Moscow (AFP) – The Russian foreign ministry says Moscow is “extremely concerned” by the latest escalation in the Middle East after Iran fired what it said were 200 missiles on Israel and sending civilians rushing into shelters. The ministry’s spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, also accuses the United States of bearing “a significant share of responsibility for the degradation of the situation”.
Tel Nof Airbase (Israel) (AFP) – “Iran launched approximately 200 missiles at the state of Israel yesterday,” says Israeli army chief Herzi Halevi, updating an earlier figure of 180 reported by the military. “We will respond, we know how to locate important targets, we know how to strike with precision and power,” he adds.
Dhaka (AFP) – Artisans in Bangladesh’s capital of Dhaka are busy making idols for the upcoming Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival for Hindus in Bangladesh and India. Hindus are a minority in Muslim-majority Bangladesh, still shaken by a mass uprising ousting former PM Sheikh Hasina in early August this year.
Tel Aviv (AFP) – Israel has vowed to make Iran “pay” after Tehran fired a barrage of missiles at the country — most of which were intercepted by Israeli air defences or by allied air forces.
Manzanares (AFP) – Like other farmers in Spain, Miguel Angel Garcia has abandoned grapes and grains to grow pistachio nuts, a more lucrative crop that can better cope with the droughts that have become more frequent and intense. According to the agriculture ministry, the amount of land devoted to pistachio trees in Spain has jumped nearly five-fold since 2017, making Spain the biggest pistachio grower in Europe in terms of surface area, and the world’s fourth-largest.
Belfast (AFP) – A luxury round-the-world cruise ship beset with technical delays and docked in rainy Belfast since May finally departed from the Northern Irish capital late Monday, prompting celebration among its passengers. However, its status remains uncertain after the ship got only a few miles out of the city before having to anchor due to a paperwork issue. The Odyssey residential cruise ship had undergone repairs for engine trouble in drydock at Belfast’s Harland & Wolff, the famed shipyard where the doomed Titanic was built more than a hundred years ago.
Bangkok (AFP) – A devastating fire on a Thai school bus killed at least 23 people, police say after rescuers pulled children’s bodies from the charred wreckage of the vehicle. The inferno engulfed the coach on a highway in a northern Bangkok suburb as it carried 38 children — ranging from kindergarten age to young teenagers — and six teachers on a school trip.
Genf (AFP) – The UN is “gravely concerned by the widening hostilities in the Middle East,” says Liz Throssell, spokesperson for the organisation’s rights office. Speaking at a press briefing, as the Israeli military claims its ground troops have carried out raids against Hezbollah in south Lebanon, Throssell adds that “a large-scale ground invasion by Israel into Lebanon would only result in greater suffering.”
Paris (AFP) – The Eiffel Tower in Paris is decked out in pink to mark the start of the annual “Pink October” campaign to raise awareness about breast cancer.
Tel Aviv (AFP) – “If the state of Lebanon and the world can’t push Hezbollah away from our border, we have no choice but to do it ourselves,” says Israeli army spokesperson Daniel Hagari. The Israeli military on Tuesday called on residents in more than 20 areas of southern Lebanon to evacuate, hours after saying it launched ground raids across the border.
Tokyo (AFP) – Japan’s iconic Shinkansen bullet trains turn 60 on October 1. High-speed Shinkansen trains began running between Tokyo and Osaka in 1964, heralding a new era for rail travel as Japan grew into an economic superpower after its World War II defeat. The service remains integral to the nation’s economy and way of life — so keeping it dazzlingly clean, punctual and accident-free is a serious job.
Atlanta (AFP) – Hundreds of people are still unaccounted for across several southeastern US states in the wake of Hurricane Helene. As the death toll rises, President Joe Biden is set to travel to storm-ravaged North Carolina on October 2. His trip comes hot on heels of Trump’s visit to Georgia, another epicenter of the destruction.
