YTokyo (Japan) (AFP) – A Tokyo-based start-up firm has developed a mobile suit robot that rekindles the moving, battling gigantic machines seen in the “Gundam” anime series. Whilst the “Archax” robot showcased by Tsubame Industries is not battling in the galaxy just yet, it’s still attracting visitors with gleaming eyes at the Tokyo Mobility Show.
Acapulco (Mexico) (AFP) – Hurricane Otis caused major damage and killed at least 27 people as it lashed Mexico’s resort city of Acapulco as a scale-topping category 5 storm. The storm partially destroyed many buildings, leaving gaping holes in the walls of high-rise towers.
Beijing (AFP) – China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning says they “deeply” mourn the death of former premier Li Keqiang, in Beijing’s first public comment on his passing. Li had a heart attack on 26 October and passed away in Shanghai, state-run news agency Xinhua says.
Seoul (AFP) – Kim Cho-long escaped death by chance last October — pulled from packed streets in South Korea’s capital by a friend, as those around her were swept into an alley where 159 people later died in a crowd crush. She struggled with feelings of survivor’s guilt, and eventually her therapist suggested that writing about her feelings might allow her to process what had happened.
Hong Kong (AFP) – A recent ruling by Hong Kong’s top court in favour of recognising same-sex partnerships has raised hopes for the city’s LGBTQ community, with the government given two years to come up with a legal framework. The case brought by jailed pro-democracy activist Jimmy Sham was the first time Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal has directly addressed the issue of same-sex marriage. Henry Li, following in the footsteps of his late partner Edgar Ng, is among those who have struggled for LGBTQ rights in the city.
Brussels (AFP) – EU leaders call for “humanitarian corridors and pauses” in Israel’s war with Hamas to get aid into Gaza, after hours of negotiations at a summit of the bloc in Brussels. The Gaza strip has been under sustained Israeli shelling since Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel on Oct 7.
The Hague (AFP) – The Palestinian Authority’s foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki says a “humanitarian pause” would not alleviate the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza. Speaking at a press conference in The Hague, al-Maliki accused Israel of committing war crimes in Gaza and called on ICC prosecutors to conduct an investigation. The Gaza Strip has been under sustained Israeli shelling since a deadly Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October.
Paris (AFP) – “We want you and all the world to be human and do whatever you can to bring them back home,” says Moran Betzer Tayar, wracked by anguish after the kidnapping of her nephew and his wife by Palestinian Hamas militants on 7 October. The 54-year-old is on a European tour with other relatives of hostages taken by Hamas during a raid that killed more than 1,400 people, most of them civilians. Israel’s retaliation has so far killed more than 6,500 people in Gaza, mostly civilians. There are fears the toll could further soar if Israel pushes ahead with a widely-expected ground invasion in a bid to destroy Hamas and rescue the hostages.
Lewiston (United States) (AFP) – Police in the US state of Maine are waging a sprawling manhunt for a gunman who killed at least 18 people at a bowling alley and a bar, according to the state’s governor. The rampage is the deadliest mass shooting so far this year in America.
Seoul (AFP) – Ahead of the one year anniversary of the Halloween tragedy in South Korea’s Seoul, the narrow alleyway where nearly 160 people were crushed to death has been designated a “Memorial Alley”. On 29 October 2022, tens of thousands of people — mostly in their 20s and 30s — had been out to enjoy the country’s first post-pandemic holiday celebrations but the night turned deadly in Seoul’s Itaewon district with no effective crowd control and bungled official responses to calls for help.
