AFP UK

Livingston (United States) (AFP) – Steven Nelson has spent more than a dozen years on Death Row in Texas and is to be executed by lethal injection on Wednesday 5 February for a murder which he insists he did not commit. Nelson was convicted of the 2011 murder of Clint Dobson, a 28-year-old pastor, during a robbery of the NorthPointe Baptist Church in Arlington, near Dallas. He acknowledges that he served as a lookout during the robbery and that he entered the church after the murder to steal some items, but says it his two accomplices, who were never brought to trial, are responsible for the murder.

New Taipei City (Taiwan) (AFP) – Thousands of worshippers gather for the annual “Holy Pig” festival in northern Taiwan, which sees local owners compete for a trophy awarded for the largest carcass of a giant overfed pig.

Vienna (AFP) – In 2025, Vienna celebrates the bicentenary of the birth of Johann Strauss II, an emblematic figure and composer of classical music. His most famous work, “The Blue Danube” (“An der schönen, blauen Donau” in German), composed in 1866, is Austria’s unofficial anthem and still resonates today.

Australian emergency crews are rescuing people from fast-moving floodwaters in the country’s northeast, as the disaster forces thousands to flee, blacks out homes, and sweeps away a chunk of a critical bridge.

The Taliban authorities in Afghanistan are looking to capitalise on the country’s rich mineral resources by courting local and foreign investors and securing a crucial revenue stream — though experts warn of the risks of cutting corners.

Panama City (AFP) – US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives at Panama’s presidential palace to meet President Jose Raul Mulino, as he looks for how to follow up on President Donald Trump’s extraordinary threat to seize the Panama Canal. IMAGES

Samut Sakhon (Thailand) (AFP) – Four years after Myanmar’s military seized power in a coup, the country is in the grip of a bloody civil war that has driven many of the country’s young across the border to Thailand. There they scrape by doing hard jobs for little pay — often living in fear of being arrested and sent back to Myanmar.

Ottawa (AFP) – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced a round of tariffs against $106 billion worth of American goods in response to President Donald Trump’s trade action. Citing a threat from illegal immigration and drugs, Trump earlier announced broad tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China. [TO COMPLETE VIDI_36WU3MM]

Panama City (AFP) – Marco Rubio arrives in Panama on his debut trip abroad as US Secretary of State, to discuss Trump’s demands for canal. Rubio’s mission came as Trump imposed steep tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China — another step showing a far more aggressive US foreign policy. IMAGES

Buenos Aires (AFP) – Thousands gather in front of Argentina’s government palace in Buenos Aires to protest against Milei’s government’s rollback of diversity policies. During his first year in office, Milei dissolved the Ministry of Women, Gender, and Diversity, as well as the National Institute Against Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Racism. IMAGES

Ningde (China) (AFP) – A wizened farmer leads a buffalo into a misty clearing in the banyan trees in Xiapu, eastern China. The scene is idyllic, but entirely fabricated. The region’s popularity has soared among Chinese city dwellers nostalgic for an idealised agrarian past and able to look past the artificial creations. Residents’ scenes have gone viral on social media, with Xiapu appearing in hundreds of thousands of TikTok and Red Note posts.

Tokyo (AFP) – In front of around 3,500 fans gathered at Tokyo’s Meiji Shrine, sumo wrestling’s newest grand champion, or ‘yokozuna’, receives the ancient sport’s highest rank. Hoshoryu, a 25-year-old Mongolian-born wrestler, is sumo’s 74th yokozuna, with his promotion coming after he claimed two major titles.