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Scholz says elections not to be ‘decided’ by social media owners

Berlin (AFP) – In his traditional New Year’s address, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says the next federal elections “will not be decided by the owners of social media channels”. His statement comes after Elon Musk, a key supporter of US President-elect Donald Trump, posted on his social media platform X this month that “only the AfD [German far-right movement, ed.] can save Germany”.

©AFP

California farmers fret over Trump’s deportation plans

Firebaugh (United States) (AFP) – In California’s central valley, vegetable, nut and dairy farmers aren’t sure how US President-elect Donald Trump’s deportation plans will impact their operations. While some dairy farmers don’t believe mass expulsions will happen at all, other fruit and nut farmers fear that if they do, it could be especially hard on their industry, since many harvests rely on hand picking by documented and undocumented migrant workers.

©AFP

UN says Gaza healthcare nearing ‘total collapse’ due to Israeli strikes

Geneva (AFP) – A United Nations report published on December 31 found that Israeli strikes on and near hospitals in the Gaza Strip had left healthcare in the Palestinian territory “to the brink of total collapse”, warns Jeremy Laurence, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

©AFP

Ethnic Karen people in Myanmar celebrate traditional new year

Hpa-an (Myanmar) (AFP) – Myanmar’s ethnic Karen people celebrate the traditional new year, which falls on December 30 in 2024. People in Hpa-an, the capital of Karen State, hold a traditional ceremony in which they dance, sing and pray for a good harvest in the coming year.

©AFP

Mixed views in Milan ahead of outdoor smoking ban in Italian city

Milan (Italy) (AFP) – “In my opinion the new law is excessive,” says Morgan Ishak, visiting Milan days before a new ban on outdoor smoking comes into force. On January 1, 2025, the measure will ban the use of cigarettes in all public outdoor areas, including city streets, bars and cafes, unless it is possible to keep a distance of at least 10 metres between people, with a fine of up to 240 euros for anyone caught in breach of the rule.

©AFP

Azerbaijan demands Russia admit to shooting at plane before crash

Baku (AFP) – Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev demands that Russia admit that it fired at an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet before it crashed, accusing Moscow of initially trying to cover up the cause of the fatal disaster. His comments come four days after the AZAL Embraer 190 plane crashed in Kazakhstan, killing 38 of the 67 people on board, with Azerbaijani officials suggesting the aircraft was hit by Russian air-defences.

©AFP

Indian construction workers replace Palestinians in Israel

Beer Yaakov (Israel) (AFP) – Wearing a safety belt, helmet and work boots, Raju Nishad navigates the scaffolding, hammering blocks that will form part of a building in a new neighbourhood in Beer Yaakov, in central Israel. He and other Indians are part of an Israeli government effort to fill a void left by tens of thousands of Palestinian construction workers barred from entering Israel since Hamas’s unprecedented October 7, 2023 attack.

©AFP

Georgia’s new president sworn in amid political showdown

Tiflis (AFP) – Georgia has inaugurated a far-right governing party loyalist as president, escalating a political showdown moments after his pro-EU predecessor declared herself the “only legitimate president”. The inauguration of former footballer Mikheil Kavelashvili ratchets up a months-long political crisis that has seen huge pro-European Union demonstrations. Outgoing head of state Salome Zurabishvili and protesters have declared Kavelashvili “illegitimate”, demanding a re-run of the October general elections that they say the governing Georgian Dream party rigged.

©AFP

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