Dakar (AFP) – Senegalese lawmakers have voted to delay this month’s presidential election until December, an unprecedented move that has sparked international concern over the West African country’s stability. The bill was passed almost unanimously, after opposition deputies were forcibly removed from the chamber.
Tokyo (AFP) – Inter-Miami superstar Lionel Messi said Tuesday his strained leg muscle was “getting better” but could not guarantee he would be fit to play in the pre-season friendly in Japan this week. Two days ago, furious fans in Hong Kong booed Messi and club co-owner David Beckham, shouting “Refund”, after the Argentina great failed to take the field for a sold-out friendly.
Dakar (AFP) – Clashes between secruity forces and protesters erupted in the Senegalese capital Dakar following President Macky Sall’s decision to postpone presidental elections scheduled for February 25. Sall’s announcement was met with strong reactions from opposition MPs who have rejected the delay. “On the eve of the start of an electoral campaign, it is unacceptable to stop a process of this nature,” decried presidential candidate Khalifa Sall.
Viña del Mar (Chile) (AFP) – Residents of Villa Independencia, the epicentre of the disaster in Chile’s Vina del Mar, return to their fire-ravaged homes and begin to clean up. “I have nothing, I’m left with nothing but the clothes I’m wearing,” says one resident who lost everything. Blazing wildfires have killed at least 112 people in Chile and left hundreds missing and thousands of homes destroyed amid an intense summer heatwave.
Ramallah (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh says the Rafah border in southern Gaza is an “Egyptian-Palestinian affair” after accusing Israel of “trying to move the Rafah crossing to another location” during a cabinet meeting in Ramallah. The Gaza Strip is facing dire humanitarian conditions after more than three months of the Israel-Hamas war, during which aid has only been allowed to trickle in through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.
Copenhagen (AFP) – For the month of February, the Copenhagen Lights Festival is lighting up the Danish capital’s dark streets. The festival features around 50 light-based works from both established and up-and-coming light artists and designers.
Hong Kong (AFP) – Inter Miami were booed on Sunday and angry fans demanded refunds after superstar Lionel Messi sat out the team’s pre-season friendly in Hong Kong. The World Cup-winning Argentina captain, who has a hamstring strain, stayed rooted to the bench throughout.
Lissabon (AFP) – Nearly a hundred activists from a nationalist group march through the centre of Lisbon in a demonstration against immigration and the “Islamisation of Europe,” five weeks ahead of general elections in which the far right could make a new breakthrough.
Viña del Mar (AFP) – Wildfires blazing across Chile have killed at least 51 people, officials said, leaving bodies in the street and homes gutted as flames continue to spread.
Belo Horizonte (AFP) – Brazil will start a vaccination campaign against dengue fever in February, as a sharp rise in cases of the potentially deadly disease raised fears of a runaway outbreak.
Dakar (AFP) – Senegalese President Macky Sall announced the indefinite postponement of the presidential election scheduled for February 25, just hours before official campaigning was due to start on February 3.
Nairobi (AFP) – People sift through charred remains of books, houses, and vehicles in Nairobi, Kenya, where a huge fire killed three people and injured nearly three hundred. Some of those injured say the authorities could have done more.
