Gaza aid Flotilla reports drone strikes, explosions off Greek coast
Athens: Organisers of a Gaza-bound flotilla carrying humanitarian aid and pro-Palestinian activists reported that their vessels came under suspected drone attacks in the Mediterranean, off the coast of Greece on late Tuesday night (September 23, 2025).
The Global Sumud Flotilla said in a statement that “multiple drones, unidentified objects dropped, communications jammed and explosions heard from a number of boats” had been recorded. The group did not immediately confirm whether there were casualties.
German human rights activist Yasemin Acar, speaking in a video posted on Instagram, said five vessels had been struck. “We are carrying only humanitarian aid. We have no weapons. We pose no threat to anyone. It is Israel who is killing thousands of people and starving a whole population,” she said.
Another activist, Brazilian campaigner Thiago Avila, reported that four boats had been “targeted with drones throwing devices” shortly before an explosion was heard in the background of his recording. The flotilla’s official social media page also shared footage of an explosion allegedly captured from its vessel Spectre at “01:43 GMT +3”.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, which set sail from Barcelona earlier this month, comprises 51 vessels, most currently near the Greek island of Crete. It seeks to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza and deliver supplies to civilians. Among its participants is Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.
The convoy had already reported two suspected drone strikes while docked in Tunisia earlier in September. Israel, which on Monday reaffirmed it would not allow the flotilla to reach Gaza, previously blocked two similar activist-led sea missions in June and July.
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Former South Korean President Yoon receives life sentence for imposing martial law
Seoul (AP): Former President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to life in prison for his brief imposition of martial law in December 2024.
Judge Jee Kui-youn said he found Yoon guilty of rebellion for mobilizing military and police forces in an illegal attempt to seize the liberal-led National Assembly, arrest politicians and establish unchecked power for a “considerable” time.
Yoon is likely to appeal the verdict.
A special prosecutor had demanded the death penalty for Yoon, saying his actions posed a threat to the country's democracy and deserved the most serious punishment available, but most analysts expect a life sentence since the poorly-planned power grab did not result in casualties.
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South Korea has not executed a death row inmate since 1997, in what is widely seen as a de facto moratorium on capital punishment amid calls for its abolition.
As Yoon arrived in court, hundreds of police officers watched closely as Yoon supporters rallied outside a judicial complex, their cries rising as the prison bus transporting him drove past. Yoon's critics gathered nearby, demanding the death penalty.
The court also convicted and sentenced several former military and police officials involved in enforcing Yoon's martial law decree, including ex-Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun, who received a 30-year jail term for his central role in planning the measure and mobilizing the military.
Yoon, a staunch conservative, has defended his martial law decree as necessary to stop liberals, whom he described as “anti-state” forces, from obstructing his agenda with their legislative majority.
The decree lasted about six hours before being lifted after a quorum of lawmakers managed to break through a military blockade and unanimously voted to lift the measure.
Yoon was suspended from office on December 14, 2024, after being impeached by lawmakers and was formally removed by the Constitutional Court in April 2025. He has been under arrest since last July while facing multiple criminal trials, with the rebellion charge carrying the most severe punishment.
Last month, Yoon was sentenced to five years in prison for resisting arrest, fabricating the martial law proclamation and sidestepping a legally mandated full Cabinet meeting before declaring the measure.
The Seoul Central Court has also convicted two of Yoon's Cabinet members in other cases. That includes Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who received a 23-year prison sentence for attempting to legitimize the decree by forcing it through a Cabinet Council meeting, falsifying records and lying under oath. Han has appealed the verdict.
