AFP Video

Chaman (Pakistan) (AFP) – Thousands of undocumented Afghan migrants are fleeing Pakistan in fear of arrest and deportation by authorities. Pakistan has set 1 November as the deadline for 1.7 million Afghans to leave or face deportation in a measure authorities say is meant to protect the country’s ‘welfare and security’. Pakistan has recently experienced a rise sharp in attacks which the government has blamed on militants operating from neighbouring Afghanistan. But for many Afghans, Pakistan had become home for many years: “We had a good life over the last 45 years since arriving in Pakistan. I was born in Pakistan,” says Shafique Ullah.

Ankara (AFP) – “We have concerns about the geographical spread of the conflict” between Israel and Hamas, says Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Speaking during a joint press conference with his Iranian counterpart, Fidan outlines Iran’s noting of “strong indications that other armed elements in the region may intervene” if the conflict continues on its current track. Iran and Turkey on Wednesday called for a regional conference aimed at preventing the war from spreading.

Wallangarra (Australia) (AFP) – Footage released by the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) shows flames and plumes of smoke as several bushfires rage across eastern Australia. Residents of small towns were forced to flee as fire crews worked to minimise the damage and threat to life.

Chichibu (Japan) (AFP) – The Ashigakubo primary school in Chichibu, just west of Tokyo, lies empty. With its corridors still decorated with faded photos and pupils’ displays, the school is one of thousands forced to close over the past two decades as Japan struggles with an ageing population. The country’s education ministry says 8,580 public schools have closed their doors. Over a thousand of those have since been knocked down, but many have found new uses, including as an aquarium used by a non-profit looking after turtles and as a vinyl record shop.

Tel Aviv (AFP) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vows to continue Israel’s war on Hamas despite suffering “painful losses” inside the Gaza Strip. On Tuesday, Israel said 11 soldiers died in ground fighting in the territory, taking the total number of troops killed since the Hamas attack on October 7 up to 326.

Bletchley (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Artificial Intelligence (AI) is “one of the existential risks” facing humanity, says Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Space X, Tesla and X (formerly Twitter). “It’s not clear to me we can actually control such a thing” he adds, speaking on the sidelines of a global AI safety summit hosted at the UK’s Bletchley Park, where British codebreakers cracked Nazi Germany’s “Enigma Code”.

Rafah (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – Hundreds of foreign passport holders and Palestinian dual nationals wait at the Rafah crossing as they prepare to cross into Egypt, after the country’s authorities announced that they will allow foreigners to leave Gaza. On November 1, ambulances carrying wounded Palestinians were allowed into Egypt, before the first foreigners stuck in the Gaza Strip also began crossing.

Peshawar (Pakistan) (AFP) – Afghans living in Pakistan have been rushing to the borders ahead of a Pakistani government deadline for 1.7 million undocumented people to leave or face arrest and deportation.

United Nations (United States) (AFP) – The United Nations high commissioner for refugees appeals for the UN Security Council to unite and back a ceasefire to end the “spiral of death” in the Middle East.

Sderot (Israel) (AFP) – Israeli soldiers and tanks move on the Israel-Gaza border as heavy smoke rises over the northern Gaza Strip. Israel continues to pound the Palestinian territory in retaliation to Hamas’s October 7 attack. Israel said its forces battled Hamas inside Gaza overnight and struck 300 targets.