Washington (AFP) – President Donald Trump signed a bill to end the longest government shutdown in US history — 43 days that paralyzed Washington and left hundreds of thousands of workers unpaid while Republicans and Democrats played a high-stakes blame game.
Kiew (AFP) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pledges a “clean-up and reboot” of state-run nuclear agency Energoatom after anti-corruption investigators opened a major probe into the country’s energy sector, which led to the sacking of Justice Minister German Galushchenko, a former energy minister accused of orchestrating a $100-million scheme to secure kickbacks. The case is the latest to trigger accusations that Zelensky’s team are weaponising the judicial system following last month’s arrest of Volodymyr Kudrytsky, who led national energy company Ukrenergo until 2024, on embezzlement accusations.
Islamabad (AFP) – Pakistan “must learn” from a deadly suicide bombing that killed at least 12 people in Islamabad, says a resident of the city. The bombing has been claimed by the Pakistani Taliban amid a resurgence in similar attacks, which authorities blame on militant groups allegedly sheltering in neighbouring Afghanistan.
Belém (Brésil) (AFP) – Dozens of boats join the fleet organized by the People’s Summit calling for social and climate justice in the Amazon, sailing the Guama River as part of a symbolic crossing. The mobilization is happening alongside COP30, the UN climate conference, in Belem. IMAGES
Belém (Brésil) (AFP) – Indigenous leader Raoni Metuktire arrives for a press conference as the People’s Summit opens in Brazil’s Belem on the sidelines of COP30. On the opening day of the climate conference, some 8,000 Indigenous people from the Amazon rainforest and the Pacific converged in Belem to demand a voice as the country hosts this year’s UN climate summit. IMAGES
Undisclosed (AFP) – Images released on the Telegram channel of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claim to show the Ukrainian interception of Russian drones in flight. In the post he says the effectiveness of interceptor drones has “significantly increased”. Drones, fired by the hundreds every day by both sides, have become the deadliest weapon of the conflict, with both sides also using larger attack drones capable of carrying explosives, particularly to strike infrastructure far from the front lines.
Yilan (AFP) – Rescue workers evacuate residents using boats and amphibious vehicles after torrential rains from Typhoon Fung-wong — now downgraded to a tropical storm — triggered severe overnight flooding in eastern Taiwan, with water levels surging up to one storey high in some areas. With the storm approaching Taiwan, at least 89 residents have been rescued from inundated homes, while minor flooding in other areas has since receded.
Paris (AFP) – ‘Tomorrow, we will try to pay tribute to all these people, both during the day and during the match, by trying to put smiles on the faces of those who come to the stadium,’ says France captain Kylian Mbappe on eve of the 10th anniversary of 2015 Paris terror attacks, on which France will face Ukraine at the Parc des Princes in a World Cup qualifier.
Agde (AFP) – In southern France, a woman has been ordered by a court to keep her cat indoors after a neighbour complained the animal kept jumping into his garden. Animal rights groups have warned the ruling could set a dangerous precedent, forcing owners to keep their cats on leads.
Santiago (AFP) – Candidates are concluding their campaigns ahead of Chile’s first-round election on November 16. The race has been dominated by issues surrounding crime and migration, with polls showing communist Jeannette Jara and hardline conservative Jose Antonio Kast neck-and-neck.
Santiago du Chili (AFP) – Far-right candidate Jose Antonio Kast holds a closing campaign rally ahead of the election on November 16. The 59-year-old lawyer and presidential candidate is the son of a former soldier in Hitler’s Nazi army, who emigrated to Chile after the war. IMAGES
Santiago du Chili (AFP) – The presidential candidate of the Chilean Communist Party, Jeannette Jara, concludes her campaign in Maipu Square, Santiago de Chile, alongside her supporters. The 51-year-old candidate promises an agenda against crime and with stricter immigration controls. IMAGES
