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Al Khasrah (Saudi Arabia) (AFP) – Saudi solo trekker Abdullah Alsulmi defies the scorching heat as he walks through the town of Al-Khasrah, 340 kilometres southwest of Riyadh, on his way from his native Jeddah to the Qatari capital Doha ahead of the World Cup 2022 tournament. “I got excited when I heard Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani promising football fans an ‘exceptional’ experience at the upcoming World Cup. I said I will go no matter what, even if I have to walk!,” says the 33-year-old.

Washington (AFP) – US President Joe Biden says British Prime Minister Liz Truss “was a good partner on Russia and on Ukraine” as he leaves the White House to campaign alongside Senate candidate John Fetterman in Pennsylvania.

Orlando (AFP) – In the bustle of Orlando’s Pride March, Maxwell Frost is finalizing preparations for a concert on a truck bed — the latest impromptu campaign gig by the 25-year-old as he seeks to become Generation Z’s first member of Congress. It’s hardly typical politicking, but the Uber-driving Democrat who once worked for the influence-oozing Coachella music festival is in his element as he settles in behind a drum kit to play a few songs with friends before joining the parade for more traditional grass-roots stumping. As for performing to the beat of his own drum — on a musical stage or the campaign trail — the progressive first-time candidate is unflappable about bringing youthful energy to the US Capitol’s stodgy halls, where octogenarians largely run the show.

Orford (Canada) (AFP) – Many thousands of sightseers have been flocking to the outback in Canada’s Quebec province this month to see a rich tapestry of colors. The fall foliage blankets much of Eastern Canada this time of year. The bright red leaves of maple trees in particular, which inspired Canada’s flag, really pop.

Belo Horizonte (Brazil) (AFP) – Every World Cup, many neighbourhoods in Brazil cover their streets in green and yellow — the colours of the Brazilian flag. But this year, President Jair Bolsonaro adopted the flag and the national football team’s jersey as symbols of his own. With Brazilians bitterly divided by the elections, yellow and green have become politicised — sometimes dampening outward displays of World Cup fever in Brazil.

Wellington (AFP) – New Zealand farmers and their supporters protest around Parliament buildings in Wellington. The nation-wide protest saw groups of farmers gather all over New Zealand to show their opposition to the governments proposed tax on agricultural emissions and carbon farming.

Berlin (AFP) – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz tells the Bundestag that Russia’s “scorched earth” attacks against Ukraine are only strengthening the Western alliance against Moscow.

Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – In his nightly address on the 19 October, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says his country’s forces shot down 233 Iranian Shahed UAVs in a month. The Kremlin and Iran have denied the use of drones in Ukraine, but EU foreign policy spokeswoman Nabila Massrali said the EU had “sufficient evidence” and would prepare fresh sanctions on Iran.

Zangilan (Azerbaijan) (AFP) – Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrives in Azerbaijan for a one-day working visit, where he is welcomed by his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev. The two allies inagurate the Zangilan International Airport, the second to be built in territories recaptured from Armenia following the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

London (AFP) – A Hong Kong protester says he was dragged into the grounds of China’s consulate in Manchester, where he was kicked and punched, in an incident that has drawn widespread condemnation in Britain and triggered an international row.

Kutupalong (Bangladesh) (AFP) – When hundreds of thousands of Rohingya muslims fled a brutal military crackdown in Myanmar in August 2017, Bangladesh opened its border and tens of thousands of locals rushed to help the persecuted minority with food, medicine and cash. But public attitudes in Bangladesh have hardened after years of fruitless efforts to negotiate a safe return for the Rohingyas, with media outlets and politicians regularly condemning refugees as drug runners and terror threats.

Washington (AFP) – President Joe Biden says Russian President Vladimir Putin is in an “incredibly difficult position” in Ukraine and has run out of options beyond trying to “brutalize” civilians into surrender.