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New York (AFP) – Soon after the Israel-Hamas war broke out, posters showing faces of hostages with the word “kidnapped” started to pop up around the world.

Las Rozas de Madrid (Spain) (AFP) – Women’s World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso returns to training with the Spanish national team for the first time since disgraced former president of the country’s football federation Luis Rubiales resigned.

Washington (AFP) – The United States has sent a “few” military advisors to Israel following the October 7 Hamas attacks, the White House says. National security spokesman John Kirby tells reporters the officers have experience in “the sorts of operations that Israel is conducting, and may conduct in the future” and were “over there to share some perspectives.”

Washington (AFP) – The United States warns that any Gaza ceasefire by Israel would benefit Hamas, as the European Union considers a call for a humanitarian pause. A ceasefire would “give Hamas the ability to rest, to refit and to get ready to continue launching terrorist attacks against Israel,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller tells reporters.

Washington (AFP) – The United States welcomes Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s submission to parliament of Sweden’s NATO membership and hopes for approval as soon as possible. “We welcome that step,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller tells reporters, voicing hope that the bill “will be considered in the Turkish parliament and passed as soon as possible.”

Montlouis-sur-Loire (France) (AFP) – Asian hornets are still buzzing as the leaves begin to turn yellow, tiger mosquitoes are still stinging in early October, and green bugs are still invading homes… Several species of insects, disrupted by climate change, continue to swarm in mid-autumn.

Covasna (Romania) (AFP) – Encounters with bears have become common in Romania, home to the largest brown bear population in Europe after Russia, estimated at 8.000 by the Ministry of Environment. With the population increase and tourists inciting bears to leave the forests by feeding them, the country is facing a growing number of attacks — dividing herders, farmers and conservationists.

Madrid (AFP) – Eleven gold pieces valued at more than 60 million euros belonging to Ukraine’s historical heritage were recovered by police in Madrid. Dating back to between the 8th and 4th century BC, the pieces were smuggled out of Ukraine before 2016 after being displayed at an exhibition in Kyiv.

Cabo San Lucas (Mexico) (AFP) – Residents of the resort city of Cabo San Lucas inspect the damage a day after Hurricane Norma slammed into Mexico’s northwestern coast bringing heavy rain and the threat of flash floods. It was later downgraded to a tropical storm. Two people died a week earlier when another hurricane, named Hurricane Lidia, made landfall in the western states of Jalisco and Nayarit.

Ramallah (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – “We condemn the stances that constitute a license to kill and a political cover to commit massacres and sow destruction of Gaza and its people”, says Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh during a weekly cabinet meeting in Ramallah. More than 4,600 Palestinians have been killed across the Gaza Strip in Israeli bombardments in retaliation for attacks by the Palestinian-based Islamist militant group Hamas, according to the latest toll from the health ministry in Gaza. At least 1,400 people were killed during the attack on Israel during the October 7 attack.