(AFP) – Satellite images show Hurricane Milton from the International Space Station ahead of it’s landfall on Florida’s west coast. The powerful storm, now a category 4, has since left a trail of destruction as it crashes into the US state, sparking tornadoes and flash floods.
St. Petersburg (United States) (AFP) – Parts of the roof of St. Petersburg’s Tropicana Field baseball stadium, home of Major League Baseball team the Tampa Bay Raysin, is ripped off by Hurricane Milton’s strong winds. The hurricane leaves a trail of destruction as it crashes into Florida’s coast, sparking tornadoes and flash floods across a US state reeling from another massive storm two weeks earlier.
Khan Yunis (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – More than a year into the Israel-Hamas war, Gazans in the southern city of Khan Yunis are set on preserving their Palestinian heritage. While Mohamed Sha’at has been clearing the historic Mamluk-era Barquq castle from rubble, Ramadan Ahmed, a researcher and artist, has spent decades collecting antiquities from destroyed museums and carving rocks to document the reality of Gazans under Israeli siege and bombardment.
Berlin (AFP) – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz rejects claims that Berlin has imposed a de facto stop on arms exports to Israel and says more will be sent soon. Speaking in front of the German parliament, he states: “we have not decided to stop delivering weapons. We have delivered weapons, and we will deliver weapons.” His comments come with fighting in the Middle East spreading from Gaza into Lebanon and neighbouring Syria, raising fears of an all-out conflict in the Middle East.
St. Petersburg (United States) (AFP) – A crane has collapsed following Hurricane Milton in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida. The hurricane also felled trees, ripped roofs off buildings and left a trail of destruction along the US state’s coast, just two weeks after another devastating storm. At least four people have died.
Erda (AFP) – The Great Salt Lake, one of the world’s largest lakes, has lost two-thirds of its surface in forty years, partly due to a water-hungry agricultural sector, mining industry, and drought. In Utah, where Mormons represent half the state’s population, many remain largely loyal to the Republican Party despite the presidential candidate Donald Trump’s outspoken skepticism on climate change. But the looming threat of the drying lake worries many, and the Mormon Church has set an example by substantially cutting its water use.
(AFP) – Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant says during a briefing with the northern command that Hezbollah has been “battered and broken” following continuous strikes against the group and the killing of its leader Hassan Nasrallah. Israel ramped up its ground offensive against Hezbollah along the southern section of the Lebanese coast on Tuesday, deploying more troops and urging civilians near the Mediterranean to evacuate.
Tampa (AFP) – As the second huge hurricane in as many weeks rumbles toward Florida’s west coast, staff at Tampa’s zoo begins securing animals in preparation for Hurricane Milton’s landfall. The storm-battered US state girds for a direct hit from the hurricane, a monster weather system threatening catastrophic damage and forcing President Joe Biden to postpone a major overseas trip. It is forecast to make landfall Wednesday night in Florida as a Category 3 storm and remain powerful as it churns across the state.
Neu Delhi (AFP) – Pro-Palestinian protesters gather around the world — including in Australia, India, Germany, and Mexico — on the first anniversary of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel that sparked a year of devastating war in Gaza. According to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, 41,965 people, the majority civilians, have been killed since the start of the war. Monday marked one year since the devastating assault on Israel that sparked the ongoing war, with Lebanon now also pulled into the fray and world leaders warning of a potential all-out regional crisis.
Sydney (AFP) – A koala wanders through an Australian train station in Sydney before police officers arrive to help move the marsupial on. Koalas are endangered in parts of Australia, with population declines in some regions made worse by bushfires and land clearing for mining. Despite popular misconceptions, koalas are not members of the bear family.
