Miami (AFP) – Empty shelves and eye-watering price tags greet those looking for eggs in supermarkets across the United States, where bird flu has hit poultry farms and triggered a nationwide egg shortage. With various strains of the virus detected, including at least one causing severe symptoms in humans, mass culls have been carried out on flocks, severely reducing the supply of a staple product.
Beijing (AFP) – China says it “regrets” Panama’s decision to pull out of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), accusing the United States of using “pressure and coercion to smear and undermine” the project, a massive infrastructure initiative aimed at expanding Beijing’s clout overseas. On 6 February, Panama confirmed it had withdrawn from the BRI, following threats made by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio over Chinese influence on the Panama Canal. Since winning the US election in November, President Donald Trump has refused to rule out using force to seize the canal, built by Washington over a century ago and later handed over to Panama.
Washington (AFP) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu describes US President Donald Trump’s proposal to move Palestinians out of Gaza as “the first original idea to be raised in years”. Speaking in Washington DC, where he met with Trump, Netanyahu says “I think it is worth listening very carefully to this idea.”
Sao Paulo (AFP) – Two people were killed when a small plane crashed on a major avenue in Brazil’s economic capital Sao Paulo, narrowly escaping heavy traffic and skidding into a bus. Investigators are at the scene to establish the circumstances of the accident. IMAGES
Sao Paulo (AFP) – Emergency services attend the scene of a plane crash on a major avenue in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo. After hitting a bus it exploded, leaving two people dead and six injured, according to authorities. The small plane crashed in the western part of Brazil’s largest city at around 7:20 a.m. local time (10:20 a.m. GMT). IMAGES
Sao Paulo (AFP) – Aerial shots of emergency services attending the scene of a plane crash on a major avenue in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo. After hitting a bus it exploded, leaving two people dead and six injured, according to authorities. The small plane crashed in the western part of Brazil’s largest city at around 7:20 a.m. local time (10:20 a.m. GMT). IMAGES
Quito (AFP) – Images of Ecuador’s President and presidential candidate Daniel Noboa closing rally in Quito ahead of the weekend’s elections. The country’s dueling presidential hopefuls made a last-ditch pitch to late-deciding voters, wrapping a bitter campaign dominated by surging cartel violence and economic crisis. IMAGES
Witham (United Kingdom) (AFP) – With Britain embarking on an ambitious plan to upgrade its electricity grid, residents in a quiet corner of the southeast England have found themselves at the forefront of a battle against what they see as the encroachment of 50-metre-tall pylons. The UK government sees as crucial in hitting its targets of net zero emissions and improved energy security.
Paris (AFP) – Artificial intelligence systems need “cast-iron guarantees,” says Stuart Russell, co-Director of the International Association for Safe and Ethical AI, with Google seemingly rowing back on a promise to stop its technology being used for weaponry or illegal surveillance. Speaking at a global AI summit in Paris, he says the Trump administration is “placing a huge emphasis on the use of AI for military prowess” and Google’s change of heart is likely “not a coincidence.”
Antakya (Turkey) (AFP) – Two years on from a deadly earthquake that claimed more than 53,000 lives in Turkey’s southeast, the worst-hit city of Antakya has turned to art as a means of recovery. For many local artists, the quake now informs their work, which in turn helps them process the tragedy. “I dedicated myself to art to heal,” says mosaic artist Eser Mansuroglu.
Buenos Aires (AFP) – Argentina’s government announces that it will ban gender transition procedures for minors, part of President Javier Milei’s war on what he has called “woke ideology”. The move comes a week after US President Donald Trump restricted the procedures for people younger than 19.
Örebro (Sweden) (AFP) – Police investigating Sweden’s worst-ever mass shooting are still trying to pin down a motive for the attack, which claimed 10 lives on 4 February. The killing spree unfolded at an adult education centre in the town of Orebro, west of Stockholm, that reportedly offered Swedish classes to immigrants. Police say interviews with witnesses and those with links to the perpetrator are ongoing.
