Cape Town (AFP) – South Africa’s Mineral Resources Minister hits back at US President Donald Trump’s accusations that the country was “confiscating” land, suggesting that Africa could “withhold minerals to the US” in response. “If they don’t give us money, let’s not give them minerals,” says Gwede Mantashe at a mining conference in Cape Town. “We are not beggars”.
Montevideo (AFP) – Uruguayans pay tribute to Iemanja, the Goddess of the Sea in the Afro-Brazilian religion Umbanda, at Ramirez Beach in Montevideo. Meanwhile in Brazil, followers of the Candomble religion host a procession through the Rio de Janeiro neighbourhood of Ipanema, culminating in offerings cast into the water.
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
