Ramallah (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – Saudi Arabia has sent its first delegation in three decades to the occupied West Bank to reassure Palestinians it will defend their cause even as it forges closer ties with Israel. Meeting with Palestinian foreign minister Riyad Al-Maliki, the Saudi ambassador said the country’s leadership hopes for the region to be ‘secure and stable’.
Thimphu (Bhutan) (AFP) – Thousands of people attend the Thimphu Tshechu, which takes place annually in Bhutan’s capital, Thimphu.
Hollywood (United States) (AFP) – Striking writers whose industrial action has paralyzed the American film industry for almost five months have reached a deal with studios that could see them go back to work. They were demanding better pay, greater rewards for creating hit shows and protection from artificial intelligence. This breakthrough raises hopes that actors, who also joined strikes in July, can also reach terms with studios to end a months-long impasse. This industrial action has seen film and TV production largely halted, costing the California economy billions of dollars.
Medellín (Colombia) (AFP) – Hundreds of people bid farewell to Colombian artist Fernando Botero in his hometown of Medellin, as his coffin is carried by soldiers in Botero Square to the Museum of Antioquia, which houses hundreds of paintings and sculptures that the artist donated to the city. IMAGES
Dakar (AFP) – More than 500 swimmers take part in the Dakar to Gorée Island swimming race in Senegal. Organiser said the annual event, in its 34th edition, would be “a good stage” for young swimmers preparing for the Youth Olympic Games, which are due to be held in Senegal in 2026.
Odesa region (Ukraine) (AFP) – Images released by Ukraine’s State Emergency Service show firefighters battling a blaze following an overnight Russian attack on Ukraine’s Odesa region. Ukraine officials say its forces downed 26 out of 38 drones, with some drones getting through and damaging infrastructure around the port of Izmail.
Timba (Colombia) (AFP) – People from the Colombian town of Timba take part in a procession against violence after bombs that targeted two police stations in the department exploded and killed two civilians. The country has been battered by decades of civil conflict between the state and various left-wing guerrilla groups, right-wing paramilitaries, and drug traffickers. A government-agreed ceasefire is planned from October 8.
Beijing (AFP) – Speaking at the end of a four-day trip to China, the EU trade commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis raises the issue of Europe’s ballooning trade deficit with China, which he says has reached 400 billion euros ($423 billion). Economic relations between China and the EU were thrown into the spotlight this month after the bloc launched a probe into Chinese subsidies for its electric vehicle industry.
ANANTNAG (India) (AFP) – When the cricket World Cup kicks off in India this October, several players will be carrying Kashmiri willow wood bats. But manufacturers in the region say over-exploitation of trees means their famous craft faces ruin. Supplies of willow wood are rapidly vanishing amidst rampant logging and insufficient replanting. The Kashmiri cricket bat industry supplies the bulk of global supply and is central to the contested region’s economy, employing some 120,000 people across 400 workshops.
Autlan de Navarro (Mexico) (AFP) – Mexican emergency services work at the scene after at least eight people died and two were left missing when heavy rain turned a mountain stream into a torrent of muddy floodwater that swept away villagers. Dozens of rescue workers have been deployed to search for the missing in Autlan in the western state of Jalisco.
