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.
Nairobi (AFP) – People in Kenya’s capital Nairobi express fear after Kenya reports its first Ebola death. health officials Kenya’s first-ever death from the disease. “When I heard yesterday that they were announcing that Ebola has entered Kenya, I got so scared because I don’t know how our government will deal with it,” says Edwin Orwa, who works in security. The victim was a Kenyan citizen who had been living in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which declared its 17th Ebola outbreak in May. “As a country we don’t have an outbreak,” says Mary Muthoni, Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards, whilst visiting Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi alongside officials from the WHO and Africa CDC to inspect health screening measures.
Moscow (AFP) – Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov says most of the reporting about the plague situation in Siberia is “false” when asked about a reported second case. The United States, the European Union and the World Health Organization have all called on Russia to be transparent over the reported plague death of a laboratory technician at a research institute in Siberia’s Irkutsk region last week.
Tokyo (AFP) – The governor of the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa, Genta Koja, says there is an “urgent need” to reduce the burden of US bases after the murder of a woman allegedly committed by an American Marine. The case has triggered outrage in Japan, where any crimes involving US forces have long inflamed criticism of the troops’ presence.
Buenos Aires (Argentina) (AFP) – Fans and the national coach share their emotions as Lionel Messi retires from international football after helping his side beat Benin 3-0 at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires. “He is a one-of-a-kind footballer,” says Argentina national team coach Lionel Scaloni. “Messi united us as a country and made us care more for one another as people,” says Argentina fan and graphic designer, Boris Bonifasich.
Stockholm (AFP) – Sweden will send its Patriot air defence system to protect a Polish base used for military and civilian support of Ukraine, says Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. According to a statement from the Swedish Armed Forces, the air defence system and around 100 troops would be sent to protect the NATO logistics hub in Rzeszow, arriving in December to take over from a Dutch contingent.
