Bekkersdal (South Africa) (AFP) – An attack at a bar near Johannesburg, South Africa, in which nine people were killed and 10 others injured, was “out of the blue, unprovoked,” says deputy provincial police commissioner Major General Fred Kekana. The shooting took place in the impoverished Bekkersdal township, with Kekana reporting that authorities are working to track down 10 armed suspects.
Tel Aviv (AFP) – Israelis rally in the city of Tel Aviv in protest against the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling for an objective probe into the failures surrounding the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack. Much of the Israeli public has been calling — in vain — for an independent state commission of inquiry into the events leading up to the attack, which resulted in the deaths of 1,221 people. State commissions of inquiry investigate major state-level failings, with the one established after the October 1973 Arab-Israeli war leading to the resignation of then prime minister Golda Meir.
Rome (AFP) – From February, people visiting Rome’s famed Trevi Fountain will have to pay a two-euro entrance fee in a bid to tackle overtourism. Some 30,000 people visit the fountain each day, with the large crowds making the area a target for pickpockets. The fountain will remain viewable from a distance, but only ticket holders will be able to get a closer look. Rome residents will be exempt from the charge.
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) (AFP) – Divers dressed as Santa Claus swim in the tanks of AquaRio, an annual tradition in the Rio de Janeiro aquarium. “Seeing the sparkle in the children’s eyes as they watch Santa Claus diving with the shark is incredible,” says diver Felipe Luna.
Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Moscow has no say in the organisation of elections in Ukraine, after Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested halting strikes for Kyiv to hold a presidential ballot.
Sydney (AFP) – Australian surf lifesavers line the shore of Sydney’s Bondi Beach and fall silent to honour the 15 people killed when gunmen fired into crowds at a Jewish festival by the sea.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva says that US military action in Venezuela would spark a “humanitarian catastrophe,” as he opened a summit of the South American Mercosur bloc. In an interview with NBC News conducted on December 18, US President Donald Trump said he could not rule out the possibility of war with Venezuela.
Taipei (AFP) – Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te calls for enhanced couter-terror police after a “terrifying and premeditated violent attack” in Taipei’s metro that left at least three civilians dead and eleven injured. He says that rapid response units “should no longer be just standard rapid-response teams for public order but must be trained and deployed as counter-terrorism police forces” to protect the stability of Taiwanese society.
Kardzhali (Bulgaria) (AFP) – In the heart of the Rhodope mountains of southern Bulgaria, Matey Mateev’s beluga caviar farm on Lake Kardzhali is working flat out to fulfil orders from around the world. Bulgaria ranks among Europe’s largest producers of the “king of caviars”, with annual production exceeding 520 kilos in 2023, according to Eurostat. In the large lake, the sturgeon “have natural conditions similar to those in the Black and Caspian Seas”, Mateev explains.
Taipei (AFP) – Attacks at metro stations in Taipei, which killed three people, were “deliberate,” says Taiwan’s Premier Cho Jung-tai. The suspect, who officials have confirmed is dead, “threw five or six gasoline bombs or smoke bombs” at Taipei’s Main Station, Jung-tai says, with the city’s Zhongshan station also targeted. According the the fire department, five people were wounded in the attacks, for which the motive is not yet clear.
Foz do Iguaçu (Brazil) (AFP) – Foreign ministers of the South American Mercosur bloc pose for a photo during a meeting in Brazil, as EU diplomatic sources say a long-delayed trade deal may now be signed on January 12. IMAGES
Warsaw (AFP) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warns that Russia will attack Poland if its invasion of Ukraine is not stopped. Speaking in Warsaw, Zelensky says “without Ukraine’s independence, without our state’s independence, Moscow will inevitably come here.”
