Suzhou (China) (AFP) – A Chinese humanoid robot has completed a three-day, 100-kilometre trek, the longest reported distance ever walked by a humanoid machine. The 169-centimetre (five foot six inch) AgiBot A2 set off from the eastern Chinese city of Suzhou on the evening of November 10, traversing highways and city streets before arriving at Shanghai’s historic waterfront Bund area on November 13, according to Guinness World Records.
Satul (Thailand) (AFP) – For centuries the Maniq — one of Thailand’s smallest ethnic minorities — lived as hunter-gatherers, roaming the rainforests of the Malay Peninsula, moving with the seasons in search of food. But the lures of a settled home, among them education and healthcare, mean their way of life is changing. The Maniq are now demanding ownership rights to land they say has effectively been theirs for generations, but is today protected by Thai law.
Dak Lak (Vietnam) (AFP) – Market traders in the south-central Vietnamese province of Dak Lak do what they can to clear up and save their stock after severe flooding. In the last week, heavy rain has hit parts of the country, causing flooding and landslides that have resulted in at least 90 deaths, of which 60 took place in mountainous Dak Lak. “I lost almost everything,” says Tien Giang, a trader surrounded by debris.
Johannesburg (AFP) – Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he will speak with Russia’s Vladimir Putin on Monday, just days after the United States unveiled a controversial plan to end the Ukraine war. Speaking in Johannesburg, South Africa, at the end of the latest G20 summit, Erdogan says he will discuss with Putin how “to stop these deaths.”
Dubai (AFP) – Dubai’s central Sheikh Zayed Road is covered not by cars, but by blue-clad runners as thousands take part in Dubai Run 2025. The run is one of the flagship events of the ninth edition of the Dubai Fitness Challenge, which aims to get people in the United Arab Emirates to exercise for 30 minutes a day for 30 days. The country has a high rate of obesity. According to a study published in March 2025 by The Lancet medical journal, the rate of overweight and obese adult UAE residents could rise from 84 percent in 2021 to 94 percent by 2050.
Vatican City (AFP) – Pope Leo XIV calls for the release of over 300 hostages taken from a Catholic school in Nigeria – one of the largest mass kidnappings the country has ever seen. Addressing those gathered in the Vatican’s St. Peter’s Square, Leo says he “was deeply saddened” by the news, and makes “a heartfelt appeal for the immediate release of the hostages.” According to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), gunmen kidnapped 315 students and teachers, with separate raids on two schools taking place on Monday 17 November and Friday 21 November. On Sunday 23 November, after Pope Leo’s comments, CAN announced that 50 of the students had escaped and been “reunited with their parents.”
Jerusalem (AFP) – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists that Israel will do “everything necessary” to stop Hezbollah regrouping in Lebanon and Hamas doing the same in Gaza. Speaking the day after Israeli air strikes killed 21 people in Gaza, according to the territory’s civil defence agency, Netanyahu accuses Hamas of “violating” the ceasefire, which has been in place since 10 October. Both sides have accused each other of breaching the fragile agreement.
Brasília (AFP) – Brazilians party in the streets of Brasilia after former president Jair Bolsonaro was taken into custody, with a court saying the 70-year-old — who was under house arrest — had tried to disable his ankle monitor in an attempt to flee. Bolsonaro is facing a prison sentence of 27 years over a plan to stop Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva taking office after the 2022 presidential election. “It’s an early Christmas,” says one of those celebrating.
Brasilia (AFP) – Singing, dancing and music floods the streets of the Brazilian capital as crowds gather to celebrate the detention of former president Jair Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro was under house arrest after his conviction for an attempted coup, but taken into custody as the Supreme Court deemed him a high flight risk. IMAGES
Morelia (Mexique) (AFP) – Emergency services and members of the Michoacan State Attorney General’s Office are seen working on the site of a bus crash that left at least 10 dead and 20 injured in the Mexican state of Michoacan. So far, authorities have not specified the cause of the accident. IMAGES
Belém (Brésil) (AFP) – COP30 President Andre Correa do Lago promises high-level dialogues on phasing out fossil fuels including a first international conference in Colombia next year. This comes as nations clinched a deal at the UN’s COP30 climate summit in the Amazon without a roadmap for phasing out fossil fuels. SOUNDBITE
London (AFP) – High-ranking military personnel from around the world settle in for an Esports exhibition match in London, as the UK Ministry of Defence and British Esports Federation launch a new partnership aimed at developing the “digital and cyber skills” of service personnel. “If you look at Ukraine, a lot of their first person view drone operators have come from the gaming community,” says Lieutenant General Tom Copinger-Symes, deputy commander of Cyber and Specialist Operations. In 2026, the UK will host the inaugural International Defence Esports Games (IDEG), which will see service personnel from nations including the UK, Canada and Poland compete.
