Örebro (Sweden) (AFP) – Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf says he and Queen Silvia are “personally very shocked” by the mass shooting in Orebro, in which 10 people were killed on 4 February. The monarch, who earlier laid flowers at a memorial to victims, says “Swedish people are shocked over this tragic incident which happened here at this school.”
Marseille (AFP) – The Virgin and Child statue enthroned at the top of Marseille’s Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde basilica is getting a makeover this year. The statue, known to the locals as ‘Bonne-mere’ (Good Mother), will be gilded with 30,000 gold leaves.
Goma (DR Congo) (AFP) – Restoration work in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo city of Goma after the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group declared a “ceasefire” from 4 February. A day after the ceasefire was supposed to come into force, M23 and Rwandan troops launched a fresh offensive with the seizure of a mining town in South Kivu, the neighbouring province to Goma, raising fears of an advance to its capital Bukavu.
Tijuana (Mexico) (AFP) – Mexican National Guard troops work at the US border in Tijuana as part of a 10,000-member deployment that President Claudia Sheinbaum promised US counterpart Donald Trump in exchange for a one-month delay of his tariffs. IMAGES
Washington (AFP) – President Donald Trump has revealed an extraordinary plan for the United States to take over the Gaza Strip, resettle Palestinians in other countries — seemingly whether they want to leave or not — and turn the territory into “the Riviera of the Middle East.”
Hong Kong (AFP) – The attempted assassination of Donald Trump has been recreated as part of an absurdist play in Hong Kong. Hundreds have flocked to see the Trump show which is helping traditional Cantonese opera connect with a younger audience at the soon-to-be-shuttered Sunbeam Theatre.
Shanghai (AFP) – China announced it would impose tariffs on imports of US energy, vehicles and equipment, firing a return salvo minutes after Trump’s threatened tariffs on Chinese goods came into effect.
Syria’s national symphony orchestra takes to the stage for its first concert at Damascus opera house since Bashar al-Assad’s ouster. After Islamist-led rebels ousted Assad on December 8, the orchestra’s rehearsals and concerts were halted as Syria embarked on a delicate transition away from decades of one-family rule enforced by a repressive security apparatus.
Paris (Kyrgyzstan) (AFP) – Surging trade with Russia and China means that the small Kyrgyzstan settlement of 100 inhabitants is getting busier and busier. A popular stopover for truck drivers, it has been named Paris by hauliers who see the lights of its roadside cafes while driving a treacherous road.
Manaus (Brazil) (AFP) – The Inhaa-be indigenous village inaugurates the first cinema in an Amazon indigenous territory. The opening featured Kokama’s documentary “Traços da Resistencia” (“Traces of Resistance”) along with eight short films showcasing Indigenous talent from across Brazil.
Hong Kong (AFP) – The attempted assassination of Donald Trump has been recreated as part of an absurdist play in Hong Kong. Hundreds have flocked to see the Trump show which is helping traditional Cantonese opera connect with a younger audience at the soon-to-be-shuttered Sunbeam Theatre.
Madrid (AFP) – Spanish Labour Minister Yolanda Diaz announces the government is taking the first steps towards reducing the working week in the country from having a maximum legal working day of 40 hours to 37.5 hours. However there is no guarantee of a majority to pass the bill in parliament at this stage.
