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South Korea has recorded its highest temperature since weather records began more than 100 years ago, as an intense heatwave continues to grip the country and authorities urge people to avoid outdoor activities. The Korea Meteorological Administration said the southeastern city of Yangsan reached 42.5 degrees Celsius on Sunday afternoon, setting a new national temperature record. Yangsan has remained at the centre of the prolonged heatwave, with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius for five consecutive days. Other major cities, including Daegu and Busan, have also experienced temperatures climbing into the upper 30s. The extreme weather has forced many people to seek shelter in air conditioned shopping centres, cafes and other indoor spaces. In Seoul, residents gathered in public places with cooling facilities to escape the dangerous heat. Office worker Ju Dong Yeol said staying outdoors had become almost impossible and that spending time in air conditioned buildings was the only practical way to cope with the soaring temperatures. Authorities have issued emergency heatwave alerts in more than 20 areas across the country. The warning system, introduced this year, is activated when the expected heat index reaches 38 degrees Celsius or when actual temperatures are forecast to climb to at least 39 degrees Celsius. Weather officials advised residents to stop all outdoor activities immediately, remain in cool locations and drink plenty of water to reduce the risk of heat related illnesses. The Korea Meteorological Administration also warned that indoor spaces without air conditioning could become dangerous during the ongoing heatwave. Officials encouraged people, particularly children, older adults and those with health conditions, to use designated cooling centres whenever possible. Weather data show that South Korea has experienced a sharp increase in the number of extremely hot days over recent decades. During the past five years, the country has recorded an average of 19 heatwave days each year, compared with only eight days annually during the 1970s. A heatwave day is officially defined as one in which temperatures reach at least 33 degrees Celsius. The severe weather has also disrupted sporting events. South Korea’s professional baseball league cancelled a second consecutive game in the city of Changwon after temperatures climbed to 39.5 degrees Celsius. The Korea Baseball Organisation said the decision was made to protect the health and safety of players, officials and spectators while the heatwave warning remained in effect. Scientists have repeatedly warned that human induced climate change is making extreme weather events such as heatwaves more frequent and more intense around the world. Experts also point to the return of the El Nino climate pattern this year, which increases sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean and can contribute to unusually hot weather in many regions. South Korea is not alone in facing extreme heat. Several European countries have also experienced prolonged heatwaves this summer, with temperatures rising above 40 degrees Celsius in parts of southern and central Europe. Governments across the region have issued health warnings, battled wildfires and advised residents to avoid outdoor activities during the hottest hours of the day. Italy has also placed many of its major cities under the highest level of heat alert as temperatures continue to rise.

Twelve years after Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 disappeared without a trace, relatives of Chinese passengers returned to a Beijing court seeking answers they say they have been denied for more than a decade. The families insist that financial compensation alone cannot resolve their pain and are urging the court to focus on establishing the truth behind one of aviation’s greatest unsolved mysteries. The appeal comes after a Beijing court ruled in December that Malaysia Airlines should pay compensation of 2.9 million yuan to each of eight Chinese families. While the ruling acknowledged their loss, two families challenged the decision, arguing that it failed to address the airline’s responsibility or explain what happened to the aircraft and the 239 people on board. Flight MH370, a Boeing 777 travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014, disappeared from radar with 239 passengers and crew members. Nearly two thirds of those on board were Chinese nationals. Despite years of international search operations across the Indian Ocean, investigators have never located the aircraft’s main wreckage or recovered its flight recorders, leaving the fate of those on board unknown. The latest court hearing in Beijing was held behind closed doors, but family members gathered outside to express their frustration. Li Eryou, whose son was among the passengers, said the original court ruling left him feeling insulted because it focused only on financial compensation while ignoring the deeper questions surrounding the disappearance. Li said no one had apologized to the families during the past 12 years and argued that the case deserved to be treated as an international tragedy rather than a routine legal dispute. He believes the compensation awarded by the lower court does not reflect the seriousness of the disaster or the emotional suffering experienced by relatives who continue to live without closure. Over the years, aviation experts have proposed several possible explanations for the disappearance. Theories have included deliberate actions by the pilot, hijacking, a missile strike or a technical failure. Another widely discussed possibility suggests that a fire involving electronic equipment may have filled the cabin with smoke, causing everyone on board to lose consciousness before the aircraft continued flying on autopilot until it ran out of fuel and crashed into the Indian Ocean. However, none of these theories has been confirmed because investigators have never recovered enough evidence to determine exactly what happened. The absence of definitive findings has continued to fuel uncertainty and speculation, leaving many families convinced that important questions remain unanswered. Jiang Hui, whose mother was on the missing aircraft, said the appeal is not primarily about receiving more money. Instead, he said the families want the court to establish the facts surrounding the case and examine whether Malaysia Airlines responded appropriately after the aircraft disappeared. According to Jiang, determining responsibility and uncovering the truth are far more important than the compensation itself. People from 14 different countries were on board Flight MH370, including 50 Malaysian passengers and crew members. While legal proceedings continue in China, there are currently no similar cases pending against the airline in Malaysia. Last month, the Malaysian government announced that the search for MH370 would continue until June next year. The renewed operation is being carried out by private exploration company Ocean Infinity, which has previously led several unsuccessful search missions in the southern Indian Ocean. Although earlier efforts failed to locate the aircraft, relatives remain hopeful that new technology and expanded search areas could finally provide long awaited answers. Jiang welcomed Malaysia’s decision to extend the search and urged authorities to allow families to organize their own independent search missions alongside official efforts. For many relatives, discovering what happened to Flight MH370 remains their greatest priority, believing that only the truth can finally bring closure after more than a decade of uncertainty.

Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has announced plans to return to her home country in December, despite facing a death sentence following her conviction for crimes against humanity. Speaking via audio broadcast to journalists at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in Delhi, her first direct address to the press since being ousted in August 2024, the 78-year-old former leader acknowledged the grave risks associated with her return. “I know that they may put me in jail or they may kill me, anything may happen, but still I have to go back.” Hasina stated, while declining to reveal specific travel dates or logistics. Hasina fled to India two years ago following a mass student-led uprising that ended her 15-year rule. Last year, a special tribunal in Dhaka sentenced her to death in absentia after prosecutors presented evidence, including verified audio recordings, showing she authorised the use of lethal force against demonstrators. UN reports estimate that up to 1,400 people were killed during the crackdown. Hasina continues to reject the charges as politically motivated, alleging that external groups transformed student protests over government job quotas into a violent movement. The announcement has heightened diplomatic tensions between New Delhi and Dhaka. Bangladesh’s newly elected government, led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), expressed outrage over India permitting Hasina to address international media, renewing its demands for her immediate extradition. Meanwhile, analysts suggest Hasina’s high-stakes gamble aims to re-energise her banned party, the Awami League, whose supporters face increasing political isolation and violence ahead of her proposed return.