Taiwan (AFP) – Taiwan’s iguana population has exploded since the spikey-backed giant lizards were introduced from Central and South America more than 20 years ago as exotic pets. Now, armed with slingshots, harpoons, and darts, bounty hunters are being hired by the government to cull the lizard population invading neighbourhoods and ravaging crops.
Jerusalem (AFP) – Top US diplomat Marco Rubio and Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu present a united front on their approach to Hamas and Iran, as the new secretary of state visits the Middle East for the first time.
Caracas (AFP) – Couples say ‘I do’ in a mass wedding ceremony celebrating Valentine’s Day in Caracas, Venezuela. IMAGES
Tokyo (AFP) – Japan’s government has announced plans to release 210,000 tonnes of emergency rice in response to the staple food’s soaring prices. Previously, such a move was reserved for times of emergency, such as major earthquakes, but last month the country’s agriculture ministry allowed the release with distribution deemed stagnant. The latest average retail price for a five-kilogram bag was $24, up from $13 last year.
Nairobi (AFP) – Levi’s and Wrangler jeans are pure Americana, but millions of pairs of the fashion staple are shipped from a factory in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. But the site risks closure, with the US law that enabled it set to expire in September unless US President Donald Trump agrees to extend it. The 25-year-old African Growth and Opportunities Act gives duty-free benefits to goods made on the continent and without it many US importers will likely look at cheaper production hubs.
Undisclosed Location, Donetsk Region (Ukraine) (AFP) – For Ukrainian soldiers on the front line, the phone call between US President Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin has sparked fears over the reliability of Kyiv’s most vital political and military backer. Trump has said the two agreed to talks aimed at ending the fighting, raising concerns among Ukraine’s allies over a non-inclusive process they warn could lead to a bad deal, with Kyiv having to cede territory to an emboldened Russia. “It will be chaos,” says soldier Oleksandr.
Warsaw (AFP) – NATO member states “need to spend more” and “need to have more skin in the game,” says US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a visit to Poland. “That is not just a suggestion” from the US, he adds, but “a direct request that we will follow up on”. Hegseth’s remarks come as the US, under President Donald Trump, argues it needs to shift its security focus away from Europe and towards Asia and its main adversary China.
Munich (Germany) (AFP) – Ukraine will be “ready to talk with the Russians” once its allies provide a “common understanding” on how to end the three-year war, says the country’s President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Lima (AFP) – A passenger bus falls into a river after a bridge in Chancay, in the province of Lima, collapsed due to a construction problem. Rescue services work to get passengers out of the bus. IMAGES
Luliang (China) (AFP) – Newlyweds Zhang Gang and Weng Linbin pose in front of a red backdrop adorned with a Chinese government emblem, fanning out the wad of cash they have received as an incentive to get married. They are one of hundreds of couples to tie the knot in the Chinese city of Luliang after authorities there started offering cash rewards for getting hitched in an effort to boost birth rates.
Khmelnytsky (Ukraine) (AFP) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says it is “not very pleasant” that US President Donald Trump spoke to Russia’s Vladimir Putin “first”. Speaking the day after Trump spoke to both the Russian and Ukrainian leaders, Zelensky says Moscow should only be invited to talks “after a plan to stop Putin has been worked out”. Trump’s conversation with Putin has shocked many European leaders who are now fearful that they and Kyiv could be cut out of any eventual negotiations.
Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – “I would not taint any movie with the reality of the world we’re living in right now,” says Harrison Ford, speaking at the US premiere of ‘Captain America: Brave New World’. “I prefer the reality of the Marvel universe to the morning’s news, ” adds the 82-year-old action veteran. Despite Ford’s wishes, Marvel’s latest offering has faced an online backlash over supposedly unpatriotic comments made by lead actor Anthony Mackie, in which he said he didn’t think the term “America” should be among the “different things” represented by the superhero.
