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Washington (AFP) – Staff return to their work at a regional office of the Veteran Hub of Vinnytsia, 250 km from Kyiv, after being forced to close for a week when US President Donald Trump ordered the closure of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which distributes US humanitarian aid globally. The hub was able to reopen with the help of local funding after staff quickly took to social media to publicise the consequences of the aid freeze.

Avellaneda (Argentina) (AFP) – A stream on the outskirts of Buenos Aires turned blood red on 6 February, causing anxiety among residents who blamed it on pollution. The Ministry of the Environment for the province of Buenos Aires said in a statement that water samples had been taken to determine what substance had caused the discoloration, citing the possibility of an “organic dye”.

Bangkok (AFP) – Five Thai nationals held hostage in Gaza for more than a year have returned to their home country, after being freed on January 30 under a ceasefire deal aimed at ending the Gaza war.

New Orleans (AFP) – The Philadelphia Eagles soared to a crushing 40-22 Super Bowl victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, shattering their opponents’ bid for a historic hat-trick of NFL titles in a rout watched by President Donald Trump. “It was amazing, it was electric, the Eagles never struggled from start to finish”, says Clare Courduff as she leaves the stadium after the Super Bowl.

Quito (AFP) – Images of police and armed forces patrolling outside the headquarters of the National Electoral Council in Quito as around 14 million Ecuadorians begin voting to decide who will lead their violence-wracked Andean nation through its worst crisis in half a century. IMAGES

Toacaso (Ecuador) (Ecuador) (AFP) – Ecuadorans in Toacaso cast their votes to decide who will lead the violence-wracked Andean nation through its worst crisis in half a century. Sixteen candidates are vying to become president for the next four years, including hawkish young incumbent Daniel Noboa and his leftist opponent Luisa Gonzalez. IMAGES

Canuto (Ecuador) (AFP) – Presidential candidate Luisa Gonzalez casts her vote in Canuto as some 14 million Ecuadorans decide who will lead the violence-wracked Andean nation through its worst crisis in half a century. Sixteen candidates are vying to become president for a four-year term, including hawkish young incumbent Daniel Noboa and his leftist rival Gonzalez. IMAGES

Olon (Ecuador) (AFP) – President and presidential candidate Daniel Noboa casts his vote in Olon, accompanied by his family, as some 14 million Ecuadorans decide who will lead the violence-wracked Andean nation through its worst crisis in half a century. IMAGES

Canuto (Ecuador) (AFP) – Ecuadorans in Canuto cast their votes to decide who will lead the violence-wracked Andean nation through its worst crisis in half a century. Sixteen candidates are vying to become president for the next four years, including hawkish young incumbent Daniel Noboa and his leftist opponent Luisa Gonzalez. IMAGES

Dakar (AFP) – Several relatives of people who have died or disappeared while attempting to emigrate from Senegal attend a prayer session to remember their loved ones on a beach near the capital Dakar. The ceremony was part of “Commemor-action”, an international drive to support the families of those who have died or disappeared while trying to emigrate.

Bogotá (AFP) – Indigenous people of the Colombian Amazon warn that deforestation and drug trafficking will likely increase if USAID support ends due to Trump’s decision. Osvaldo Muca, President of OPIAC (National Organization of Indigenous Peoples of the Colombian Amazon), urges the Colombian government to replace USAID financial support, as its absence “could have serious consequences” in the Amazon territories.

San Pedro Sula (Honduras) (AFP) – A plane carrying deported Honduran migrants from the United States lands at Ramon Villeda Morales International Airport where Antonio Garcia, the Honduran Deputy Foreign Minister, says there’s a lot of anxiety among migrants in the United States who fear being deported if they leave their homes.