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New Delhi (AFP) – The ancient game of kho kho is enjoying a resurgence in India, with organisers of the first international tournament hoping their efforts will secure the sport’s place in the Olympics. “My elder sister played the sport, but was not able to pursue her dreams,” Indian women’s team player Nasreen Shaikh, 26, told AFP. “We have crossed the first barrier of playing in a World Cup. The next big step would be an entry in the Olympics.”

Warsaw (AFP) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tells reporters that “the sooner Ukraine is in the EU, the sooner Ukraine becomes a member of NATO… the sooner the whole of Europe will get the geopolitical certainty it needs” after meeting with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Warsaw. Poland has been one of Ukraine’s staunchest allies since Russia launched a war against Kyiv in February 2022, and has pledged to speed up Ukraine’s process to join the EU.

Maputo (AFP) – Mozambique’s new president Daniel Chapo takes the oath of office in the capital Maputo and says the Southern African nation needs “unity” following weeks of violent demonstrations over the fiercely disputed election results. “Today, more than ever, we need unity, courage and determination. It won’t be an easy journey, but we have to have full confidence in the strength of the Mozambican people, of our national unity, which is the secret of our success,” Chapo says in a speech.

Seoul (AFP) – Supporters of South Korea’s impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol hold a rally outside the Corruption Investigation Office in Seoul. Yoon on Wednesday became the first sitting South Korean president to be arrested over his short-lived effort to impose martial law in December.

Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Above the roaring fires devastating parts of Los Angeles is an incongruous sight: air tankers dropping gallons of bright red and Barbie-pink slurry over forest, homes, cars, and anything else that might lie in the blazes’ path. The substance, vivid against the grey smoke and charred landscape, is fire retardant — much of it a product called Phos-Chek that has been used by the US Forest Service since the 1960s.

Beijing (AFP) – Beijing on Wednesday said it “firmly opposes” a United States move to effectively bar Chinese technology from smart cars in the American market, saying alleged risks to national security were “without any factual basis”. “Such actions disrupt economic and commercial cooperation between enterprises… and represent typical protectionism and economic coercion,” foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said, adding: “China firmly opposes this.”

Seoul (AFP) – South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol says he has decided to submit to questioning over his failed martial law bid to avert “bloodshed” even though he believed the probe was illegal. Yoon is the first president to be detained in the nation’s history. “I decided to respond to the Corruption Investigation Office,” Yoon said in a pre-recorded video message, adding that he did not accept the legality of the investigation but was complying “to prevent any unfortunate bloodshed.”

Salzburg (Austria) (AFP) – Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp expresses hope that Mohamed Salah will sign a new contract to stay at Anfield beyond the end of this season. “I hope he stays. He is a fantastic player, a fantastic human being, an outstanding athlete, the best ambassador your country could have. So I hope he will stay at Liverpool,” Klopp replies to a question about Salah from an Egyptian journalist during a press conference in Austria. Klopp was speaking at his unveiling as Red Bull’s head of global soccer, a role in which he will oversee the energy drinks conglomerate’s football empire.

Prayagraj (India) (AFP) – Hindu holy men and devotees gather on the second day of India’s giant and millenia-old Kumbh Mela festival. Organisers expect 400 million people to attend the event, which began on January 13 and will run until February 26.

Doha (AFP) – Negotiations in Doha for a Gaza truce and hostage release deal are in their “final stages”, says Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari in a press conference. Qatar, Egypt and the United States have stepped up efforts to broker a ceasefire to enable the release of hostages held in Gaza since Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,210 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures. Israel’s retaliatory campaign in Gaza has killed 46,645 people, a majority of them civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, figures that the UN considers reliable.

Pacific Palisades (United States) (AFP) – The huge fires that broke out in Los Angeles last week are the third “calamity” to hit Hollywood in recent years, says industry expert Karie Bible. The disaster arrived with the film industry still feeling the impacts of Covid-19 and the writers’ and actors’ strikes. At least 24 people have died in the blazes, which have destroyed 12,000 structures and forced 92,000 people from their homes.

London (AFP) – UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer says “Britain will be one of the great AI superpowers” as he lays out his vision to harness the power of artificial intelligence to boost the country’s flagging economy. The “AI Opportunities Action Plan” includes 50 recommendations that the government will implement to boost AI-driven efficiency in the public sector, from education and healthcare to detecting potholes.