AFP UK

Yangon (Myanmar) (AFP) – Polls close in the final round of Myanmar’s month-long election, with the dominant pro-military party on course for a landslide in a junta-run vote critics say will prolong the army’s grip on power. The elections are the first to be held by the military junta that came to power after the 2021 coup. “We hope for a situation where we can live peacefully and comfortably,” says one voter. Another worries that the elections are “unlikely to be free and fair.”

Philadelphia (AFP) – Images posted on social media show snowfall and snow clearing operations across the US, from Texas to Pennsylvania. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that up to 240 million Americans could be affected by the storm.

Tirana (Albania) (AFP) – Anti-government protesters clash with riot police in Albania’s capital Tirana, with some hurling molotov cocktails at the police who used teargas and water cannons to disperse the crowd. The demonstrators gathered at the main government building, accusing Prime Minister Edi Rama of corruption and demanding his resignation.

Minneapolis (AFP) – People in Minnesota clash with law enforcement as anger erupts over the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse, by ICE immigration officials. This comes just weeks after ICE agents shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Good in Minneapolis. “This is an administration that has no regard for humanity, civil rights,” says one protester.

At sea (AFP) – Images provided by the French Armed Forces General Staff show the French Navy’s intervention of the Grinch tanker, suspected of belonging to the Russian ‘shadow fleet’. The ‘shadow fleet’ is a clandestine network of tankers that carry oil for countries such as Russia and Iran in violation of US and EU sanctions.

Santa Barbara (United States) (AFP) – Ahead of the US midterm elections, the Republican Party is working hard to project an image of unwavering loyalty to President Donald Trump, despite his declining popularity in the polls. “We’re going to be successful in holding the majorities in both the House and the Senate [and] defy history because we have the best president that’s ever lived,” says Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters at a party meeting in Santa Barbara, California.

Medellín (Colombia) (AFP) – “I’m really excited to see what Bad Bunny has in store for us at this Super Bowl,” says Cristina Velasquez, a Bad Bunny fan in Medellin, Colombia, where the Puerto Rican rapper will perform for three nights during his “Debi Tirar Mas Fotos” world tour. Having skipped the US in his world tour over fears of ICE raids at his concerts, the reggaeton star is set to perform the Super Bowl halftime show, despite opposition from US President Donald Trump.

Cisarua (Indonesia) (AFP) – A landslide has killed at least eight people and left more than 80 missing on Indonesia’s main island of Java on Saturday. Triggered by heavy rainfall, it struck villages in Java’s West Bandung region in the early hours and buried residential areas.

Erbil (Iraq) (AFP) – Dozens of women gather in Erbil, the capital of the Iraqi Kurdistan region, to braid each other’s hair in a show of support, after a Syrian soldier bragged in a video about cutting off a Kurdish fighter’s braid in Raqa. Thirty-year-old protester Darin Masoum, whose family is in northeastern Syria, says that the act is “for our sisters, whom we support. We will always stand by them.” Protesters were showing support for Syrian Kurds, as Syrian government troops have recently been retaking parts of the country held by the Kurds’ de facto autonomous administration, which administration has long touted the participation of women in its armed forces.

Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – Firefighters from the State Emergency Services of Ukraine tackle blazes in Kyiv after the Ukrainian capital was attacked by Russian missiles and drones overnight. This comes as negotiators from Russia, Ukraine and the United States are to meet for a second day in Abu Dhabi to discuss a plan to end the almost four-year-long war.

Paris (France) (AFP) – Prized for a minimalist aesthetic and significantly lower costs than institutional venues, “raw” spaces are establishing themselves as a new playground for Parisian fashion shows. Rod Reynolds found the first floor of a building under construction in southern Paris for the presentation of Belgian label Dries Van Noten’s autumn-winter menswear collection. “These are surprising, new venues, not the usual event spaces we’re used to seeing,” says the venue hunter who heads the Records Collection agency.

Brussels (Belgium) (AFP) – European Council President Antonio Costa says the bloc “will continue to stand up for its interests” and defend itself “against any form of coercion” following US President Donald Trump’s climbdown on Greenland. Costa was speaking after an EU leaders summit in Brussels.