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https://www.nationthailand.com/world/asia-pacific/40021537

Somber atmosphere in Itaewon in aftermath of crowd surge disaster

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2022

The area around Itaewon, central Seoul, full of excited Halloween partygoers on Saturday night, turned into a catastrophic scene instantly. At least 151 people died and more than 80 were injured in a crowd crush in a narrow alley near the neighbourhood’s famous Hamilton Hotel.

The celebratory scene quickly turned into a nightmare as screams and cries for help erupted from the crowd, and the sounds of ambulance sirens mixed with loud music continued to flow out of the neighbourhood’s many bars and clubs.

Firefighters and police joined random people giving CPR to unconscious people laying in the streets – many dressed in Halloween costumes – massaging their limbs and trying their best to revive them. But it was no use.

Hours later, Marwan, a 24-year-old Moroccan who has lived in South Korea for six years, was walking around the neighbourhood still trying to process what had happened. “Three of my friends died today. I used to hang out with them every weekend in Itaewon and now they’re dead. There were no bodyguards or owners trying to stop the situation.”

“I wasn’t at the site of the accident, but I later saw people being carried away (in stretchers) and it was so heartbreaking,” said Lee Hyun-se, 23, dressed as the Joker.

Yet, though one of the country’s worst peacetime disasters in history had occurred only blocks away, some parties were still being held in some parts of the nightlife district.

Paramedics transport an injured patient in Itaewon, Yongsan-gu, central Seoul, at around 3:00 a.m. on Sunday. (Sanjay Kumar/The Korea Herald)

A bar filled with customers at 4 a.m. on Sunday, just hours after a crowd surge killed at least 149 people in Itaewon, Yongsan-gu, central Seoul. (Jung Min-kyung/The Korea Herald)

At 4 a.m. on Sunday morning, bars located just a 5-minute walk from Itaewon Station were full of energetic Halloween revellers.

“I came out to play (today) so I crossed over (to this side of the neighbourhood) because I didn’t feel like going home,” a 20-year-old female said on the condition of anonymity.

Shin Ji-hye  and Jung Min-kyung 

The Korea Herald

Asia News Network

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https://www.nationthailand.com/world/asia-pacific/40021534

Halloween stampede in South Korea leaves at least 151 dead

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2022

At least 151 people, mostly teenagers and young adults in their 20s, were killed in a crush when a huge crowd celebrating Halloween surged into an alley in a nightlife area of the South Korean capital Seoul on Saturday night, emergency officials said.

A further 82bpeople were injured in the melee in Seoul’s Itaewon district, Choi Sung-beom, head of the Yongsan Fire Station, said in a briefing at the scene.

Nineteen of the injured were in serious condition and receiving emergency treatment, the officials said, adding the death toll could rise.

It was the first Halloween event in Seoul in three years after the country lifted Covid restrictions and social distancing. Many of the partygoers were wearing masks and Halloween costumes.

“A number of people fell during a Halloween festival, and we have a large number of casualties,” Choi said. Many of those killed were near a nightclub.

Choi said all the deaths were likely from the crush in the single narrow alley.

Many of the victims were women in their twenties, Choi said.

Witnesses described chaotic scenes moments before the stampede, with the police on hand in anticipation of the Halloween event at times having trouble maintaining control of the crowds.

Moon Ju-young, 21, said there were clear signs of trouble in the alleys before the incident.

“It was at least more than 10 times crowded than usual,” he said.

Social media footage showed hundreds of people packed in the narrow, sloped alley crushed and immobile as emergency officials and police tried to pull them free.

Other footage showed chaotic scenes of fire officials and citizens treating dozens of people who appeared to be unconscious.

Fire officials and witnesses said people continued to pour into the narrow alley that was already packed wall-to-wall, when those at the top of the sloped street fell, sending people below them toppling over others.

An unnamed woman who said she was the mother of a survivor said her daughter and others were trapped for more than an hour before being pulled from the crush of people in the alley.

A Reuters witness said a makeshift morgue was set up in a building adjacent to the scene. About four dozen bodies were carried out later on wheeled stretchers and moved to a government facility to identify the victims, according to the witness.

“We came here around 10:00 p.m., then we saw a scene from a movie in front of the hotel over there, like things happening during a war. It was indeed happening. They were doing CPR here and there and people were rushing in as if nothing was being controlled. It was completely out of control,” Park Jung-hoon, 21, told Reuters from the scene.

Another witness said there was a “lack of preparation” by authorities.

“Seeing this incident, I think the police were not prepared enough. There were way too many people and it was too crowded. I know the policemen and rescue workers are working hard, but I would say there was a lack of preparation,” said 21-year-old witness Moon Ju-young.

Two foreigners were among the dead, and others were transferred to nearby hospitals.

US President Joe Biden and his wife sent their condolences and wrote: “We grieve with the people of the Republic of Korea and send our best wishes for a quick recovery to all those who were injured.” read more

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak tweeted: “All our thoughts are with those currently responding and all South Koreans at this very distressing time.”

With the easing of the Covid pandemic, curfews on bars and restaurants and a limit of 10 people for private gatherings were lifted in April. An outdoor mask mandate was dropped in May.

Authorities said they were investigating the exact cause of the incident.

The disaster is among the country’s deadliest since a 2014 ferry sinking that killed 304 people, mainly high school students.

The sinking of the Sewol, and criticism of the official response, sent shockwaves across South Korea and prompted widespread soul-searching over safety measures in the country that are likely to be renewed in the wake of Saturday’s crush.

President Yoon Suk-yeol presided over an emergency meeting with senior aides and ordered a task force be set up to secure resources to treat the injured and to launch a thorough investigation into the cause of the disaster.

It was the first Halloween event in Seoul in three years after the country lifted Covid restrictions and social distancing. Some witnesses described the crowd becoming increasingly unruly and agitated as the evening deepened.

The Itaewon district is popular with young South Koreans and expats alike, its dozens of bars and restaurants packed on Saturday for Halloween after businesses had suffered a sharp decline over the three years of the pandemic.

Reuters

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https://www.nationthailand.com/world/middle-east-africa/40021532

Iran’s Guards head warns protesters: ‘Today is last day of riots’

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2022

THE NATION

The head of Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards warned protesters that Saturday (October 29) would be their last day of taking to the streets, in a sign that security forces may intensify their fierce crackdown on unrest sweeping the country.

“Do not come to the streets,” Guards commander Hossein Salami said in some of the toughest language used in the crisis, which Iran’s clerical leadership blames on its foreign enemies including Israel and the United States.
 

Iranians have defied such warnings throughout the popular revolt in which women have played a prominent role. There were more reports of fresh bloodshed and renewed protests on Saturday.

Human rights group Hengaw reported security forces shooting students at a girls’ school in the city of Saqez. In another post, it said security forces opened fire on students at Kurdistan University of Medical Science, in the Kurdistan provincial capital of Sanandaj.

Several students were injured, one of them shot in the head, Hengaw said. Reuters could not verify this report.
 

Iran has been gripped by protests since the death of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police last month, posing one of the boldest challenges to the clerical leadership since the 1979 revolution.

Salami was speaking at a funeral of victims killed in an attack this week claimed by Islamic State. He promised revenge for the attack.
 

THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/world/asia-pacific/40021530

Dozens in cardiac arrest in Itaewon amid Halloween celebrations: officials

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2022

THE NATION

More than 50 people were in cardiac arrest after being crushed in a large crowd in Itaewon, Yongsan-gu, central Seoul, during Halloween festivities on Saturday evening, according to multiple news reports and sources. No deaths were reported as of 1:20 a.m.

korea herald Reported : Authorities say the number of people injured could reach up to 100, many of whom are reportedly women in their 20s.
 

At around 11:30 p.m., rescue workers were conducting CPR on dozens of people that went unconscious near the Hamilton Hotel in Itaewon, reports said. Initial reports said there were around 50 patients experiencing cardiac arrest at the scene.

Fire authorities said they had received 81 reports of people experiencing breathing difficulties, as of 11:30 p.m.

Around 100,000 people were in the entertainment district throughout the day on Saturday to celebrate the first Halloween weekend without mask and social distancing measures since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
 

Following reports of the incident, President Yoon Suk-yeol said, “All related ministries and agencies, led by the minister of public administration and security, should make every effort to promptly provide aid to the victims,” according to Lee Jae-myung, a deputy presidential office spokesperson.

The president also called for safety measures to deal with emergencies that could be triggered at Halloween events taking place throughout the country. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has also decided to return immediately from his business trip in Europe, according to reports.
 

THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/world/middle-east-africa/40021529

Bicycle taxi businesses creating income opportunities for young Zambians

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2022

Xinhua

In the Petauke district of eastern Zambia, bicycles are a popular mode of transport used to ferry people and goods from one place to another.

A visit to Petauke district, located in the eastern part of Zambia, is incomplete without one experiencing the excitement of being on a bicycle.
 

It is because bicycles are a popular mode of transport in the district used to ferry people and goods from one place to another.

But the use of bicycles as taxis did not start because of the need to promote environmental awareness in Petauke, as is the case in many parts of the world. Instead, it was financial challenges that pushed residents to seek out cheaper modes of transport.

Bicycle transport fares in the district are about four to five times cheaper than those of ordinary taxis. The fares start from 3 Zambian Kwacha (about 0.19 U.S. Dollars). Riders earn around 60 Zambian Kwacha (about 3.8 U.S. Dollars) per day.

“I have made it a point to use a bicycle taxi whenever I am going to work or running errands. Doing so has helped me reduce expenses,” said Sara Nyirenda, a 28-year-old Petauke resident.

And Genesis Zulu, who has been in the bicycle transport business for about a year, pointed out that many of the district’s young people have escaped extreme poverty by working as bicycle taxi riders.

“Most of those involved in this business are able to afford necessities. They have even stopped looking for jobs because they use the bicycles to meet financial needs,” he said.

The 24-year-old Zulu explained that the trend of using bicycles as a mode of transport started in Chipata, the capital of Zambia’s Eastern Province, and spread to other districts in the province.

shows bicycle taxi riders waiting for customers in Petauke district, Eastern Province, Zambia.
 

While bicycles for sale are readily available in Petauke, some youths lack resources to buy them. To help young people in such situations, some bicycle traders and owners hire those youths to work as bicycle riders for a specific period, after which they give them bicycles as payment.

Prices of bicycles vary depending on the type and model. However, one can get a considerably good pre-owned utility bicycle with 5000 Zambian Kwacha (about 315 U.S. Dollars).

“I was engaged as a bicycle taxi rider for ten months, after which I was given the very bicycle I was using. It is a common way of acquiring a bicycle for many youths in Petauke,” said Allan Sakala, 27.

Sakala revealed that he has been a bicycle rider for about two years and is now looking forward to owning a fleet of bicycles to empower younger youths.

Civic leaders observed that the use of bicycles for transport has not only created employment for many youths in the district but also enhanced Petauke district’s environmental awareness programs.

“Studies show that places, which encourage using bicycles as a mode of transport, have cleaner air. This is good for our town,” said Geoffrey Daka, a councilor for Nyakawise ward in Petauke.

Daka further observed that bicycles take up far less parking space than motor vehicles. “Fewer motor vehicles means less congestion in busy trading spaces and more space for people to move about,” he added.

shows a bicycle taxi rider and a passenger in Petauke district, Eastern Province, Zambia.

Xinhua

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https://www.nationthailand.com/world/asia-pacific/40021522

US Vice President Harris to face off with Putin at Apec Summit

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2022

US Vice President Kamala Harris will be attending the Apec Summit in Bangkok next month in place of President Joe Biden, the White House announced on Friday (Saturday Thailand time).

Harris will represent the United States at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders Meeting to be held on November 18-19 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre. The summit will be attended by leaders of 21 Asia-Pacific economies. Thailand is this year’s host of Apec.
“The vice president’s participation will underscore the US commitment to economic cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region and she will outline US goals for our Apec host year in 2023,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told a media briefing.
Next year, the US will host the Apec Summit and related meetings for the first time since 2011.
During her visit to Thailand, Harris “will engage with Thai leaders and civil society representatives to reaffirm and strengthen the US-Thai alliance and to discuss our cooperation across a range of issues”, said the spokesperson.

The Bangkok summit is being held amid a global fuel crisis and international sanctions triggered by Russia’s war in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced earlier this month that he had accepted Thailand’s invitation to attend the Apec summit.
May’s Apec meeting in Bangkok ended without the traditional joint communique after a walkout protest by the US and four other countries over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The US and its allies have imposed wide-ranging sanctions on Moscow over its invasion.
The US vice president will be accompanied to Thailand by her husband Douglas Emhoff, who will participate in the Apec spousal programme, according to the spokesperson.
As the first-ever husband of a US vice president, Emhoff is the first person in American history to hold the title of “second gentleman”.
Meanwhile, President Biden will have a busy schedule next month although he is not travelling to Thailand. His visits to Egypt, Cambodia, and Indonesia have been scheduled.
On November 11, Biden will attend the 27th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) in Egypt, according to the White House press secretary.
 

He will then be in Phnom Penh from November 12-13 to participate in the annual US-Asean Summit and the East Asia Summit.
“In Cambodia, he will reaffirm the US’s enduring commitment to Southeast Asia and Asean centrality, building on the success of the historic US-Asean Special Summit in Washington DC. He will underscore the importance of US-Asean cooperation in ensuring security and prosperity in the region, and the well-being of our combined one billion people,” the spokesperson said.
Later, the US president will attend the Group of Twenty (G20) Leaders’ Summit in Bali, Indonesia, from November 13-16.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/world/asia-pacific/40021518

Australian foreign minister in Thailand next week to boost bilateral ties

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2022

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong will be in Thailand on a two-day visit next week to sign pacts and enhance bilateral strategic ties.

She is scheduled to meet Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai on Tuesday to sign the Joint Plan of Action to Implement the Thailand-Australia Strategic Partnership 2022-2025. Don will also host an official dinner for Wong and her team on Tuesday evening.

The “joint plan of action” was developed from a joint declaration of the strategic partnership signed in November 2020, which covers:

• Political cooperation: Military, new forms of security and suppression of transnational crimes, including narcotics and human trafficking.
• Economic cooperation: The bio-circular-green economic model and digital economy.
• Sectoral cooperation: Public health, agriculture, education, science, technology and research, energy, environment and disaster management.

The Foreign Ministry said the Thailand-Australia cooperation will progress in line with Asean, Mekong Sub-Region and related multilateral frameworks to promote collective economic recovery as well as sustainable and inclusive growth.

On Wednesday, Wong is scheduled to pay a courtesy call to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan at Government House.

Also on her agenda is a meeting with Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin during which the two parties will sign a memorandum of understanding on further strengthening cooperation in fighting the trafficking of persons.

Wong will wrap up her visit with a short discussion at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand (FCCT) about Thailand and Australia’s ties and respective roles in the region.
    
This is Wong’s first visit to Thailand since assuming office in May.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/world/us-canada/40021510

Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary meets U.S. Ambassador to discuss APEC Summit preparations

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2022

On October 28, 2022, Thani Thongphakdi, Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs met with Robert F. Godec, Ambassador of the United States to Thailand. 

In attendance were also the Chief of the APEC 2022 Task Force, the Deputy Director-General of the Department of International Economic Affairs and the Deputy Director-General of the Department of American and South Pacific Affairs. 

Both sides had a productive discussion on the preparation for the upcoming APEC Economic Leaders’ Week in November to ensure its smooth running and successful delivery of tangible outcomes, to drive inclusive and sustainable growth for Thailand and APEC. They also stressed the need to ensure continuity of priorities as Thailand hands over the responsibilities to the US as the APEC host next year. 

On this occasion, both sides reaffirmed a shared commitment to further enhance Thailand – U.S. alliance and strategic partnership as well as promote closer cooperation in multi-faceted areas, both at the bilateral and regional levels.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/world/us-canada/40021507

House Speaker Pelosi’s husband in hospital after assault, motive unclear

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2022

Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was “violently assaulted” after a break-in at the couple’s California home early on Friday, her office said in a statement.

“The assailant is in custody and the motivation for the attack is under investigation,” the statement said. “Mr. Pelosi was taken to the hospital, where he is receiving excellent medical care and is expected to make a full recovery.”

The Democratic speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, who is second in line to the presidency, was not at home at the time of the early morning assault.

A San Francisco Police Department spokesperson and a spokesperson for Nancy Pelosi were not immediately available for comment.

The circumstances of the attack were unclear, including how the intruder got into the home.

The assault comes less than two weeks before midterm elections in which control of the House and the Senate is at stake.

Paul Pelosi, 82, who owns a San Francisco-based real estate and venture capital firm, was convicted of a misdemeanour charge of driving under the influence of alcohol after becoming involved in an auto accident in May. He was sentenced to five days in jail in Napa County, California.

Reuters

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https://www.nationthailand.com/world/asean/40021506

Hun Sen to offer support in phone meeting with Ukraine president

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2022

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said he will speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in the next few days if the circumstances do not change.

He mentioned the upcoming phone conference in an October 27 social-media post after distributing rice seeds among farmers in four flood-afflicted provinces.

In his post, Hun Sen said Cambodia is set to host the Asean Summit from November 10-13 before the G20 heads of state meet in Indonesia and Apec leaders converge in Thailand.

“If there are no changes, I will use diplomatic coordination to meet with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the phone in the next few days,” Hun Sen said.

The Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ministry could not be reached for comment.

Earlier this month, Hun Sen announced that Cambodia would not support the Russian referendum to annex Ukrainian regions.

“We do not support – and in fact oppose – the creation of a new state by taking land from a sovereign nation via the use or threat of force,” he said.

In March, Cambodia voted for a UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution demanding an abrupt stop to Russia’s “military operations” in Ukraine.

Royal Academy of Cambodia secretary-general Yang Peou said the meeting between the two leaders is important as Cambodia has announced its opposition to the Russian aggression against Ukraine.

The Kingdom has adopted a policy of permanent neutrality, he said, adding that seeking a solution to peace is necessary and it is important that Cambodia become part of it.

“Cambodia is hosting the Asean Summit and related meetings [in November], and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy may attend [virtually].

“As head of the Cambodian government and chair of Asean, Prime Minister Hun Sen will join some of the largest meetings of regional and global organisations aside from hosting the Asean Summit. They include Asean Plus as well as the Apec and G20 summits,” Peou said.

“Cambodia has a voice that represents many other groups, and will use that voice in numerous meetings.”

Peou added that Cambodia should use its diplomatic powers to address global politics.

Advance discussions such as the upcoming phone call with the embattled Ukrainian leader are important, he said, adding that while the call may not achieve an immediate end to the war, it will make a significant contribution to the diplomatic relationship between Cambodia and Ukraine.

The Phnom Penh Post

Asia News Network