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Riyadh (AFP) – Saudis react to the country’s bid as the only football association to present a bid to host the 2034 World Cup. The decision will be ratified officially at the end of next year, providing all of the technical criteria are met. The absence of any competition leaves little room for suspense, while also raising numerous questions about the environmental impact of the 2030 event and the compatibility of the 2034 tournament with FIFA’s human rights commitments.

Taybeh (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – Within an hour, the Bedouin village of Wadi al-Seeq in the occupied West Bank had been completely emptied, its 200 residents fleeing on foot with their sheep and goats. On October 12, five days after the start of the war between Israel and Gaza’s Hamas rulers, residents say dozens of Israelis turned up at the village and gave them an hour to leave their land, among them settlers, soldiers and police. The Israeli army had no immediate comment on the incident, despite several AFP requests. Since the Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked southern Israel on 7 October, more than 120 Palestinians have been killed across the occupied West Bank where violence had already been spiralling. Even before the Gaza war, the death toll in the Palestinian territory had reached its highest levels since at least 2005.

Ha Tinh (Vietnam) (AFP) – Three people have died after days of heavy rain in central and north Vietnam flooded homes and submerged roads, cutting off access to several communities in the central Ha Tinh province. The Vietnamese police and military have been mobilised to rescue people from high-risk areas as search operations for missing people are ongoing. Vietnam is frequently lashed by harsh weather in the rainy season between June and November. Natural disasters have left 136 people dead or missing in the country since the beginning of 2023.

Dhaka (AFP) – Bangladeshi police clash with thousands of garment workers demanding fair wages for the clothes they make for major Western brands. The protests erupted a week earlier but violence escalated on 30 October when tens of thousands left their shifts and staged protests in Gazipur, the country’s largest industrial city and the site where a six-storey factory was torched by workers, killing one person.

Geneva (AFP) – Gaza has become “a living hell” says UNICEF spokesperson James Elder. Speaking at a press conference in Geneva, as fighting in Gaza continues more than three weeks after the bloody Hamas attack that left at least 1,400 Israelis dead, Elder explains that “the threats to children go beyond bombs and mortars” citing “water and trauma” as the biggest issues to confront. Since the beginning of Israel’s response to the October 7 attack, the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza has reported more than 8,500 deaths.

Matsu (Taiwan) (AFP) – Using lights, sound and sculptures, an exhibition in Matsu, Taiwan, is transforming the island’s wartime infrastructure and reminding visitors of the lingering threat of Chinese invasion. The wide-ranging installation is part of the Matsu Biennial and visitors are able to access a former military power plant and tunnel networks found across the island chain, which is just a 20-minute boat ride from China’s east coast.

Taybeh (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – Within an hour, the Bedouin village of Wadi al-Seeq in the occupied West Bank had been completely emptied, its 200 residents fleeing on foot with their sheep and goats. On October 12, five days after the start of the war between Israel and Gaza’s Hamas rulers, residents say dozens of Israelis turned up at the village and gave them an hour to leave their land, among them settlers, soldiers and police. The Israeli army had no immediate comment on the incident, despite several AFP requests. Since the Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked southern Israel on 7 October, more than 120 Palestinians have been killed across the occupied West Bank where violence had already been spiralling. Even before the Gaza war, the death toll in the Palestinian territory had reached its highest levels since at least 2005.

Oslo (AFP) – Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store calls for “proportionality” in Gaza, while condemning the Hamas attack on Israel that killed at least 1,400 on October 7. Speaking alongside other leaders of Nordic countries, Store says “Israel has the right to defend itself” but calls for a “humanitarian pause” in the fighting, which has continued for more than three weeks in response to the attack and has left more than 8,500 dead, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza.

Johannesburg (AFP) – “I know this win will inspire people” says South Africa captain Siya Kolisi, as the Springboks return to Johannesburg following their victory in the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Thousands braved cold and wet weather to welcome the team home after they secured a narrow 12-11 win over fierce rivals New Zealand in Saturday’s final. Wing Cheslin Kolbe says “wearing that flag, having it on your chest, it’s the world.”

Muscat (AFP) – In a muddy wetland in Oman’s capital, environmental scientist Zakiya al-Afifi measures the bark of a mangrove tree and estimates its capacity to absorb carbon dioxide. Standing in the leafy reserve, she says the Al-Qurm forest’s 80 protected hectares (197 acres) of mangroves could lock away thousands of tons of CO2. Oman, whose conservationist ruler Sultan Qaboos bin Said died in 2020, has become the Gulf’s centre for mangrove restoration and conservation.