Miami (AFP) – “I’ve been happy since I arrived here, so I’m very happy to continue,” states football player Lionel Messi as he signs a contract extension with Inter Miami, which will see the Argentine superstar remain in Major League Soccer until the end of the 2028 season.
Gummatapura (AFP) – Dozens of devotees from the southern Indian village of Gummatapura battle it out with cow dung for the Gorehabba festival, a local celebration marking the conclusion of India’s festival of light, Diwali. The festival is unique to the village where locals believe their god — Beereshwara Swamy — was born in cow excrement. Some Hindus believe cows and everything they produce is sacred and purifying.
Budapest (AFP) – “Brussels has decided to go to war”, says Orban to his supporters during a demonstration in Budapest, as he calls the Coalition of the Willing a “war alliance”. Orban — who has close ties with US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin despite Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine — blames Brussels for impeding Trump’s “mission” to try to end the war in Ukraine.
Mae Sot (AFP) – Men swim across the Moei river to Thailand after a military raid on KK Park, one of Myanmar’s most notorious scam centres, sent hundreds of people fleeing across the border. Sprawling compounds where internet fraudsters target people with romance and business cons have thrived along Myanmar’s loosely governed border during its civil war, sparked by a 2021 coup.
Paris (AFP) – The director of the Louvre admits there was inadequate security camera coverage of the outside walls of the museum, three days after a brazen daytime heist stunned the French capital. Senators grill Laurence des Cars over how thieves were able to make off with an estimated 88 million euros ($102 million) in jewels from the world-famous museum in just seven minutes. The heist has renewed scrutiny of security at French museums.
London (AFP) – Dozens of young people gather on Hampstead Heath in north London to join a collective ‘Scream Squad’ event. Led by content creator Mona Sharif, participants count down and unleash a cathartic group scream against the city skyline. Sharif says she started the trend after seeing similar TikToks in the United States and quickly drew more than a thousand followers.
Vatikanstadt (AFP) – King Charles III becomes the first head of the Church of England to pray publicly with a pope in a Vatican service led by Leo XIV. It is also the first time a reigning English or British monarch has prayed publicly with a pope since English king Henry VIII broke with Rome 500 years ago.
Moskau (AFP) – Russia says new US sanctions on its oil industry risk hurting diplomatic efforts to end the Ukraine war, and that it has developed a “strong immunity” to them.
Khan Yunis (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – US diplomat Marco Rubio is due in Israel this week, the latest Washington official to visit as President Donald Trump’s administration keeps up efforts to cement the fragile truce between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Rubio’s trip comes a day after Gazans fled areas of Khan Yunis to avoid the so-called “yellow line,” a boundary behind which Israeli troops have pulled back under the ceasefire agreement.
Zaporizhzhia (Ukraine) (AFP) – US President Donald Trump slapped sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies, complaining that his talks with Vladimir Putin to end the Ukraine war “don’t go anywhere.” The sanctions came hours after Russia’s latest overnight barrage on Ukraine killed at least seven people.
Valencia (Spain) (AFP) – The floods in the Valencia region on 29 October 2024 claimed the lives of more than 230 people and caused colossal material damage. In addition to businesses, belongings and lives being lost, the water and mud also deprived many families of their memories. Thanks to a university-led initiative, hundreds of family photographs hung to dry at a laboratory, fragile reminders of birthday celebrations and summer vacations, have been rescued from ruin.
Jerusalem (AFP) – Vice President JD Vance warns the United States and allies face a “tough task” disarming Hamas and building a peaceful future for Gaza during a visit to Jerusalem, as Washington seeks to reassure Israel over the next steps in its ambitious ceasefire deal.
