Kingston (Jamaica) (AFP) – Residents of Jamaica’s capital Kingston react after the death of reggae icon Jimmy Cliff at 81. “There is no way anybody can replace him, that’s a legend we are talking about,” says Kingston local Roja Buma.
Geneva (AFP) – UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk says generative AI risks becoming a “modern day Frankenstein’s monster” without proper regulation. Speaking at the 14th United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights in Geneva, Turk also says that the technology holds “tremendous promise” but adds that “the threats to several human rights… are clear and present.”
Hat Yai (Thailand) (AFP) – Roads are inundated, vehicles are submerged and people wade through thigh-deep water in Hat Yai, a key economic city in Southern Thailand, as the region suffers severe flooding after days of heavy rain.
Tel Aviv (AFP) – Israel’s military chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir says the army failed “to protect the civilians of the State of Israel” on October 7, after announcing the dismissal of several senior officers over their failure to prevent the deadly Hamas attacks in 2023 attacks.
New York (AFP) – New York City Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani tells reporters he’s “confident” he and US President Donald Trump are “establishing a productive relationship,” following their Friday meeting at the White House in Washington. “I was appreciative of the tone and the fact that both of us were looking to have a productive meeting,” Mamdani tells reporters after addressing the Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church in the Bronx.
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.
