Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester City boss Enzo Maresca says the titles the club has won since an Abu Dhabi-backed takeover in 2008 are “absolutely not” tainted, after it was found guilty of more than 100 breaches of Premier League financial rules. They have won eight Premier League titles, the Champions League and multiple other trophies over the past 15 years. TO COMPLETE VIDEO D2Q34NQ
Palangkaraya (Indonesia) (AFP) – Plumes of thick smoke rise over Palangkaraya as Indonesian villagers battle wildfires intensified this year in part because of the El Nino weather phenomenon, which is set to be one of the strongest since comparable records began four decades ago. IMAGES
Palangkaraya (Indonesia) (AFP) – Firefighters battle a peatland fire near homes in Indonesia’s Palangkaraya, with limited water supplies and difficult terrain hampering their efforts. Flames were reported about 300 metres from a residential area, where residents feared the blaze would spread to their houses.
Indonesia (AFP) – A young orangutan rescued from a fire-hit area in Indonesian Borneo is receiving intensive care for burns to her hands and feet sustained while escaping wildfires that have devastated wildlife habitats. Officials say her wounds are improving, but warn she may not fully recover.
Palangkaraya (Indonesia) (AFP) – A blanket of haze shrouds the sky in Palangkaraya, the capital of Central Kalimantan, as wildfires continue to ravage Indonesia’s Borneo and Sumatra islands. IMAGES
New Delhi (AFP) – Thousands of police personnel were deployed across the Indian capital ahead of a protest called by the Cockroach Janta Party [CJP], demanding the resignation of the Election Commission chief over alleged voter-roll irregularities. Several protests have taken place this month, with key leaders from the main opposition Congress party, including Rahul Gandhi, taking to the streets. IMAGES
Sydney (AFP) – Scientists in Australia trained sea lions and seals to respond to a hearing test for research into how the marine mammals are affected by human-made noise. Keepers at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo trained two sea lions and two fur seals to listen to sounds and press a paddle when they heard a tone. They were rewarded with fish for the right answers.
London (AFP) – “Elsinore”, starring Olivia Colman and Andrew Scott, opens the London Film Festival. The drama tells the story of actor Ian Charleson as he prepared to play Hamlet while living with AIDS in the final months of his life. Directed by Simon Stone, it raises the curtain on the 2026 festival, which showcases 251 films from 88 countries. Set in the late 1980s, the film follows Charleson as he rehearses for “Hamlet” at London’s National Theatre. Despite his illness, Charleson completed 24 three-hour performances of the play before his death in 1990 at the age of 40. “He was a real hero for doing it,” says Scott, who has won critical acclaim for his portrayal.
Tokyo (AFP) – Giant balloon sculptures and a field of silver spheres by the late Japanese “polka dot queen” Yayoi Kusama go on display ahead of the opening of Tokyo Atlas, a new international exhibition in the capital. Her two balloon works are being shown together for the first time anywhere in the world, according to the exhibition’s organisers. The artist died in August, aged 97.
Jerusalem (AFP) – Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Saar says the British consulate in Jerusalem is “ceasing operations” but that seven diplomats would be allowed to remain in a limited capacity. The move comes after Israel ordered the closure of the consulate in September as retaliation after London led Western sanctions over violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
Lisbon (AFP) – Russia and Ukraine are at a stalemate that could see one or both sides escalate to break the impasse, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says, warning of a “very dangerous” situation. Any escalation between Moscow and Kyiv, which have been at war since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, “could quickly turn what is a war between two countries into a much broader and far more dangerous regional conflict”, Rubio says during a stopover in Portugal at the end of a tour of Europe.
Semporna (Malaysia) (AFP) – Green turtles have made the rare jump from “endangered” to “least concern” in global conservation rankings, a remarkable success when many species are declining. The recovery follows decades of conservation efforts, including egg relocation, marine protection, genetic research and trade bans. In Malaysia’s Sabah state, conservationists continue their work on the frontline.
