World News Roundup: Emergency calls reveal growing desperation before South Korea Halloween crush; South Korea vows tough action, moving to quell anger over Halloween crush and more

The transcripts of emergency calls released by the police showed the first warning of a possible deadly surge was made at 6:34 p.m. on Saturday, roughly four hours before the crush turned deadly. South Korea vows tough action, moving to quell anger over Halloween crush South Korea moved to calm public outrage on Tuesday over a Halloween party crush that killed more than 150 people, most of them young, promising a speedy and intensive inquiry and calling for tough new safety measures to prevent similar disasters.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Emergency calls reveal growing desperation before South Korea Halloween crush

Transcripts of the 11 emergency calls made in the hours and minutes before a Halloween party crush killed more than 150 people in Seoul reveal the growing fear of revellers and how they had urged the police to intervene. The transcripts of emergency calls released by the police showed the first warning of a possible deadly surge was made at 6:34 p.m. on Saturday, roughly four hours before the crush turned deadly.

South Korea vows tough action, moving to quell anger over Halloween crush

South Korea moved to calm public outrage on Tuesday over a Halloween party crush that killed more than 150 people, most of them young, promising a speedy and intensive inquiry and calling for tough new safety measures to prevent similar disasters. The death toll from the crush at a crowded Halloween street party on Saturday climbed to 156 with 151 injured, 29 of whom were in serious condition. At least 26 citizens from 14 countries were among the dead.

Israel election: what could happen

Israelis are voting in their fifth election in four years in a tight race that pits centrist Prime Minister Yair Lapid against right-wing former premier Benjamin Netanyahu, with an array of smaller parties that will set the shape of the next government. Polls suggest Netanyahu's Likud party and its allies from the far-right Religious Zionism party and the religious United Torah Judaism and Shas parties could win 59-60 seats, leaving him just shy of a majority in the 120-seat Knesset.

Finland urges Turkey, Hungary to swiftly approve Swedish, Finnish NATO bids

Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin on Tuesday urged Hungary and Turkey to swiftly approve the Swedish and Finnish applications for membership of the NATO defence alliance. Hungary and Turkey are the only two remaining NATO members to not yet have ratified the applications.

Iran university students strike, piling pressure on rulers

Iranian university students pressed ahead with sit-down strikes on Tuesday in support of some of the biggest protests since the 1979 revolution, ignoring harsh warnings by elite security forces and a bloody crackdown. The Islamic Republic has faced sustained anti-government demonstrations since Iranian-Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini died in the custody of the morality police seven weeks ago after she was arrested for wearing clothes deemed "inappropriate".

Israel election tightly poised as Netanyahu bids for comeback

Israelis began voting for the fifth time in less than four years on Tuesday, with former premier Benjamin Netanyahu bidding for a comeback in a race likely to turn on a far-right party that has risen from the fringe to become a potential coalition kingmaker. After years of deadlock, voter exasperation may hurt turnout, but surging support for the ultra-nationalist Religious Zionism bloc and firebrand co-leader Itamar Ben-Gvir has galvanized the campaign.

India's Morbi bridge collapse death toll rises to 135 as search continues

The death toll from an Indian footbridge collapse rose to 135 on Tuesday with search operations entering a third day, although authorities said nearly all those believed to have been missing are now accounted for. The colonial-era suspension bridge over the Machchhu river in Morbi was packed with sightseers - many in town to celebrate the Diwali and Chhath Puja festivals - when it broke on Sunday evening, sending people plunging about 10 metres (33 feet) into the water.

Russia announces wider evacuation of occupied southern Ukraine

Russia ordered civilians to leave a swath of Ukraine along the eastern bank of the Dnipro River, a major extension of an evacuation order that Kyiv says amounts to the forced depopulation of occupied territory. Russia had previously ordered civilians out of a pocket it controls on the west bank of the river, where Ukrainian forces have been advancing to capture the city of Kherson. Russian-installed officials said on Tuesday they were now extending that order to a 15-km (9-mile) buffer zone along the east bank as well.

Brazilian court orders roadblocks cleared; Bolsonaro silent on election loss

Brazil's Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered police to remove scores of roadblocks set up by supporters of President Jair Bolsonaro to protest his defeat in the presidential election, while the far-right leader remained silent on the result. The Federal Highway Police (PRF) said truckers were blocking highways at 271 points, partially or fully, as part of protests that have spread to 23 of Brazil's 26 states in the wake of Bolsonaro's loss to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in a runoff election on Sunday. The police said another 192 roadblocks had been cleared.

Factbox-COP26 a year later: Where do last year's climate pledges stand?

A year ago at the U.N. climate talks in Glasgow, Scotland, countries, banks and business leaders announced a slew of climate plans and pledges. Here is an update on how some of the biggest promises have since progressed. NATIONAL EMISSIONS PLANS