Mbabane (AFP) – Eswatini begins administering a groundbreaking HIV-prevention injection in the drug’s first public rollouts in Africa, which has the world’s highest HIV burden. Lenacapavir, which is taken twice a year, has been shown to reduce the risk of HIV transmission by more than 99.9 percent, making it functionally akin to a powerful vaccine. Eswatini — a tiny kingdom of 1.2 million — has about 220,000 people living with the virus.
London (AFP) – Mick Jagger, Lily Allen and Cate Blanchett are among the stars on the red carpet ahead of The Fashion Awards 2025 at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
Brüssel (AFP) – NATO chief Mark Rutte says he is “confident” US efforts to end the Ukraine war could bring peace, as Washington’s representatives are in Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin. “I am confident that these sustained efforts will eventually restore peace in Europe,” Rutte tells journalists on the eve of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers.
Chost (AFP) – In eastern Afghanistan, people make their way to a sports stadium to witness the public execution of a man convicted of murder. The man, identified as Mangal, is the 12th person to be publicly executed since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, according to an AFP tally. He had been sentenced to “retaliatory punishment” for killing a man after his case was “examined very precisely and repeatedly”, the Supreme Court said in a statement.
Hongkong (AFP) – When Jacky Lee first heard about a raging fire at the Hong Kong housing estate where she lived, she feared that she would never see her 15-year-old grey poodle Jason again. The 43-year-old airline engineer recounts how the dog was finally rescued by firefighters from the still-burning towers and returned to her.
Hong Kong (AFP) – British and American marathon swimmers Simon Holliday and Edie Hu have become the first people to swim around Hong Kong’s largest island of Lantau. Their 65 kilometre (40 miles) swim took 20 hours 56 minutes and 21 hours 28 minutes respectively. The third in the pod, American Brett Kruse, was defeated by crippling cramp at around the eight-hour point. AFP joined the support boat to document their adventure.
Seoul (AFP) – When South Korea’s leader declared martial law a year ago, one young woman blocked a tank, a civil servant resigned in protest and a lawmaker switched sides to remove him from office. They are among the many South Koreans whose lives were transformed on December 3, 2024.
Dublin (AFP) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife Olena Zelenska arrive Ireland, in a first official trip to the EU member country. They are greeted by Irish taoiseach (prime minister) Micheal Martin upon arrival. IMAGES
Dublin (AFP) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife Olena Zelenska arrive Ireland, in a first official trip to the EU member country. They are greeted by Irish taoiseach (prime minister) Micheal Martin upon arrival. IMAGES
Caracas (AFP) – Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro appears at a public event in Caracas following his phone call with US President Donald Trump, amid soaring tensions between the two countries. The United States is piling the pressure on Venezuela, with a major military buildup in the Caribbean, the designation of an alleged drug cartel run by Maduro as a terrorist group, and an ominous warning from Trump that Venezuelan airspace is “closed.” IMAGES
Tegucigalpa (AFP) – Votes cast in Honduras’ presidential election arrive at a logistics center under heavy military guard. Conservative candidate Nasry Asfura, who is backed by US President Donald Trump, holds the slenderest of leads with just over half the votes counted. IMAGES
Harissa (AFP) – Dozens wait for Pope Leo XIV to arrive at the Our Lady of Lebanon shrine in Harissa, north of Beirut, on the second day of his trip to the multi-confessional country. The pope arrived from Turkey on Sunday on his inaugural visit abroad as pontiff, aiming to bring a message of hope, particularly to young people in Lebanon whose faith in their crisis-hit country has dwindled.
