While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Nov 9, 2025
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New Zealand firefighters resumed battling an out-of-control wildfire in Tongariro National Park on Nov 9.
SCREENSHOT: RNZ/OUTDOOR ACCESS
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Firefighters battle 1,000ha New Zealand park blaze
New Zealand firefighters have resumed battling an out-of-control wildfire in a national park in New Zealand’s central North Island, which is now estimated to cover over 1,000 hectares, Fire and Emergency New Zealand said on Nov 9.
Firefighters began battling the fire in Tongariro National Park, a popular hiking spot, on the afternoon of Nov 8 and around 40 hikers had to be airlifted to safety.
However, firefighting efforts were suspended overnight for safety reasons.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand assistant commander Nick West said in a statement the fire had grown overnight. There are no reports of structures being damaged or more people being evacuated.
Mother of Thai girl forced into sex work detained
PHOTO: AFP
Taiwanese police on Nov 8 detained a woman who allegedly forced her 12-year-old daughter into sex work at a massage parlour in Tokyo, Taiwan’s National Immigration Agency said.
A source close to Taiwan’s investigation said the woman was held for her suspected involvement in prostitution in Taiwan. She entered Taiwan in September, according to the immigration agency.
A Japanese man was arrested earlier in the week, on suspicion of employing the girl that the Thai woman took to Japan in June to work at his private-room massage parlour.
Spongy, huge: A spider web unlike any seen before
PHOTO: SUBTERRANEAN BIOLOGY
Even in a pitch-black cave, what appears to be the world’s largest spider web is hard to miss.
It stretches for about 1,140 sq ft, about the size of a small home, hanging in a low and narrow passage in a cave spanning the border between Albania and Greece.
But what scientists recently found in Sulphur Cave, a network of rooms and passages carved from limestone by the Sarantaporos River, surprised them even more than the size of the web.
Djokovic edges Musetti to win 101st career title
PHOTO: REUTERS
Novak Djokovic won the 101st title of his career when he came from behind to beat Lorenzo Musetti 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the final of the ATP event in Athens on Nov 8.
The Serb is one of just three men to have racked up a century of titles - he still needs two to equal Roger Federer’s 103 while Jimmy Connors heads the list with 109.
At 38 years and five months old, the 24-time Grand Slam winner is the oldest tournament winner since Australia’s Ken Rosewall, who was 43 when he won in Hong Kong in 1977.
Rybakina scorches Sabalenka for WTA Finals crown
Elena Rybakina capped a flawless week at the WTA Finals by stunning world number one Aryna Sabalenka 6-3 7-6(0) in the final on Nov 8 for her first trophy in the season-ending championships and a record US$5.235 million (S$6.8 million) in prize money.
In a rematch of the 2023 Australian Open title clash won by Sabalenka, it was Rybakina who made early inroads with a barrage of powerful winners to shrug off concerns over a sore shoulder and break for a 4-2 lead in the opening set.
The ice-cool world number six rallied from 15-40 down in the seventh game to tighten her hold and secure the set with more bold ball striking from both flanks, leaving 2022 finalist Sabalenka with a mountain to climb.
