Coastguard plane in Japan airport crash mistook taxi instruction for runway clearance
By Kyodo
Flight voice recordings from a Japan coastguard plane involved in a fatal collision were released on Wednesday, reinforcing the view that its crew likely erroneously believed the aircraft was allowed to enter the runway when it was hit by a Japan Airlines jetliner at Tokyo’s Haneda airport in January.
The co-pilot correctly repeated the airport traffic controller’s instruction to taxi to a holding point where it would await clearance to enter the runway. But subsequent exchanges among the crew suggest they believed they had been given permission to enter, according to a Japan Transport Safety Board report.
According to the report, a traffic controller told the coastguard plane that it was “No 1” in the order of take-off and instructed it to “taxi to holding point C5.” The co-pilot responded, “Taxi to holding point C5,” and it was “No 1.”
The plane’s captain also repeated “No 1” and “C5” and instructed the co-pilot to proceed with preparations for departure. The aircraft then entered the runway.
Based on the content of voice recorders retrieved from the January 2 accident, the only talk on board the plane was about their mission to help the people affected by the magnitude-7.6 earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula and surrounding areas on the Sea of Japan coast the previous day, it said.
The collision killed five of the six people aboard the coastguard’s Bombardier DHC8-300, while all 379 people aboard the JAL Airbus A350 escaped despite flames engulfing the plane.
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By Kyodo
Flight voice recordings from a Japan coastguard plane involved in a fatal collision were released on Wednesday, reinforcing the view that its crew likely erroneously believed the aircraft was allowed to enter the runway when it was hit by a Japan Airlines jetliner at Tokyo’s Haneda airport in January.
The co-pilot correctly repeated the airport traffic controller’s instruction to taxi to a holding point where it would await clearance to enter the runway. But subsequent exchanges among the crew suggest they believed they had been given permission to enter, according to a Japan Transport Safety Board report.
According to the report, a traffic controller told the coastguard plane that it was “No 1” in the order of take-off and instructed it to “taxi to holding point C5.” The co-pilot responded, “Taxi to holding point C5,” and it was “No 1.”
The plane’s captain also repeated “No 1” and “C5” and instructed the co-pilot to proceed with preparations for departure. The aircraft then entered the runway.
Based on the content of voice recorders retrieved from the January 2 accident, the only talk on board the plane was about their mission to help the people affected by the magnitude-7.6 earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula and surrounding areas on the Sea of Japan coast the previous day, it said.
The collision killed five of the six people aboard the coastguard’s Bombardier DHC8-300, while all 379 people aboard the JAL Airbus A350 escaped despite flames engulfing the plane.
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Disruptions, mid-air blunders highlighted the year for Hong Kong aviation
By Oscar Liu
Hong Kong’s aviation sector navigated a turbulent year in 2024 as it tried to recuperate from the pandemic and underwent a series of dramas mid-air.
From a broken toilet door during a flight to an Airbus A350 engine fire and a global Microsoft outage disrupting operations at Hong Kong International Airport, the Post looks back at the downs in 2024.
Cathay Pacific Airways cancelled almost 800 flights between December 2023 and February 2024 due to pilot illnesses and recruitment challenges. It drew backlash from authorities for poor crew planning, causing frustration for travellers attempting to reschedule flights and for pilots navigating what they perceived as chaotic roster arrangements.
The city’s flag carrier also cancelled 90 flights and conducted inspections and repairs on its 48-strong Airbus A350 aircraft after the engine of a Zurich-bound flight caught fire in September. The issue stemmed from a fuel nozzle failure in a Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engine.
Cathay’s budget carrier HK Express told two visually impaired passengers to deboard a Tokyo-bound flight in May, triggering criticism from the Hong Kong Blind Union which called the move “insulting”.
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By Oscar Liu
Hong Kong’s aviation sector navigated a turbulent year in 2024 as it tried to recuperate from the pandemic and underwent a series of dramas mid-air.
From a broken toilet door during a flight to an Airbus A350 engine fire and a global Microsoft outage disrupting operations at Hong Kong International Airport, the Post looks back at the downs in 2024.
Cathay Pacific Airways cancelled almost 800 flights between December 2023 and February 2024 due to pilot illnesses and recruitment challenges. It drew backlash from authorities for poor crew planning, causing frustration for travellers attempting to reschedule flights and for pilots navigating what they perceived as chaotic roster arrangements.
The city’s flag carrier also cancelled 90 flights and conducted inspections and repairs on its 48-strong Airbus A350 aircraft after the engine of a Zurich-bound flight caught fire in September. The issue stemmed from a fuel nozzle failure in a Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engine.
Cathay’s budget carrier HK Express told two visually impaired passengers to deboard a Tokyo-bound flight in May, triggering criticism from the Hong Kong Blind Union which called the move “insulting”.
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‘Undercover Grinch’ captures suspected drug dealers in Peru
By Ayman Ragab
A Peruvian police officer dressed as the Christmas character Grinch led a police operation in Lima to dismantle a drug trafficking gang on December 20, 2024.
The agent, dressed up as the famous character created by author Dr Seuss, entered the home of a family of suspected drug dealers in San Bartolo, southern Lima.
The police unit often dresses its agents as famous characters while carrying out operations during the holiday season, such as Halloween and Christmas.
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By Ayman Ragab
A Peruvian police officer dressed as the Christmas character Grinch led a police operation in Lima to dismantle a drug trafficking gang on December 20, 2024.
The agent, dressed up as the famous character created by author Dr Seuss, entered the home of a family of suspected drug dealers in San Bartolo, southern Lima.
The police unit often dresses its agents as famous characters while carrying out operations during the holiday season, such as Halloween and Christmas.
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EU tariffs slow Chinese EV exports, Geely looks to expand in Asia: 7 EV reads
By SCMP
We have put together stories from our coverage on electric and new energy vehicles from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.
The value of China’s electric vehicle exports plunged last month to their lowest level since July 2022, driven by tariff challenges in Europe, large declines in shipments to emerging markets and intensified price cuts.
China’s car exports are likely to hit a speed bump in 2025 as leading EV players absorb additional tariffs from the European Union, the biggest overseas market where mainland-made cars enjoy a healthy profit margin.
China’s automotive industry will need components and software worth 2.6 trillion yuan (US$356.2 billion) a year by 2030 amid mainland buyers’ surging interest in smart cars with autonomous driving systems and digital cockpits even as a brutal price war envelops the industry.
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By SCMP
We have put together stories from our coverage on electric and new energy vehicles from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.
The value of China’s electric vehicle exports plunged last month to their lowest level since July 2022, driven by tariff challenges in Europe, large declines in shipments to emerging markets and intensified price cuts.
China’s car exports are likely to hit a speed bump in 2025 as leading EV players absorb additional tariffs from the European Union, the biggest overseas market where mainland-made cars enjoy a healthy profit margin.
China’s automotive industry will need components and software worth 2.6 trillion yuan (US$356.2 billion) a year by 2030 amid mainland buyers’ surging interest in smart cars with autonomous driving systems and digital cockpits even as a brutal price war envelops the industry.
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Chinese satellite posed no danger but gave US observers ‘spectacular’ light show
By Ling Xin
The re-entry of what is believed to be a defunct Chinese satellite over US skies last week created a spectacular light show but posed no real danger, according to space experts, who also said the event was unintentional.
A giant fireball that was spotted piercing the atmosphere in a giant fireball above Louisiana at around 10pm local time on Saturday was probably the remains of a Gaojing SuperView 1-02, a high-resolution commercial imaging satellite, they said.
A social media user captured a video of the event, taken while he was outside his Prairieville home with friends. “What is that? “Wow. This was real. Just happened at 22:08 CST Louisiana. Meteor shower,” he posted.
“It was crazy. Took us off guard by the fire,” he added later. Observers across social media continued to report sightings as the fireball streaked northward, illuminating the skies over Mississippi, Arkansas, and Missouri.
Jonathan McDowell, a Harvard astronomer and satellite tracker, saw the posts and identified the event as a space debris re-entry. Checking the US Space Force’s tracking data for possible candidates, he found a match with the Gaojing 1-02 orbit.
Gaojing 1-02 weighed 560kg (1,234.5 pounds) and was operational from late 2016 to early 2023, at an altitude of 530km (329 miles) where it captured high-resolution images for resource surveys, environmental monitoring, and mapping in China.
The satellite, which was decommissioned two years ago, had no active manoeuvring capability and it was not possible to target a specific landing location, McDowell said. No reports of debris recovery have emerged since its re-entry.
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By Ling Xin
The re-entry of what is believed to be a defunct Chinese satellite over US skies last week created a spectacular light show but posed no real danger, according to space experts, who also said the event was unintentional.
A giant fireball that was spotted piercing the atmosphere in a giant fireball above Louisiana at around 10pm local time on Saturday was probably the remains of a Gaojing SuperView 1-02, a high-resolution commercial imaging satellite, they said.
A social media user captured a video of the event, taken while he was outside his Prairieville home with friends. “What is that? “Wow. This was real. Just happened at 22:08 CST Louisiana. Meteor shower,” he posted.
“It was crazy. Took us off guard by the fire,” he added later. Observers across social media continued to report sightings as the fireball streaked northward, illuminating the skies over Mississippi, Arkansas, and Missouri.
Jonathan McDowell, a Harvard astronomer and satellite tracker, saw the posts and identified the event as a space debris re-entry. Checking the US Space Force’s tracking data for possible candidates, he found a match with the Gaojing 1-02 orbit.
Gaojing 1-02 weighed 560kg (1,234.5 pounds) and was operational from late 2016 to early 2023, at an altitude of 530km (329 miles) where it captured high-resolution images for resource surveys, environmental monitoring, and mapping in China.
The satellite, which was decommissioned two years ago, had no active manoeuvring capability and it was not possible to target a specific landing location, McDowell said. No reports of debris recovery have emerged since its re-entry.
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Will India’s undersea cable overhaul make it a global data powerhouse?
By Vasudevan Sridharan
With several advanced undersea cable systems poised to go live by 2025, India is positioning itself as a major player in global data infrastructure, bolstering its technological clout amid growing concerns over the security of these networks.
Multiple next-generation systems – including IAX, IEX, 2Africa Pearl, Blue Raman and MIST – are due to become operational by 2025, replacing ageing cables nearing the end of their 25-year lifespans.
These cables will connect different locations in India to over a dozen countries across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia via crucial sea routes.
Global tech giants Google and Meta, along with Indian powerhouses Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, are driving the expansion of these systems amid soaring demand for data services, the rise of artificial intelligence and a flourishing data centre market.
“These cable systems undoubtedly bolster India’s geopolitical play by creating ready-to-use information superhighways across multiple countries,” said Suvesh Chattopadhyaya, an independent telecom consultant and undersea cable industry veteran, told this Week in Asia
Undersea cables are fibre-optic lines laid on the ocean floor, connecting continents and forming the foundation of modern digital infrastructure. They are estimated to handle around US$10 trillion in financial transactions daily.
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By Vasudevan Sridharan
With several advanced undersea cable systems poised to go live by 2025, India is positioning itself as a major player in global data infrastructure, bolstering its technological clout amid growing concerns over the security of these networks.
Multiple next-generation systems – including IAX, IEX, 2Africa Pearl, Blue Raman and MIST – are due to become operational by 2025, replacing ageing cables nearing the end of their 25-year lifespans.
These cables will connect different locations in India to over a dozen countries across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia via crucial sea routes.
Global tech giants Google and Meta, along with Indian powerhouses Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, are driving the expansion of these systems amid soaring demand for data services, the rise of artificial intelligence and a flourishing data centre market.
“These cable systems undoubtedly bolster India’s geopolitical play by creating ready-to-use information superhighways across multiple countries,” said Suvesh Chattopadhyaya, an independent telecom consultant and undersea cable industry veteran, told this Week in Asia
Undersea cables are fibre-optic lines laid on the ocean floor, connecting continents and forming the foundation of modern digital infrastructure. They are estimated to handle around US$10 trillion in financial transactions daily.
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How ‘made in China’ became trendy, thanks to Labubu toy’s Asia-wide success
By Mandy Zuo
What was the hottest toy in Asia this year? For many, the answer is a quirky, rubber-coated plush character with pointy ears, devilish eyes, jagged teeth and a mischievous grin.
Labubu, designed by Hong Kong-born Kasing Lung and made by Pop Mart, China’s leading retailer of trendy toys, has captured the hearts of fans across the continent with its unusual and eye-catching design.
Pop Mart, the “largest and fastest-growing enterprise in the trendy toy industry” according to a report by Guosen Securities released at the end of last month, has witnessed double-digit sales growth in China and triple-digit growth in international markets in the past year.
Labubu and other mystery collectibles, often kept in sealed packaging known as blind boxes, are helping to reshape the global perception of “made in China” products. Instead of being seen as cheap, mass-produced items, the toys are gaining global recognition for their unique designs, brand power, and their ability to tap into emerging consumer trends.
At a Pop Mart store in Shanghai’s Xuhui district, one customer said she had finally managed to buy a Labubu set after months of waiting.
“I could never get one when the stock was replenished online because so many people rushed to buy at the same time,” she said. “Today, I finally got one at an official store, and I’m so happy!”
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By Mandy Zuo
What was the hottest toy in Asia this year? For many, the answer is a quirky, rubber-coated plush character with pointy ears, devilish eyes, jagged teeth and a mischievous grin.
Labubu, designed by Hong Kong-born Kasing Lung and made by Pop Mart, China’s leading retailer of trendy toys, has captured the hearts of fans across the continent with its unusual and eye-catching design.
Pop Mart, the “largest and fastest-growing enterprise in the trendy toy industry” according to a report by Guosen Securities released at the end of last month, has witnessed double-digit sales growth in China and triple-digit growth in international markets in the past year.
Labubu and other mystery collectibles, often kept in sealed packaging known as blind boxes, are helping to reshape the global perception of “made in China” products. Instead of being seen as cheap, mass-produced items, the toys are gaining global recognition for their unique designs, brand power, and their ability to tap into emerging consumer trends.
At a Pop Mart store in Shanghai’s Xuhui district, one customer said she had finally managed to buy a Labubu set after months of waiting.
“I could never get one when the stock was replenished online because so many people rushed to buy at the same time,” she said. “Today, I finally got one at an official store, and I’m so happy!”
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As Trudeau battles political crisis, Canada’s regional leaders court Trump to avert trade war
By Bloomberg
Although Canada faces a major trade war with the US as soon as president-elect Donald Trump enters office in less than a month, Justin Trudeau has been distracted by a leadership crisis that could topple him as prime minister.
The situation has Canada’s regional leaders hopping on flights to influence the incoming Trump administration themselves.
For Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai, that led to chewing the fat with the president-elect’s eldest son, Donald J. Trump Jnr, over meals of black bear spring rolls, turkey, deer and oysters at a hunting lodge in North Carolina.
Don Jnr, as he is often called, has frequented the Yukon for hunting trips, a passion Pillai shares. And the Trumps have ties to the region. More than a century ago, Donald Trump Snr’s grandfather Friedrich Trump capitalised on the Yukon gold rush with a restaurant, bar and brothel in a remote town close to the northern territory’s border.
“I made sure that I brought him, Don, some clothing, because I wanted to remind him that the Trump family businesses were Yukon-built,” Pillai said by phone. The two first met at a conference in Nevada a few months prior.
Pillai said the conversations were “incredibly positive” and an opportunity to “share some data points” and argue that the US-Canada trading deficit that stokes the president-elect’s ire “is only because we’re sending raw materials to them, and they’re creating jobs and value from that”.
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By Bloomberg
Although Canada faces a major trade war with the US as soon as president-elect Donald Trump enters office in less than a month, Justin Trudeau has been distracted by a leadership crisis that could topple him as prime minister.
The situation has Canada’s regional leaders hopping on flights to influence the incoming Trump administration themselves.
For Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai, that led to chewing the fat with the president-elect’s eldest son, Donald J. Trump Jnr, over meals of black bear spring rolls, turkey, deer and oysters at a hunting lodge in North Carolina.
Don Jnr, as he is often called, has frequented the Yukon for hunting trips, a passion Pillai shares. And the Trumps have ties to the region. More than a century ago, Donald Trump Snr’s grandfather Friedrich Trump capitalised on the Yukon gold rush with a restaurant, bar and brothel in a remote town close to the northern territory’s border.
“I made sure that I brought him, Don, some clothing, because I wanted to remind him that the Trump family businesses were Yukon-built,” Pillai said by phone. The two first met at a conference in Nevada a few months prior.
Pillai said the conversations were “incredibly positive” and an opportunity to “share some data points” and argue that the US-Canada trading deficit that stokes the president-elect’s ire “is only because we’re sending raw materials to them, and they’re creating jobs and value from that”.
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Former Taiwan leader emphasises shared historical roots of island and mainland Chinese
By Lawrence Chung
Former Taiwanese leader Ma Ying-jeou has vowed to protect the island’s deep-rooted cultural and historical ties with mainland China while accusing the ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) of having a “misguided political agenda” in attempting to sever these links.
“In the past several decades, Taiwan has played a vital role in preserving and promoting Chinese culture. But today, Chinese culture in Taiwan faces an unprecedented crisis,” Ma said at a seminar in Chengdu, Sichuan province, on Monday. “The DPP’s political manipulations have steered Taiwan in the wrong direction of de-sinicisation.”
The seminar, held at Chengdu’s renowned Du Fu Thatched Cottage in the southwestern province, was co-hosted by the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation, the mainland’s Taiwan Affairs Office’s (TAO) Centre for Cross-Strait Research and Sichuan University.
It brought together high-ranking mainland officials, including TAO director Song Tao, academics and participants from both sides of the Taiwan Strait to discuss preserving Chinese cultural heritage.
In his speech, Ma highlighted the linguistic, cultural and historical commonalities shared across the strait, emphasising that people on both sides were descendants of Emperor Yan and the Yellow Emperor.
“Chinese civilisation is the world’s only ancient culture to have endured 5,000 years without interruption,” he said. “This is a testament to the combined efforts across the strait that have ensured Chinese culture not only survives but continues to thrive.”
Ma highlighted the core values of Chinese culture, including reverence for history, gratitude and a deep sense of heritage. These traditions, he argued, had been the cornerstone of Chinese resilience over millennia.
“Most Taiwanese people maintain a strong sense of identity with Chinese culture and the Chinese nation,” Ma asserted. “Any attempts by the DPP to promote de-sinicisation are bound to fail because Chinese culture is deeply rooted in the bloodline of its people.”
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By Lawrence Chung
Former Taiwanese leader Ma Ying-jeou has vowed to protect the island’s deep-rooted cultural and historical ties with mainland China while accusing the ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) of having a “misguided political agenda” in attempting to sever these links.
“In the past several decades, Taiwan has played a vital role in preserving and promoting Chinese culture. But today, Chinese culture in Taiwan faces an unprecedented crisis,” Ma said at a seminar in Chengdu, Sichuan province, on Monday. “The DPP’s political manipulations have steered Taiwan in the wrong direction of de-sinicisation.”
The seminar, held at Chengdu’s renowned Du Fu Thatched Cottage in the southwestern province, was co-hosted by the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation, the mainland’s Taiwan Affairs Office’s (TAO) Centre for Cross-Strait Research and Sichuan University.
It brought together high-ranking mainland officials, including TAO director Song Tao, academics and participants from both sides of the Taiwan Strait to discuss preserving Chinese cultural heritage.
In his speech, Ma highlighted the linguistic, cultural and historical commonalities shared across the strait, emphasising that people on both sides were descendants of Emperor Yan and the Yellow Emperor.
“Chinese civilisation is the world’s only ancient culture to have endured 5,000 years without interruption,” he said. “This is a testament to the combined efforts across the strait that have ensured Chinese culture not only survives but continues to thrive.”
Ma highlighted the core values of Chinese culture, including reverence for history, gratitude and a deep sense of heritage. These traditions, he argued, had been the cornerstone of Chinese resilience over millennia.
“Most Taiwanese people maintain a strong sense of identity with Chinese culture and the Chinese nation,” Ma asserted. “Any attempts by the DPP to promote de-sinicisation are bound to fail because Chinese culture is deeply rooted in the bloodline of its people.”
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‘Very worrying’: record 78% of people in Japan feel anxious, survey shows
By Julian Ryall
A record high 78.2 per cent of Japanese people are anxious about their lives, according to a government survey, with the economy, rising prices, uncertain job prospects and the state of the world cited as reasons for their disquiet.
The percentage of Japanese expressing concern about their day-to-day lives is the highest since the Cabinet Office started conducting the annual survey in 1981 and up from 75.9 per cent last year, while the survey also revealed that a growing number feel their standard of living is declining.
Nearly 64 per cent of the 1,831 people who responded to the survey said they were worried about their health, with 62.8 per cent saying they were fearful about how they would manage after retirement. The study, released on Friday, also showed that 58 per cent were concerned about their future income and savings.
Some 64.5 per cent said they were unhappy with their incomes, down 3.5 percentage points from last year, with just 34.9 per cent happy with how much they were earning, although that figure was a 3.5 percentage point improvement on the December 2023 survey.
Asked where they estimate they are on a standard of living scale, 1.7 per cent said they were in the top echelon of Japanese society, the same as last year, while 14.2 per cent said they were in the top of the middle class, down from 14.7 per cent one year ago.
Some 46.3 per cent said they were in the middle of the middle class, down from 46.7 per cent last year, while 28.1 per cent said they were in the lower middle class, a decline from 25.5 per cent. Those identifying as being in the lowest class of Japanese society went from 8.1 per cent last year to 8.7 per cent in the most recent study.
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By Julian Ryall
A record high 78.2 per cent of Japanese people are anxious about their lives, according to a government survey, with the economy, rising prices, uncertain job prospects and the state of the world cited as reasons for their disquiet.
The percentage of Japanese expressing concern about their day-to-day lives is the highest since the Cabinet Office started conducting the annual survey in 1981 and up from 75.9 per cent last year, while the survey also revealed that a growing number feel their standard of living is declining.
Nearly 64 per cent of the 1,831 people who responded to the survey said they were worried about their health, with 62.8 per cent saying they were fearful about how they would manage after retirement. The study, released on Friday, also showed that 58 per cent were concerned about their future income and savings.
Some 64.5 per cent said they were unhappy with their incomes, down 3.5 percentage points from last year, with just 34.9 per cent happy with how much they were earning, although that figure was a 3.5 percentage point improvement on the December 2023 survey.
Asked where they estimate they are on a standard of living scale, 1.7 per cent said they were in the top echelon of Japanese society, the same as last year, while 14.2 per cent said they were in the top of the middle class, down from 14.7 per cent one year ago.
Some 46.3 per cent said they were in the middle of the middle class, down from 46.7 per cent last year, while 28.1 per cent said they were in the lower middle class, a decline from 25.5 per cent. Those identifying as being in the lowest class of Japanese society went from 8.1 per cent last year to 8.7 per cent in the most recent study.
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Israel says Rafah military operations led to killing of 6 Gaza hostages by Hamas
By Agence France-Presse
The Israeli army said on Tuesday it had concluded that military operations in southern Gaza likely led to the killing by Hamas of six hostages in August.
As the fighting churns on, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, said that an Israeli delegation returned from a “significant” round of talks in Qatar aiming to secure a truce and the release of dozens of hostages still held in the Gaza Strip.
In late August, after troops found the six hostages’ bodies in an underground shaft in Rafah, the military said they were killed just before soldiers reached them.
Netanyahu said at the time that the six – Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi and Ori Danino – were “executed” with a bullet “to the head”.
The military probe into their deaths found that Israeli “ground activities in the area, although gradual and cautious, had a circumstantial influence on the terrorists’ decision to murder the six hostages”, the army said in a statement on Tuesday.
It said that “based on the investigation, the hostages were murdered by gunfire from Hamas terrorists” while Israeli forces were operating in the Tel al-Sultan area.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum campaign group responded to the army’s statement by calling for action to bring back all remaining hostages.
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By Agence France-Presse
The Israeli army said on Tuesday it had concluded that military operations in southern Gaza likely led to the killing by Hamas of six hostages in August.
As the fighting churns on, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, said that an Israeli delegation returned from a “significant” round of talks in Qatar aiming to secure a truce and the release of dozens of hostages still held in the Gaza Strip.
In late August, after troops found the six hostages’ bodies in an underground shaft in Rafah, the military said they were killed just before soldiers reached them.
Netanyahu said at the time that the six – Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi and Ori Danino – were “executed” with a bullet “to the head”.
The military probe into their deaths found that Israeli “ground activities in the area, although gradual and cautious, had a circumstantial influence on the terrorists’ decision to murder the six hostages”, the army said in a statement on Tuesday.
It said that “based on the investigation, the hostages were murdered by gunfire from Hamas terrorists” while Israeli forces were operating in the Tel al-Sultan area.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum campaign group responded to the army’s statement by calling for action to bring back all remaining hostages.
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Call for Hong Kong to subsidise smart trackers for dementia sufferers
By Fiona Sun
Experts and groups dedicated to helping people with dementia in Hong Kong have called for more community and technological support to prevent sufferers from going missing in wake of recent tragedies involving those with the illness.
Technologies such as smart tracking devices had become an increasingly useful tool in protecting dementia patients from getting lost, they said, calling for more resources to boost their popularity.
The Post found that at least four elderly residents with dementia were reported missing by media and authorities between August and this month.
Among the recent tragedies was a case involving a 72-year-old Pakistani man who was found dead next to Tuen Mun Road earlier this month after being missing for six days. A source said he had dementia.
Initial investigations suggested the man could have fallen from the adjacent 30-metre (98-foot) slope and hit a hard object.
The Post also found that at least five dementia sufferers, all aged above 60, were reported missing by media and authorities in 2023.
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By Fiona Sun
Experts and groups dedicated to helping people with dementia in Hong Kong have called for more community and technological support to prevent sufferers from going missing in wake of recent tragedies involving those with the illness.
Technologies such as smart tracking devices had become an increasingly useful tool in protecting dementia patients from getting lost, they said, calling for more resources to boost their popularity.
The Post found that at least four elderly residents with dementia were reported missing by media and authorities between August and this month.
Among the recent tragedies was a case involving a 72-year-old Pakistani man who was found dead next to Tuen Mun Road earlier this month after being missing for six days. A source said he had dementia.
Initial investigations suggested the man could have fallen from the adjacent 30-metre (98-foot) slope and hit a hard object.
The Post also found that at least five dementia sufferers, all aged above 60, were reported missing by media and authorities in 2023.
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