Krasnogorsk (Russia) (AFP) – Speaking via video link, US basketball star Brittney Griner appears in a Russian court during her appeal to reduce her nine-year prison sentence, issued on drug charges. Speaking from behind metal bars in a detention center, Griner says that people with “more severe crimes have gotten less”.
Washington (AFP) – US President Joe Biden warns Russia against using a nuclear weapon in the war with Ukraine, saying such an escalation would be a grave error. Asked by reporters whether he thinks Russia is preparing a dirty bomb attack that it would then blame on Ukraine, Biden says: “Russia would be making an incredibly serious mistake if it were to use a tactical nuclear weapon”.
Khartoum (AFP) – Sudanese protesters chant slogans and wave flags during a demonstration in central Khartoum, marking the first anniversary of a coup that derailed a transition to civilian rule and sent hunger and inflation soaring.
New Delhi (AFP) – New Delhi wakes up to toxic smog after Diwali revellers defied a firecracker ban and risked jail to celebrate the annual Hindu festival. According to international monitoring company IQAir, harmful PM 2.5 particles surged to 350 on the air quality index — more than three times the reading a day earlier. The reading for the particulates — so tiny they can penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream — is more than 23 times the recommended daily maximum set by the World Health Organization.
Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – Demonstrators burn tyres and hurl stones across the border with Israel east of Gaza City during clashes with Israeli forces following a demonstration along the border. Six Palestinians were killed in sweeping Israeli raids on 25 October in the occupied West Bank as the army targeted an emerging armed group, and thousands later massed for the funerals of the alleged gunmen.
Vatican City (AFP) – Pope Francis criticises the threat of nuclear disaster in Ukraine, and regrets that he sees peace ‘trampled’ in Europe. The Pope was speaking during an ecumenical event involving a prayer for peace at the Colosseum in Rome.
Kalapara (Bangladesh) (AFP) – Villages in southern Bangladesh are flooded after being hit by a cyclone, which left at least 16 people dead and prompted an evacuation of about a million people. Cyclone Sitrang made landfall in the south late Monday but authorities managed to get about a million people to safety before the monster weather system hit.
Firozabad (India) (AFP) – Firozabad, a small industrial town located nearly 200km from India’s capital, New Delhi, is known for its glass bangles. Firozabad has been producing glass bangles for more than 200 years now and is the biggest manufacturer of glass bangles in the world.
Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – A restaurant in Kyiv is forced to work by candlelight with Ukraine’s capital left partially without electricity as the government enforces cuts to try and stabilise the country’s energy system following Russian strikes. “It’s hard to work with papers and pen to do orders for (the) kitchen,” says barman Dmytro Lytvynenko.
Berlin (AFP) – Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal emphasises the urgent need for money to help the country “get through the winter and save people from a humanitarian catastrophe”. Shmyhal was speaking at the conference of International Experts for the Reconstruction of Ukraine.
Salvador (Brazil) (AFP) – Wearing a rainbow-striped football shirt, Ona Ruda walks confidently through the Arena Fonte Nova football stadium, home to his beloved Bahia team. The club in northeastern Salvador is a rare safe space for gay fans who often steer clear of football stadiums for fear of coming under attack. The group of supporters counts only 15 members, a far cry from other massive Brazilian fan groups. However, the fact that they can go to the stadium waving rainbow flags and wearing rainbow T-shirts, is no small matter.
Rome (AFP) – In her first address to parliament, Italy’s new far-right Prime minister Giorgia Meloni declares herself to be the “underdog” of Italian politics, and vows to “upset all predictions” in her quest for success. She also reaffirms her strong support for Ukraine and not give in to Putin’s “blackmail” on energy despite tensions on the issue between her and her coalition partners.
