AFP UK

Tel Aviv (AFP) – “There are no words to describe the feeling today. It’s indescribable, like spontaneous joy, excitement, tears,” says an Israeli who came to Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square to celebrate the announcement of a Gaza ceasefire deal agreed upon by Israel and Hamas, to free the remaining living hostages. In Gaza, displaced residents living in a shantytown of tents are also looking to the future following the agreement. “God willing, people will return to their normal lives… The children around us have seen things that no other children in the world have seen,” says Rami Nofal, an IDP residing in Deir al-Balah on the Gaza Strip’s coast.

Jerusalem (AFP) – “The final draft of phase one was signed this morning in Egypt by all parties to release all the hostages,” says the Israeli government spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian during a briefing, referring to a 20-point peace plan for Gaza announced last month by US President Donald Trump, after more than two years of war sparked by Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel.

Dushanbe (Tajikistan) (AFP) – Russian President Vladimir Putin admits for the first time that Russia played a role in the 2024 crash of an Azerbaijani passenger plane, describing it as a “tragedy”. In a meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Tajikistan, Putin says Russia had deployed missiles to destroy Ukrainian drones on the night of the incident, and that they exploded “a few metres away” from the aircraft.

Khan Yunis (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – Gazans celebrate the Hamas-Israel deal in front of the Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip. Israel and Hamas have agreed a Gaza ceasefire deal that could free the remaining living hostages within days, in a major step toward ending a war that has killed tens of thousands and unleashed a humanitarian crisis.

Lyon (AFP) – Dozens of people in the French city of Lyon take part in a pet blessing ceremony at the Basilica of Saint-Bonaventure. The church has organised the event in honour of Saint Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology known for his love of nature and animals, since 2024.

Brasília (AFP) – Hundreds of Jair Bolsonaro supporters march in the Brazilian capital of Brasilia to demand amnesty for the former president, who was sentenced in September to 27 years in prison for an attempted coup. Bolsonaro was found guilty of conspiring to prevent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from taking office after the October 2022 elections.

Washington (AFP) – US President Donald Trump strikes a friendly tone with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, calling him a “world-class leader” during a press conference at the White House in which Trump hailed progress towards a trade deal. The warm words come despite Trump having made repeated threats early in his second term to make Canada a “51st state” of the US, which revived the electoral fortunes of Carney, who campaigned on his extensive crisis management experience as a way of countering Trump’s tariffs and annexation threats. Canada’s opposition heaped pressure on Carney ahead of the visit, as the country is the last major US ally not to seal a deal with Washington.

Thái Nguyên (Vietnam) (AFP) – The streets of the Vietnamese city of Thai Nguyen are submerged in floodwater, leaving tens of thousands of people trapped. The weather bureau says the level of the Cau river, running across the city, is at record levels. The environment ministry says eight people have been killed in flash floods and landslides in Vietnam’s mountainous north since October 6, with five others missing.

Nancy (France) (AFP) – In a French neonatal ward, Aline Martin of the Opera national de Lorraine sings lullabies, Disney tunes and hymns to soothe premature babies. “We’ve noticed that the vibrations of the human voice, especially the lyrical voice, have a comforting quality for babies,” says Martin.

Strasbourg (France) (AFP) – EU chief Ursula von der Leyen says Europe must ramp up its defences to deter Russia’s hybrid warfare, after a catalogue of air incursions, cyber attacks, and damage to undersea cables. “This is a deliberate and targeted grey zone campaign against Europe, and Europe must respond,” she tells the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

Buenos Aires (Argentina) (AFP) – Argentine President Javier Milei headlines a concert in Buenos Aires to mark the release of a book he hopes will revive his sagging fortunes, as the country continues to navigate a period of political and economic uncertainty. 

Rio Negro (Brazil) (AFP) – A wounded jaguar, reportedly injured by gunfire, is rescued by Brazilian military police and members of SEPET — the Animal Protection Secretariat for the Amazonas, in the waters of Rio Negro, Brazil.