Spain (Spain) (AFP) – Famed Russian writer Boris Akunin says the Putin regime identifying literary figures as terrorists or extremists is “an important step” towards totalitarianism. Akunin, who has spoken out against Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine, was placed on a list of extremists earlier this week. The 67-year-old also says Putin can only be toppled by action from within Russia, rather than military means.
Singapore (AFP) – Tan Chwee Lian picks up a small paddle, her finger resting on a groove worn into the wood over 70 years of making Buddhist and Taoist deity statues in her shop. But with competition from mass-produced items and lacking heirs to take up the trade, the craft is in danger of dying out.
Los Angeles (AFP) – At “Squid Game: The Trials” in Los Angeles, fans of all ages can relive the most emotional moments of Netflix’s South Korean hit show — but there is a lot less blood and no one wins any prize money. In a series of rooms, organizers of the immersive LA attraction have set up harmless versions of the brutal games depicted in the series.
Baubau (Indonesia) (AFP) – On Buton Island in eastern Indonesia, schoolchildren are using Korean Hangul script to learn their indigenous Cia-Cia tongue. The language of the Cia-Cia ethnic group has no written form, and the syllable-based tongue does not readily translate to the Latin alphabet often used to transcribe Indonesia’s national language.
Karuizawa (Japan) (AFP) – 2023 is set to be Japan’s deadliest year on record when it comes to bear attacks, with six people having been killed and more than 200 injured by the animals, which are increasingly straying into rural towns and villages. In addition to the human cost, thousands of bears are killed each year, mostly by shooting. Junpei Tanaka and his team are trying to stop this, using honey-baited barrels, radio collars and dogs to relocate the bears and avert any further clashes.
Cairo (AFP) – Speaking on a visit to Egypt, Britain’s Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron calls for “a sustainable ceasefire” in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. Cameron goes on to deny “double standards” when it comes to the UK’s view of fighting in Ukraine and Gaza, calling the situation in Ukraine “incredibly simple.”
Grindavik (Iceland) (AFP) – Following a volcanic eruption that has rocked southwest Iceland, workers clear rubble and check water pipes in the evacuated town of Grindavik. Residents are now allowed back for daytime access after the eruption, which followed weeks of increased seismic activity, diminished in intensity.
Madrid (AFP) – Real Madrid President Florentino Perez says the ruling by the EU’s Court of Justice, that UEFA and FIFA broke EU competition law by blocking the proposed Super League, will allow clubs to “be the masters of their own destiny”. Real Madrid and Barcelona were the last two clubs who remained proponents of the project when it failed to launch in April 2021, following outrage from fans and football’s governing bodies. The league initially proposed only featured 12 teams, with no system of promotion and relegation. The company promoting the Super League has announced a new 64-team tournament featuring promotion and relegation, but offered no details on how much support this had among clubs.
Madrid (AFP) – With Friday’s draw looming, people have been queuing in cities across Spain to buy tickets for the country’s traditional “El Gordo” festive lottery. The state-run event has a total prize pot of 2.59 billion euros, which is split into hundreds of smaller amounts ranging from 20 euros up to the 400,000-euro “El Gordo”, or “Fat One”. “I have hope” says Aida Pereira, as she queues outside the Dona Manolita shop in central Madrid, considered by many to be the luckiest in Spain.
Taipei (AFP) – From a homeless child to a leader of Hong Kong’s struggle for democracy, 79-year-old Reverend Chu Yiu-ming tells all in a new memoir — except for 30 pages blanked out to protest official censorship.
