Lyon (AFP) – Dozens of people in the French city of Lyon take part in a pet blessing ceremony at the Basilica of Saint-Bonaventure. The church has organised the event in honour of Saint Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology known for his love of nature and animals, since 2024.
Brasília (AFP) – Hundreds of Jair Bolsonaro supporters march in the Brazilian capital of Brasilia to demand amnesty for the former president, who was sentenced in September to 27 years in prison for an attempted coup. Bolsonaro was found guilty of conspiring to prevent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from taking office after the October 2022 elections.
Washington (AFP) – US President Donald Trump strikes a friendly tone with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, calling him a “world-class leader” during a press conference at the White House in which Trump hailed progress towards a trade deal. The warm words come despite Trump having made repeated threats early in his second term to make Canada a “51st state” of the US, which revived the electoral fortunes of Carney, who campaigned on his extensive crisis management experience as a way of countering Trump’s tariffs and annexation threats. Canada’s opposition heaped pressure on Carney ahead of the visit, as the country is the last major US ally not to seal a deal with Washington.
Thái Nguyên (Vietnam) (AFP) – The streets of the Vietnamese city of Thai Nguyen are submerged in floodwater, leaving tens of thousands of people trapped. The weather bureau says the level of the Cau river, running across the city, is at record levels. The environment ministry says eight people have been killed in flash floods and landslides in Vietnam’s mountainous north since October 6, with five others missing.
Nancy (France) (AFP) – In a French neonatal ward, Aline Martin of the Opera national de Lorraine sings lullabies, Disney tunes and hymns to soothe premature babies. “We’ve noticed that the vibrations of the human voice, especially the lyrical voice, have a comforting quality for babies,” says Martin.
Strasbourg (France) (AFP) – EU chief Ursula von der Leyen says Europe must ramp up its defences to deter Russia’s hybrid warfare, after a catalogue of air incursions, cyber attacks, and damage to undersea cables. “This is a deliberate and targeted grey zone campaign against Europe, and Europe must respond,” she tells the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
Buenos Aires (Argentina) (AFP) – Argentine President Javier Milei headlines a concert in Buenos Aires to mark the release of a book he hopes will revive his sagging fortunes, as the country continues to navigate a period of political and economic uncertainty.
Rio Negro (Brazil) (AFP) – A wounded jaguar, reportedly injured by gunfire, is rescued by Brazilian military police and members of SEPET — the Animal Protection Secretariat for the Amazonas, in the waters of Rio Negro, Brazil.
Kfar Aza (AFP) – Israel marks the second anniversary of the October 7, 2023, attack, as Hamas and Israeli negotiators hold indirect talks to end the two-year war in Gaza under a US-proposed peace plan.
Kolkhozobod (AFP) – Despite Tajikistan’s abundant water reserves, access to clean drinking water remains a privilege in this mountainous Central Asian country. The 25,000 mountain glaciers in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan mean the two countries control around two-thirds of the region’s water reserves, suggesting water should be abundant. But outdated infrastructure and funding difficulties complicate the supply of plentiful and reliable drinking water.
Nuseirat (AFP) – Gazans share their views as Israel marks the second anniversary of the October 7, 2023, attack, and Hamas and Israeli negotiators hold indirect talks aimed at ending the war in Gaza under a US-proposed peace plan. “When the world marks October 7, it should rather remember the motive behind the October 7 [attack]. 77 years of occupation over the Palestinian people, with injustice, oppression, prisons, killing, displacement, and destruction,” says one displaced Palestinian man.
Doha (AFP) – Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari says that Israel should have ceased operations in Gaza already, in line with US President Donald Trump’s peace plan.
