called sanctuary cities.

DHS also said it is suspending all courtesy and family escorts at airports for members of Congress, saying that service "is drawing staff away from the critical mission of getting passengers screened." TSA said in a statement Sunday the escort service was "suspended to allow officers to focus on the mission of securing America's skies."

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Meanwhile, DHS employees deemed essential, including an estimated63,000TSA agents,have continued working without pay.

Noem: 'Tough but necessary' decisions

Noem said in her statement that "The American people depend on this department every day, and we are making tough but necessary workforce and resource decisions to mitigate the damage inflicted by these politicians."

Democrats on the House Homeland Security Committeecondemnedthe initial move to suspend these programs, accusing DHS' leadership of "punishing travelers" and "ruining your travel on purpose."

US Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman said in a statement his organization was "disgusted" that "Democrats and Republicans have used air traffic controllers, TSA, CBP and the entire travel experience as a means to achieve political ends."

"Travelers should be prioritized, not leveraged," Freeman wrote. "Travel is the gateway to the American economy and Americans should not have their mobility, security or travel experience diminished because elected leaders fail to resolve their differences."

What would immediately change for travelers?

The suspension of TSA PreCheck lanes at US airports would require enrolled travelers to use standard security screening. It's uncertain how international passengers returning or entering the US through Global Entry would be impacted as most of this process is done at automated kiosks. The eventual disruptions are likely to increase wait times at customs and passport control.

CNN has also reached out to the three TSA PreCheck providers processing enrollments as their websites still seem to be accepting applications.

TSA PreCheck, which costs between $76.75 and $85 for a five‑year membership, surpassed 20 million active members in 2024,according to TSA.

More than 12 million travelers are enrolled in Global Entry,according to CBP.The program charges a $120 application fee, also for a five-year membership.

Together, DHS trusted-traveler programs cover more than 40 million vetted airline passengers, according to TSA.

While previous government shutdowns disrupted enrollment operations and led to longer airport lines, TSA PreCheck lanes and Global Entry kiosks remained open.

During last year's record shutdown, the programs were not formally suspended, but staffing shortages contributed to longer security lines, temporary checkpoint closures at some airports, and lingering flight delays and cancellations as congestion spread across the US air travel system.

This story and headline have been updated with additional information.

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THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Prosecutors at theInternational Criminal Courtwill begin presenting evidence Monday to support their charges against former Philippine PresidentRodrigo Duterte, detailing his alleged involvement in dozens of killings as part of his so-called war on drugs.

The ex-leader is facing three counts ofcrimes against humanityfor deadly anti-drugs crackdowns he oversaw, first while he served as mayor of the southern Philippine city of Davao and later as president.

Rights groups and families of victimshailed Duterte's arrest in March, saying it was a step forward for justice.

"We have waited for this for so long, for years we have waited, but we did not relent," Llore Pasco told reporters at a news conference ahead of the hearing. She said both of her sons left for work in May 2017 and never returned. Their bodies were later found riddled with bullets.

The hearing is not a trial, but allows prosecutors to outline their case in court. After weighing the evidence, judges have 60 days to decide whether or not to confirm the charges.

Duterte will not be present for the hearing at The Hague-based court. He waived his right to appear, writing in a letter to judges that he did not want to attend legal proceedings "that I will forget within minutes. I am old, tired, and frail."

He also called the charges against him an "outrageous lie."

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Last month, judges found the octogenarianwas fit to stand trial, afterpostponing an earlier hearingover concerns about his health.

Supporters of Duterte criticized the administration of current Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Duterte's political rival, for arresting and surrendering the former leader to a court whose jurisdiction they dispute. Detractors include his daughter, current Philippine Vice President Sara Dutertewho announced last weekthat she would seek the presidency in the 2028 elections.

Sheerah Escudero is worried about what will happen if another Duterte comes to power. The body of her 18-year-old brother was found wrapped in packaging tape in 2017. "We know that the same policy of killings will continue," she told reporters ahead of the hearing.

Prosecutors at the ICC announced in February 2018 that they would open a preliminary investigation into the violent drug crackdowns. In a move that human rights activists say was aimed at escaping accountability, Duterte, who was president at the time, announced a month later that the Philippines would leave the court.

Judgesrejected a requestfrom Duterte's legal team to throw out the case on the grounds that the court did not have jurisdiction because of the Philippine withdrawal. Countries can't "abuse" their right to withdraw from the court's foundational Rome Statute "by shielding persons from justice in relation to alleged crimes that are already under consideration," the September decision says.

An appeal of that decision is still pending.

Estimates of the death toll during Duterte's presidential term vary, from the more than 6,000 that the national police have reported to up to 30,000 claimed by human rights groups.