AFP UK

Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – President Volodymyr Zelensky says that there was no end in sight to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as fatigue builds among Kyiv’s allies nearly two years into the war and the Kremlin voices growing confidence of victory. Zelensky also acknowledges that the result of next year’s elections in the United States could have a “very strong impact” on the course of the war, with Republican favourite Donald Trump likely to have a very different policy on Ukraine to current president Joe Biden.

Donetsk (Ukraine) (AFP) – Firefighters battle large smoke plumes after a missile struck an apartment block in the Russian-held city of Donetsk near the frontline in east Ukraine, severely damaging the building’s facade. Alexey Kulemzin, the city’s Moscow-backed mayor, claimed on his Telegram channel that the strike was carried out from the Ukrainian side and injured at least 13 people.

Rafah (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – Huddled amid the tents at a camp outside the southern Gaza town of Rafah, volunteer entertainer Roya Hassuna plays the oud for displaced children in a bid to offer respite from the horrors around them. The children are among thousands of Palestinians driven from their homes by more than two months of relentless Israeli bombardment. They have been forced to abandon their daily routines and live under Israeli bombardment since Hamas’s 7 October attacks on Israel killed about 1,140 people, according to an AFP count based on Israeli figures. The health ministry in the Hamas-run territory says more than 19,667 people have been killed in Gaza during the war, most of them women or children.

London (AFP) – As businesses look for ways to both beat the traffic and cut their carbon emissions, cargo bikes are an increasingly common sight on the streets of London. While the UK has lagged behind some other European nations in adopting the vehicle, sales of E-cargo bikes are going from strength to strength in the UK market. “We can get through the traffic faster, we can get across town quicker”, says Joe Sharpe, co-founder of green logistics company Zhero.

Bangkok (AFP) – Thai LGBTQ protesters and supporters gather in downtown Bangkok to demand that the government keep a promise to pass a marriage equality bill. Thailand’s cabinet on Tuesday gave the go-ahead for parliament to debate legalising same-sex unions, moving the kingdom a step closer to equalising marriage rights.

Seoul (AFP) – Blockchain engineer and self-professed insectophobe Kang Jae-gu his using his skills to help tackle an infestation of bedbugs. When news emerged about an outbreak of the pests in his native South Korea, the 29-year-old created an interactive map that shows the approximate locations of reported infestations across the country, as well as real-time news stories on the issue.

Chiang Mai (Thailand) (AFP) – In a forest outside the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai, a drone moves back and forth atop the rich canopy, transmitting photos to be knitted into a 3D model of the woodland’s health and an estimate of how much carbon it can absorb. Drones are part of an increasingly sophisticated arsenal used by scientists to understand forests and their role in the battle against climate change.

Geneva (AFP) – The UN human rights chief says the world has become “jaded” by the Ukraine conflict where war crimes continue to be committed “primarily by the forces of the Russian Federation”. The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, tells the Human Rights Council in Geneva that his office has gathered evidence of “war crimes” and “gross violations” of international human rights law by Russian forces.

Narrabri (Australia) (AFP) – An out of control fire burns in Australian bushland near Narrabri about 400 kilometres (249 miles) northwest of Sydney as firefighters battle to protect people’s homes. Residents of villages in the area have been told it is too late to leave and to shelter in place.

Unknown (AFP) – NASA announces it has used a state-of-the-art laser communication system on a spaceship 31 million kilometres away from Earth — to send a high-definition cat video. The 15-second meow-vie featuring an orange tabby named Taters is the first to be streamed from deep space, and demonstrates that it is possible to transmit the sort of communications needed to support complex missions such as sending humans to Mars.

Poissy (France) (AFP) – Quizzed about his relationship with Kylian Mbappé, PSG coach Luis Enrique jokes that “it’s a perfect relationship.” “We’re not a couple – but we’re close – mainly because he doesn’t want to be,” the Spaniard adds. Mbappé had been in a dispute with PSG in the summer, and with his contract expiring at the end of the season the star striker may finally seek to put an end to the endless rumours regarding his future as he searches for European glory.

Unknown (AFP) – Images released by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on December 19, 2023 show the launch of the country’s most powerful solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile. Monday’s test launch of the solid-fuel Hwasong-18 came a day after the nuclear-powered submarine USS Missouri made port in Busan and followed a US-South Korea warning that a nuclear attack by Pyongyang would mean “the end of the Kim regime”.