London (AFP) – UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer says social media platform X is “acting to ensure full compliance with UK law” amid an outcry over sexualised “deepfake” images created by its Grok chatbot. Earlier in the week, the UK’s media regulator Ofcom launched a formal investigation into X. “The actions of Grok and X are disgusting,” Starmer says, speaking to the House of Commons, adding that his government is “not going to back down.”
Sadovik (Bulgaria) (AFP) – Covered in bells and touting lit torches, dancers perform during Bulgaria’s Kukeri Carnival, with rituals meant to send off the old year and drive away evil spirits. The impressive, hand-made costumes, as well as the characters they represent, are “passed down from father to son, from grandfather to grandson,” says dance leader Kaycho Velichkov.
Nakhon Ratchasima (Thailand) (AFP) – At least 32 people have been killed in Thailand after a construction crane collapsed onto a passenger train. Rescuers have been working to extract passengers from the badly damaged carriages in Nakhon Ratchasima province, northweast of the capital Bangkok.
Paris (France) (AFP) – French farmers continue their protest against the European Union’s trade deal with the South American bloc Mercosur, even after Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu promised an “emergency bill” to help alleviate their woes.
Nara (Japan) (AFP) – Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi played two K-pop songs during a post-summit drum session with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, who joked he felt “a little awkward” in front of the former heavy metal star.
Courchevel (France) (AFP) – The phone hasn’t stopped ringing at the Courchevel first-aid station in the French Alps. The team responsible for on-slope operations have been carrying out more and more rescues in recent days, with the avalanche risk at 4/5.
Beijing (AFP) – “Are You Dead?”, an app that sounds the alarm if a user doesn’t check in every 48 hours, is one of China’s top-selling paid apps recently as the country’s growing class of solo dwellers flock to download it.
Copenhagen (AFP) – Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen says it has not been easy “to stand up” to what she slams as “completely unacceptable pressure from our closest ally,” following US President Donald Trump’s threats to take over Greenland. Trump has been talking up the idea of buying or annexing the autonomous territory for years, and further stoked tensions by saying that the United States would take the territory “one way or the other”.
Paris (France) (AFP) – France records more deaths than births in 2025, marking a historic demographic shift. For the first time since the end of the Second World War, the country recorded “6,000 more deaths than births”, according to figures released by INSEE, France’s national institute of statistics and economic studies.
Montmeló (Spain) (AFP) – Young women may be powering the boom in popularity in Formula 1 — but a woman hasn’t competed at the highest level of motorsport since 1976. AFP meets four of the world’s most promising young female drivers, all vying for a future in F1. Skye Parker, Zoe Florescu Potolea, Ivonn Simeonova and Alexia Danielsson have been selected for a pioneering driver development programme that’s committed to finding F1’s first woman world champion.
Seoul (AFP) – Customers cook and eat ramyeon, or Korean instant noodles, in a viral restaurant in Seoul that offers a massive collection of the staple food featured in the global hit Netflix movie “K-pop Demon Hunters”. South Korea’s instant noodle export surpassed 1.5 billion US dollars in 2025, hitting a record high, according to figures released by the customs service.
Hawaii National Volcanoes Park (United States) (AFP) – Fresh lava fountains spew from Hawaii’s Kilauea, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, in its 40th eruption. The volcano has been very active since 1983 and erupts relatively regularly. It has been throwing out thousands of tonnes of molten rock and gases for over a year now since an eruption in December 2024.
