EDS / INSIGHTS
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South Korean court sentenced K‑pop singer Song Min‑ho (Mino) to a suspended one‑year prison term for breaching the country’s mandatory military service law. The ruling follows 102 unauthorized absences during his 21‑month stint as a social‑service agent.
Japan has raised the fee for permanent residency applications to 200,000 yen, a twenty‑fold increase. The change is part of broader policy shifts that add higher income, pension and Japanese‑language criteria for foreign residents.
Prominent Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo and his wife Lucy Muteke were killed in a helicopter crash near Marondera, leaving six people dead. The crash, still under investigation, has prompted statements from President Emmerson Mnangagwa and regional leaders.
Explosions were heard overnight in Addis Ababa after the government prohibited drone flights over the city. The blasts were reported near the military headquarters and in the southern part of the capital, but authorities have not confirmed their cause or any casualties.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it is too early to determine the motive behind the attempted hijacking of a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The incident involved a stabbing of a pilot, passenger intervention, and a safe landing in Saudi Arabia.
Brown bear 89 ‘Backpack’ won Alaska’s thirteenth Fat Bear Week, receiving 103,344 votes over rival bear 910. The competition, run by Katmai National Park, highlights how bears bulk up for winter hibernation.
Swiss glaciers lost about 5.5% of their ice in the past year, the fastest rate recorded in recent decades. The melt threatens water supplies for agriculture, hydropower and transport, and raises landslide and flood risks.
Putin’s recent parliamentary address offered no indication that Russia will halt its military campaign in Ukraine. The article notes that Russian strikes are expected to increase this winter, suggesting an intensification of the invasion.
Nikon's Small World In Motion contest is reviewing its 2026 winner after scientists raised concerns that the video may have been altered with AI. The competition, which awards a £2,250 prize, has sparked debate over the role of artificial intelligence in scientific imaging.
Heavy rain and landslides in Nepal have killed about 30 people and damaged over 240 homes. Helicopter teams have been used to evacuate dozens of trekkers from the Annapurna Circuit in the districts of Manang and Mustang.
The UK and France have ended their "one‑in‑one‑out" pilot scheme that swapped asylum seekers for legal migrants. The programme, which returned roughly 1,500 people to France, will no longer process new cases, although flights to return small‑boat arrivals will continue.
A Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia after one pilot stabbed the other, prompting passengers and crew to subdue the attacker. The stabbed pilot was reported to be in stable condition and the aircraft landed safely at Tabuk Airport.
A French court sentenced six human‑trafficking suspects to between six and ten years for the 2021 Channel boat disaster that killed 31 migrants. The verdict follows a four‑week trial that also handed lighter sentences to seven others and raised questions about the role of French rescue services.
Intense fighting around Alamata in Ethiopia’s Tigray region has left at least 52 civilians dead, including children. The clashes have also trapped tourists and disrupted banking and communications across the area.
Russia carried out its biggest attack on Ukraine's power infrastructure since the spring, hitting the Trypilska thermal plant and causing outages across multiple regions. The strikes killed at least five people, including a child, and left thousands of households without electricity.
Trial court Judge Rajani Ranga wrote a heartfelt letter to a 10‑year‑old survivor of child sexual abuse, praising her courage and confirming the convict’s life sentence. The court also ordered compensation of 1.05 million rupees for the child.
South Korean officials have demanded an apology from North Korea after landmine explosions in the Demilitarised Zone injured three soldiers. North Korea denies responsibility, calling Seoul's accusations a political provocation.
The United Kingdom and United States have completed the withdrawal of their remaining troops from Iraq, concluding the Operation Inherent Resolve anti‑ISIS mission. Iraqi security forces now assume full responsibility for the country’s security.
A restaurant named after Chinese President Xi Jinping in Seongnam, South Korea, was vandalised by four masked Chinese men. Police are seeking Interpol red notices to locate the suspects, who fled to Shanghai and Yantai.
More than 400 people were detained during French high‑school protests, which have spread across the country. The demonstrations, driven by overcrowded classrooms and teacher shortages, have sparked injuries and accusations of excessive police force.
