a02 briefs

Trump arrives in Washington for inaugural celebrations

WASHINGTON — Donald Trump returned to Washington Saturday evening to celebrate with family, supporters and political allies ahead of his second inauguration, a triumphant return for the Republican four years after he departed the city under the shadow of an attack by his supporters on the Capitol.

Trump marked his return to power with a celebration at his Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia.

He addressed the crowd, giving shoutouts to Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and declaring his Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff a “great negotiator.” Witkoff this past week helped negotiate a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.

Soon after his remarks, Trump stepped out onto a clubhouse balcony while guests gathered on the patio below him for a fireworks display and performance by tenor Christopher Macchio.

Trump returned to Washington as organizers of Monday’s Inauguration Day ceremony were scrambling to move inside most of the outdoor events, including the swearing-in of president and vice president that traditionally takes place on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, due to forecasted frigid temperatures.

Trump made his way from West Palm Beach, Florida, with his wife Melania Trump and their son Barron aboard a U.S. military C-32 aircraft on a flight dubbed Special Air Mission 47 — a nod to Trump becoming the 47th president on Monday.

As his motorcade neared his golf club for Saturday’s celebration, he was greeted by dozens of well-wishers who gathered along the roadside and chanted “Trump” and “USA, USA!”

Even before Trump got to town, groups of protesters began taking to the street in the morning as a light sleet fell.

S. Korea’s impeached president arrested as his supporters riot

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol was formally arrested early on Sunday, days after being apprehended at his presidential compound in Seoul. He faces possible imprisonment over his ill-fated declaration of martial law last month.

Yoon’s arrest could mark the beginning of an extended period in custody, lasting months or more.

The decision to arrest Yoon triggered unrest at the Seoul Western District Court, where dozens of his supporters broke in and rioted, destroying the main door and windows. They used plastic chairs, metal beams and police shields that they managed to wrestle away from officers. Some were seen throwing objects and using fire extinguishers, destroying furniture and glass doors. They shouted demands to see the judge who had issued the warrant, but she had already left.

Following eight hours of deliberation, the court granted law enforcement’s request for an arrest warrant for Yoon, saying he was a threat to destroy evidence. Yoon and his lawyers on Saturday appeared before the court and argued for his release.

Yoon, who has been in detention since he was apprehended Wednesday in a massive law enforcement operation at his residential compound, faces potential rebellion charges linked to his declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, which set off the country’s most serious political crisis since its democratization in the late 1980s.

Ski lift accident leaves 30 injured at Spanish resort in the Pyrenees

BARCELONA, Spain — At least 30 people have been injured in a ski lift accident at the Spanish resort of Astún, in the Pyrenees mountain range, emergency services for Spain’s northern Aragon region said Saturday.

Regional emergency services said that 10 people needed to be treated in hospitals, including two who were seriously injured.

State TV channel TVE reported that around 80 people were trapped on the chairlifts in the immediate aftermath.

“It’s like a cable has come off, the chairs have bounced and people have been thrown off,” one witness told TVE.

Fernando Beltrán, a representative of Spain’s government in Aragon, later posted on X that “all the skiers affected by the accident” have been evacuated and those who were injured were receiving medical treatment.

The cause of the incident is unknown.

Several helicopters were deployed to the area to rescue those trapped and transfer the injured to nearby hospitals.

Social media images and video appeared to show a number of people lying on the snow beneath the ski lift.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said he was “shocked” by the news of the accident, expressing his closeness to the injured and their families.

The ski resort said on X that it was “working with emergency services” and that its management expressed “consternation and support for those affected” by the incident.