(AFP) – Floods submerge houses in Gia Lai and rescuers evacuate stranded people on the streets of Khanh Hoa as widespread flooding has inundated central Vietnam, killing dozens. Relentless rain has lashed south-central Vietnam since late October and popular holiday destinations have been hit by several rounds of flooding.
Tulkarem (AFP) – Ten months after he was forced out of the occupied West Bank’s Tulkarem refugee camp, Hakam Irhil doesn’t know if he will ever be able to return. Irhil was displaced and his home demolished after Israel launched a major military operation in mid-January in multiple northern Palestinian refugee camps, where the army says it is seeking to root out armed groups. Violence in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967, has soared since the Hamas attack on Israel triggered the Gaza war in October 2023.
Peking (AFP) – China urges Japan to “immediately retract its erroneous remarks, and earnestly demonstrate its commitments to China through concrete actions”. The move comes after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said that she wants “constructive” ties with China and that the country’s stance on Taiwan remains “unchanged” amid a spat with Beijing over the island.
Belém (Brésil) (AFP) – A fire erupts at a pavilion inside the venue of the UN’s climate talks in Brazil, prompting panicked delegates to run for the exits. IMAGES
Ciudad de México (Mexico) (AFP) – The Mexican police block protesters gathered on Paseo de la Reforma as they head toward Mexico City’s Zocalo. The protest, led by members of “Gen Z,” referring to those under 28, initially erupted on September 8 in Nepal after the government imposed a ban on social media. IMAGES
Belém (Brésil) (AFP) – Security officers are evacuating the COP30 venue in Belem, Brazil, and forming a security perimeter after a fire erupted at a pavilion inside the site of the UN climate talks. IMAGES
Belém (Brésil) (AFP) – Security crews form a security perimeter barring access to the zone where a fire broke out at a pavilion inside the venue of the UN’s climate talks in Brazil. IMAGES
Belém (Brésil) (AFP) – A fire erupted at a pavilion inside the venue of the UN’s climate talks in Brazil, prompting panicked delegates to run for the exits. IMAGES
Lyon (AFP) – Despite disappointing yields due to mixed weather conditions, France’s Beaujolais Nouveau celebration makes its return, buoyed by ‘great quality’ wine. The event is celebrated far beyond the wine’s region of origin. In Lyon, as is tradition, wine barrels are rolled from a nearby barge to the front of the city hall, where young Rhone winemakers unveil their vintages during a tasting.
Jerusalem (AFP) – Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian says in a briefing that Israel “made the decision independently” to strike the Gaza Strip. The new strikes came the morning after one of the deadliest days in Gaza since the truce came into effect on October 10, and after Israel launched a string of attacks targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon despite the nearly year-long ceasefire there.
Spetses (AFP) – Off the Greek island of Spetses, divers lift abandoned fishing nets from reefs in the Aegean Sea. The nets, known as ghost nets, continue to trap marine animals on the seabed for years before breaking down into microplastics. Aegean Rebreath, the group leading the operation, says its volunteers have removed more than 35 tonnes of ghost nets and other marine litter from Greek waters over the past seven years.
Kastoria (AFP) – Researchers collect samples from a huge spider web discovered in “Sulfur Cave” on the Albania-Greece border. The web — spanning an area exceeding 100 square metres — is home to some 111,000 spiders, including approximately 69,000 house spiders (Tegenaria domestica) and more than 42,000 Prinerigone vagans dwarf weavers (Linyphiidae), according to a study published in October, after researchers made multiple trips to the cave. The discovery is the first recorded instance of “colonial web formation” of two species that are normally solitary.
