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Inagi (Japan) (AFP) – The first permanent Pokemon theme park has opened in Tokyo, featuring themed rides and a woodland area where visitors can try and “catch ’em all”. Visitors to PokePark Kanto, within Tokyo’s largest amusement park Yomiuri Land, are greeted by statues of the electric mouse Pikachu and other creatures from the franchise. Pokemon — one of Japan’s top cultural exports — began in 1996 with video games on Nintendo’s Game Boy console.

Brasilia (AFP) – Brazilian vice-president Geraldo Alckmin welcomes Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin to Itamaraty Palace in Brasilia for a bilateral high-level commission meeting. IMAGES

Cortina d’Ampezzo (Italy) (AFP) – Spectators say they were “really excited” about watching the curling mixed doubles at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics as the sports programme begins two days before the opening ceremony. Four matches have been held at the Cortina Olympic Stadium in the first sporting event at the 2026 Games, which officially run between February 6-22.

(AFP) – In a comprehensive expedition examining deep-sea ecosystems offshore the entire length of Argentina, scientists aboard Schmidt Ocean Institute’s vessel R/V Falkor (too) have documented a rare phantom jellyfish. Stygiomedusa gigantea, commonly known as the giant phantom jelly, can grow up to 1 m (3.3 ft) in diameter, and its four arms can reach up to 10 m (33 ft) long. They do not have any stinging tentacles but use their arms to catch prey, according to information shared by the institute.

Beijing (AFP) – China says it will not join nuclear talks “at this stage” after the expiry of the US-Russian New START treaty triggered fears of a global arms race. “China has always kept its nuclear capabilities at the minimum level required for national security and is not engaging in an arms race with any country,” China’s foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian says during a media briefing.

Rome (AFP) – An artist who restored a fresco in a church in central Rome with a likeness of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has wiped out his own artwork after it sparked outrage. The story began on Saturday when La Repubblica daily revealed that the face of a freshly-restored winged figure in the San Lorenzo in Lucina church closely resembled Meloni. The artist behind the restoration, Bruno Valentinetti, then admitted he had rubbed out her face on Tuesday night following a request by the Vatican administration.

Moscow (AFP) – Moscow residents voice optimism about talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States ending the four-year war. Meanwhile, Russian strikes batter Kyiv’s power plants, leaving many without heating or electricity amid subzero temperatures.

Washington (United States) (AFP) – Colombian President Gustavo Petro and US President Donald Trump appear to bury the hatchet during a White House meeting, after a year of sparring that culminated in threats by Trump to topple the left-wing leader like in Venezuela. “My impression of the meeting a few hours ago is first and foremost that it was positive,” Petro tells reporters after the meeting, while says he “got along very well” with the leader whom he recently accused of pumping drugs into the United States, as he did with Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela.

Havana (AFP) – Havana residents wrap up warm as Cuba experiences an unusual drop in temperatures, brought on by the arrival of an intense cold front that has dragged a mass of polar air from North America into the Caribbean. The island has registered a record low of zero degrees Celsuis (32 farenheit), the first time freezing point has been documented on the Caribbean island, according to its Institute of Meteorology.

Moscow (AFP) – On a video call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin praises relations between the two countries as a “stabilising” factor amid global “turbulence”. Moscow and Beijing have sought to present a united front against the West, with ties deepening since Russia’s 2022 Ukraine offensive. “When it comes to Russian-Chinese relations, you can say with confidence that any season is spring,” Putin says, speaking on the day of Lichun — the beginning of spring in the traditional Chinese calendar.

Washington (United States) (AFP) – US President Donald Trump calls on Americans to move on from the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, saying he has been cleared by the latest release of millions of documents. “Nothing came out about me other than it was a conspiracy against me, literally, by Epstein and other people. But I think it’s time now for the country to maybe get on to something else,” he tells reporters at the White House while signing a spending bill ending a partial goverment shutdown. Trump spent months trying to block the disclosure of files linked to Epstein, before relenting late last year when an initial tranche of files was released.

Minneapolis (United States) (AFP) – Inside a Native American community center in northern Minneapolis, Jessica Glidden is getting her tribal identity card issued for protection as the city has become the focus of President Donald Trump’s immigration operations.