Gaza (AFP) – “One of the most difficult situations is when we see someone under the rubble and … we cannot do anything for them,” says civil defence spokesman in Gaza City Mahmud Basal, as he reflects on the work of the emergency services nearly one year since the war began in the territory.
Baabda (AFP) – Lebanon’s health minister says 97 paramedics and firefighters have been killed since Hezbollah and Israel began fighting last October, adding that more than 1,900 people have died as a result of Israeli fire. Israel announced this week that its troops have started “ground raids” into parts of southern Lebanon, a stronghold of Hezbollah, after days of heavy bombardment of areas across the country where the group holds sway. Hezbollah began strikes on Israeli troops a day after Hamas staged its October 7 attack on Israel.
Uman (AFP) – The Ukrainian city of Uman has been a site of worship for Orthodox Jewish pilgrims for over 200 years, but with Russia’s ongoing invasion and airlines cancelling flights due to rising tensions in the Middle East, the journey has become even harder. With Iran having fired ballistic missiles at Israel, whose soldiers are involved in clashes with the militant group Hezbollah near the border with Lebanon, pilgrim Rony Eli-Ya said he was not sure how he would return to his home near Tel Aviv.
London (AFP) – Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla host a reception at St James’s Palace to celebrate the Commonwealth ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting that this year will be taking place in Samoa. After dancing with the King, Honorary Consul for Samoa in the UK Freddie Tuilagi says, “As the host… we’re here to give a bit of a taste to the King of what he’d expect,” adding that the King “loves it!”
Kaohsiung (AFP) – Typhoon Krathon slams into Taiwan as Kaohsiung residents were instructed by the Central Weather Administration (CWA) to take shelter before Krathon made landfall there with wind gusts of 162 kilometres (100 miles) per hour. Schools, offices and businesses across Taiwan remained shut for a second consecutive day as the wind toppled trees, knocked over motorcyclists and blew cargo containers from a pier.
Paris (AFP) – Frederic Jiguet, ornithologist at the Museum of Natural History, has been capturing crows since 2015 using his cage installed in the heart of the Jardin des Plantes to study their movements and survival. He hopes to change the relation between mankind and the birds, classified as pests throughout France.
Kiew (AFP) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says the country’s allies are “dragging out” the supply of long-range weapons, vital in the ongoing fight against Russia’s invasion. Speaking in Kyiv alongside new NATO chief Mark Rutte, Zelensky adds that events in the Middle East have shown that “it is possible to protect people’s lives thanks to the unity of allies.”
Puerto San Julian (Argentina) (Argentina) (AFP) – Hundreds of tourists, photographers and astronomy enthusiasts on the tip of South America watch a rare “ring of fire” solar eclipse in Argentina’s Patagonia. The spectacle occurs when the sun momentarily almost disappears as the moon crosses its path.
(AFP) – Bottlenose dolphins ‘smile’ at each other during play, researchers in Italy have found. A study in the journal iScience says dolphins communicate with their playmates with an ‘open mouth’ facial expression, similar to humans smiling.
Caracas (AFP) – The Yuletide streetlights are up in Venezuela’s capital Caracas, and storefronts glitter with decorations after the festive season officially started on October 1 under a decree issued by strongman President Nicolas Maduro.
