Washington (United States) (AFP) – US President Donald Trump has “actively discussed” the purchase of Greenland from Denmark with his team, the White House says. “That’s something that’s currently being actively discussed by the president and his national security team,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt tells reporters during a briefing when asked about a possible US offer to buy the self-governing territory.
Lima (AFP) – Chilean president-elect Jose Antonio Kast is greeted by Peru’s leader Jose Jeri at the presidential palace in Lima. IMAGES
Caracas (AFP) – Hundreds take to the streets in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas in a show of support and to demand the release of the deposed president Nicolas Maduro. The leader and his wife were captured by US forces during an overnight operation on January 3rd, and brought to New York to face charges of “narcoterrorism”. IMAGES
Paris (France) (AFP) – Parisians have mixed reactions as snow covers the French capital, while freezing temperatures hit northern and western France, causing transport disruptions. Many are delighted, such as Laurent Geneslay, a 52-year-old business owner, who says: “Seeing everything covered in white brings back childhood memories”. Philippe, 72, sums it up: “It’s both pretty and annoying. Pretty to look at and annoying to walk in”.
ZVORNIK (Bosnia and Herzegovina) (AFP) – A Bosnian firefighter rescues a half-submerged car from the freezing Drina river in eastern Bosnia. The country, like the rest of the region, has been hit by heavy rains and snowfalls since the weekend, leaving rivers swollen, homes flooded and causing power cuts.
Cúcuta (Colombia) (AFP) – At a border crossing into Colombia, Venezuelans burdened with suitcases and anxiety leave their country days after the US military strike that ousted the leftist leader Nicolas Maduro. While many welcome Maduro’s toppling, they remain uneasy as Trump claims to be “in charge” and Maduro loyalists swear in an interim leader.
Bogotá (AFP) – Colombian Foreign Minister Rosa Villavicencio says oil and economic interests are at the heart of the “conflict” between the United States and Venezuela, amid rising diplomatic tensions following a US military operation that resulted in the capture of deposed President Nicolas Maduro.
Paris (France) (AFP) – As Brigitte Bardot is laid to rest in her hometown of Saint Tropez, here’s a look at some of the key moments of the French film icon’s life, including the controversy she courted with her far-right views. BRIGITTE BARDOT
Ghoriyan (Afghanistan) (AFP) – Clutching a photo of her late teenage son, Mah Jan recalls how he left their village in western Afghanistan in search of a better life in Iran, only to freeze to death while walking across the mountainous frontier. Habibullah is just one of at least 18 migrants who died last month while trying to cross illegally into Iran from Afghanistan’s Herat province, according to officials.
Harbin (China) (AFP) – Fireworks light up the night sky over huge illuminated ice sculptures as China’s annual Harbin Ice Festival officially opens.
London (AFP) – London Zoo carries out its annual animal stocktake, a process dating back two centuries. The stocktake sees the zoo officially record more than 8,000 animals on an international conservation database.
Pope Leo XIV celebrates a mass on the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord in St Peter’s Basilica, after closing the Holy Door, marking the end of the Jubilee year. “After this year, will we be better able to recognise a pilgrim in the visitor, a seeker in the stranger, a neighbour in the foreigner, and fellow travellers in those who are different?”, he asks.
