Pakistani authorities denied entry to an official of the Committee to Protect Journalists and forced him to leave the country, the journalist watchdog group said. Steven Butler, the Asia programme director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, was travelling to Pakistan to attend a human rights conference when he was stopped upon entry in Lahore. While Butler had a valid Pakistani visa, immigration officials told him that the interior ministry had put him on a “stop list” before confiscating his passport. There was no official comment from the Pakistani government.
China detains 2 US citizens who ran teaching program
China said it detained two US citizens on suspicion of organizing others to illegally cross the border, amid sharpening tensions between the sides over trade, technology and other sensitive issues. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said police in the eastern province of Jiangsu arrested Alyssa Petersen and Jacob Harlan. Harlan is the owner and Petersen is the director of a Rexburg, Idaho-based organization called China Horizons, whose website says it is an English teaching program that offers an "immersive experience within a Chinese school." However, a post on the 17-year-old group's Facebook page said it would be shutting down at the end of the month. Chinese officials said that Harlan and Petersen may be detained "for the next few months or years."
Japan PM visits storm-hit areas; royal parade may be delayed
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited northern towns devasted by the deadly typhoon and promised residents his government's support for their speedy recovery. "I'm determined to provide ample support for the reconstruction of your daily life. I know you are concerned about your health, but please hold up," Abe told one of the elderly female residents. He later visited the site of a damaged river embankment that flooded another city in Fukushima. Rescue and relief efforts for stranded or missing people in flooded mountain villages continued, as the death toll climbed. NHK television counted 77 killed, while the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said 65 were pronounced dead. Typhoon Hagibis hit northern and central Japan last weekend with historic rainfall that caused rivers to overflow and left thousands of homes flooded, damaged or without power.
'Tarzan' star's wife killed by their son
The wife of former "Tarzan" actor Ron Ely was stabbed to death by the couple's son at their California home, police said. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office said that deputies showed up at the couple's house following an emergency call about a family dispute and found Valerie Lundeen Ely, 62, dead with "multiple stab wounds." Deputies identified the suspect as the Elys' son, 30-year-old Cameron Ely, and shot him dead after determining he posed a threat. "Deputies searched the residence and surrounding area for Cameron Ely," the Sheriff's Office said. "During the search, the suspect was located outside the home. He posed a threat and in response 4 deputies fired their service weapons at the suspect, fatally wounding him."
Kim rides to sacred peak, vows to fight US
North Korea released a series of photos showing leader Kim Jong-un riding a white horse to a sacred mountain he has often climbed before making key decisions. Near the mountain, Kim reportedly vowed to overcome US-led sanctions that he said had both pained and infuriated his people. Kim previously visited Mount Paektu before executing his powerful uncle in 2013 and entering into diplomacy with South Korea and the US in 2018. The mountain and the white horse are symbols associated with the Kim family’s rule.
‘SOS’ picked up on CCTV clip saves Oz camper
An Australian woman lost in dense bush land was found after a man remotely monitoring security footage saw an ‘SOS’ sign scrawled in the earth on his property. Deborah Pilgrim went missing while camping with friends about 100km from the South Australian state capital of Adelaide. The 55-year-old took a walk from the campsite and lost her way. A man remotely monitoring CCTV footage of his property noticed an SOS sign etched into a dirt driveway near his unoccupied home. He alerted police, who found Pilgrim close on a neighbouring property where she had located water. “It was so overwhelming... I dropped to the ground,” Pilgrim said, recalling the moment rescuers arrived.
Drunk woman jailed for biting cop in Singapore
A New Zealand woman has been jailed in Singapore for six and half months for biting a policewoman’s arm after a drunken night out while visiting her sister. Katie Christina Rakich arrived in Singapore one evening in June, already slightly drunk, and headed for dinner with her younger sister. But Rakich became rowdy and started yelling and causing a mess, prompting her sister to call the police. Rakich was arrested and driven to a police station. As she was being brought out of the vehicle, she bit the left arm of a female police officer. “The bite was very forceful and caused the victim great pain,” prosecutor Benedict Teong told the court.
Stir brings Catalonia to a standstill
Tens of thousands of demonstrators waving pro-independence flags and chanting “freedom for political prisoners” poured into Barcelona, the fifth day of protests over the jailing of Catalan separatist leaders. Roads leading into the city were packed as marchers from across the region joined a mass rally against this week’s verdict by Spain’s Supreme Court, which sentenced nine separatists to jail over a 2017 secessionist bid. Some masked youths hurled stones at police late in the afternoon on one city street, but the vast majority of rallies were peaceful.
Egypt urged to free blogger, lawyer, journalist
The UN human rights office urged Egypt to free a prominent blogger, lawyer and journalist allegedly mistreated in custody who are among several thousand people detained since street protests began a month ago. Officials at Egypt's interior ministry were not immediately available for comment. The state prosecutor's office said in late September that it had questioned up to 1,000 suspects who took part in the demonstrations. About 3,400 people have been arrested since protests began, including about 300 who have since been released, according to the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms, an independent body.
Indonesia’s prez sworn in for 2nd term
Indonesian President Joko Widodo, who rose from poverty and pledged to champion democracy, fight corruption and modernise the world’s most populous Muslim majority nation, was sworn in for his second and final five-year term with a pledge to take bolder actions. Known for his down-to-earth style, Widodo, 58, opted for an austere ceremony at the parliament. On his way to the ceremony, Widodo got out of his convoy and met with supporters. “We must work together immediately to bring Indonesia to prosperity,” Widodo said.
Lady Gaga causes online frenzy with Sanskrit tweet
Pop star Lady Gaga, who is recovering from a nasty fall she suffered during a concert in Las Vegas, surprised her Indian fans when she tweeted a Sanskrit mantra. “Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu,” Gaga posted on Twitter. The mantra encompasses the feeling of love and happiness towards the world. In simple words, it translates to “May all beings everywhere be free and happy.” Since the post went online, Gaga’s tweet has gone viral. Some users questioned if it has something to do with her next album, while some welcomed her to Hinduism and some sent her good wishes for a fast recovery. “Just beautiful,” one user wrote. “Great to see Lady Gaga tweet Sanskrit Mantra which radiates the feeling of love and happiness towards the world,” one user wrote.
Drug haul from Myanmar sea
Sacks of crystal meth scooped from the sea by Myanmar fishermen who mistook it for a deodorant substance had a street value of $20 million, an official said, in a country believed to be the world’s largest methamphetamine producer. The accidental drug haul off Myanmar’s coastal Ayeyarwady region occurred when fishermen spotted a total of 23 sacks floating in the Andaman Sea. Each one contained plastic-wrapped bags labelled as Chinese green tea - packaging commonly used by Southeast Asian crime gangs to smuggle crystal meth.
