Teenager's Death Raises Toll in Swiss Bar Fire; Other Global News
A teenager who sustained injuries in a New Year's Eve bar fire in a Swiss ski resort has died, raising the death toll to 41, according to the local public prosecutor. The 18-year-old Swiss national died at a hospital in Zurich on January 31, Beatrice Pilloud, the Wallis canton's public prosecutor, said in a statement. No further information was released. The fire occurred at Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, a popular venue for younger people where the drinking age is 16, according to BBC World.
In other news, officials reported that more than 200 people were killed this week in a collapse at the Rubaya coltan mine in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, according to The Guardian. The Rubaya mine produces about 15% of the world's coltan, which is processed into tantalum and used in mobile phones.
Costa Rica is heading to the polls on Sunday in an election dominated by increasing insecurity and warnings of an authoritarian turn, according to The Guardian. Voters will choose a president and 57 members of congress. Laura Fernández, the current president's hardline pick, is expected to win the first round with 40% of the vote, campaigning on a promise of a hard line on security. Crime is a major concern for many voters as criminal groups battle to control lucrative territories.
In Japan, the "living hell" experienced by individuals lured from Japan to North Korea under the promise of a "paradise on Earth" scheme has resurfaced, according to The Guardian. Eiko Kawasaki, who was 17 when she left Japan more than six decades ago, was among tens of thousands of people with Korean heritage who were lured to North Korea. A court has ordered North Korea to pay each plaintiff 20 million yen in compensation. Plaintiffs in the case say they were exploited for labor and cut off from their families for generations.
In Australia, Liberal frontbencher Andrew Bragg warned that the Liberal party risks looking like "a Days of Our Lives episode" if they do not come up with serious policy alternatives, according to The Guardian. This comes amid speculation over when Angus Taylor will attempt to roll leader Sussan Ley. Bragg stated that the Liberals are a serious party and announced a deregulation agenda aimed at cutting red tape.
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