AFP UK

Karuizawa (Japan) (AFP) – 2023 is set to be Japan’s deadliest year on record when it comes to bear attacks, with six people having been killed and more than 200 injured by the animals, which are increasingly straying into rural towns and villages. In addition to the human cost, thousands of bears are killed each year, mostly by shooting. Junpei Tanaka and his team are trying to stop this, using honey-baited barrels, radio collars and dogs to relocate the bears and avert any further clashes.

Cairo (AFP) – Speaking on a visit to Egypt, Britain’s Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron calls for “a sustainable ceasefire” in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. Cameron goes on to deny “double standards” when it comes to the UK’s view of fighting in Ukraine and Gaza, calling the situation in Ukraine “incredibly simple.”

Grindavik (Iceland) (AFP) – Following a volcanic eruption that has rocked southwest Iceland, workers clear rubble and check water pipes in the evacuated town of Grindavik. Residents are now allowed back for daytime access after the eruption, which followed weeks of increased seismic activity, diminished in intensity.

Madrid (AFP) – Real Madrid President Florentino Perez says the ruling by the EU’s Court of Justice, that UEFA and FIFA broke EU competition law by blocking the proposed Super League, will allow clubs to “be the masters of their own destiny”. Real Madrid and Barcelona were the last two clubs who remained proponents of the project when it failed to launch in April 2021, following outrage from fans and football’s governing bodies. The league initially proposed only featured 12 teams, with no system of promotion and relegation. The company promoting the Super League has announced a new 64-team tournament featuring promotion and relegation, but offered no details on how much support this had among clubs.

Madrid (AFP) – With Friday’s draw looming, people have been queuing in cities across Spain to buy tickets for the country’s traditional “El Gordo” festive lottery. The state-run event has a total prize pot of 2.59 billion euros, which is split into hundreds of smaller amounts ranging from 20 euros up to the 400,000-euro “El Gordo”, or “Fat One”. “I have hope” says Aida Pereira, as she queues outside the Dona Manolita shop in central Madrid, considered by many to be the luckiest in Spain.

Taipei (AFP) – From a homeless child to a leader of Hong Kong’s struggle for democracy, 79-year-old Reverend Chu Yiu-ming tells all in a new memoir — except for 30 pages blanked out to protest official censorship.

Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu (Canada) (AFP) – Restaurants and cafes in Canada are no longer permitted to offer plastic straws, food containers, checkout bags, or cutlery to customers as of Wednesday. Despite a court ruling it as unconstitutional, the regulation banning single-use plastics was introduced last year and was to be phased in as part of Ottawa’s commitment to achieve zero plastic waste by 2030.

Tokyo (AFP) – A second-hand pop-up store in Tokyo by casual clothing giant Uniqlo was a first for the Japanese firm, but also a sign that a local aversion to used garments may finally be fading.

Rafah (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – Following Israeli strikes on the overcrowded Shabura neighbourhood of Rafah, in southern Gaza, a Palestinian woman tells AFP she escaped unhurt from a huge explosion “by a miracle”. Many Palestinians from elsewhere in the besieged territory have fled to Rafah after having been driven from their homes by more than two months of relentless Israeli bombardment.

Moscow (AFP) – Russian President Vladimir Putin that the Russian army’s “troops have the initiative” on the ground in Ukraine, voicing growing confidence of victory as fatigue builds among Kyiv’s allies nearly two years into the conflict. Putin, who has announced he will run for re-election in March, lashes out at the West and claims it is seeking Moscow’s destruction.

Vatican City (AFP) – Pope Francis offers a prayer for the victims and injured after an earthquake hit China’s northwestern Gansu province and neighbouring Qinghai on 18 December, calling on emergency services to bring “comfort and relief” to those affected. Almost 1,000 were injured across the two provinces, according to state news agency Xinhua, making it China’s deadliest since 2014.

Chennai (India) (AFP) – People are forced to wade through knee-high water in Chennai’s streets after intense rainfall in southern India triggered deadly floods, with local media reporting more than 10 deaths. Hundreds remain stranded in the state of Tamil Nadu as water submerges the roads, with the air force having to drop 10 tonnes of emergency supplies to those trapped.