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Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Above the roaring fires devastating parts of Los Angeles is an incongruous sight: air tankers dropping gallons of bright red and Barbie-pink slurry over forest, homes, cars, and anything else that might lie in the blazes’ path. The substance, vivid against the grey smoke and charred landscape, is fire retardant — much of it a product called Phos-Chek that has been used by the US Forest Service since the 1960s.

Beijing (AFP) – Beijing on Wednesday said it “firmly opposes” a United States move to effectively bar Chinese technology from smart cars in the American market, saying alleged risks to national security were “without any factual basis”. “Such actions disrupt economic and commercial cooperation between enterprises… and represent typical protectionism and economic coercion,” foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said, adding: “China firmly opposes this.”

Seoul (AFP) – South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol says he has decided to submit to questioning over his failed martial law bid to avert “bloodshed” even though he believed the probe was illegal. Yoon is the first president to be detained in the nation’s history. “I decided to respond to the Corruption Investigation Office,” Yoon said in a pre-recorded video message, adding that he did not accept the legality of the investigation but was complying “to prevent any unfortunate bloodshed.”

Salzburg (Austria) (AFP) – Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp expresses hope that Mohamed Salah will sign a new contract to stay at Anfield beyond the end of this season. “I hope he stays. He is a fantastic player, a fantastic human being, an outstanding athlete, the best ambassador your country could have. So I hope he will stay at Liverpool,” Klopp replies to a question about Salah from an Egyptian journalist during a press conference in Austria. Klopp was speaking at his unveiling as Red Bull’s head of global soccer, a role in which he will oversee the energy drinks conglomerate’s football empire.

Prayagraj (India) (AFP) – Hindu holy men and devotees gather on the second day of India’s giant and millenia-old Kumbh Mela festival. Organisers expect 400 million people to attend the event, which began on January 13 and will run until February 26.

Doha (AFP) – Negotiations in Doha for a Gaza truce and hostage release deal are in their “final stages”, says Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari in a press conference. Qatar, Egypt and the United States have stepped up efforts to broker a ceasefire to enable the release of hostages held in Gaza since Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,210 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures. Israel’s retaliatory campaign in Gaza has killed 46,645 people, a majority of them civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, figures that the UN considers reliable.

Pacific Palisades (United States) (AFP) – The huge fires that broke out in Los Angeles last week are the third “calamity” to hit Hollywood in recent years, says industry expert Karie Bible. The disaster arrived with the film industry still feeling the impacts of Covid-19 and the writers’ and actors’ strikes. At least 24 people have died in the blazes, which have destroyed 12,000 structures and forced 92,000 people from their homes.

London (AFP) – UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer says “Britain will be one of the great AI superpowers” as he lays out his vision to harness the power of artificial intelligence to boost the country’s flagging economy. The “AI Opportunities Action Plan” includes 50 recommendations that the government will implement to boost AI-driven efficiency in the public sector, from education and healthcare to detecting potholes.

Romit (Tajikistan) (AFP) – Amid chronic power outages, Tajikistan has embarked on the revival of a Soviet-era mega-project to build the world’s highest dam. First planned in 1976, the Rogun Hydropower Project was abandoned due to the end of communist rule and then the Tajik civil war.

Deir el-Balah (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – “Living here is terrifying, but there is no alternative,” says Wafaa Fahmy, standing amid graves at a cemetery in central Gaza’s Deir el-Balah where she and other displaced Palestinians have set up tents and taken shelter.

Seoul (AFP) – A divide has emerged among South Korea’s youth since President Yoon Suk Yeol declared a bungled martial law decree in December and hunkered down at his residence resisting arrest. On one side, young conservative men — including evangelical Christians and those who openly support Trump — are railing against his impeachment. On the other, young women and supporters of liberal causes like the LGBTQ+ community, climate justice and labour rights are calling for his immediate detention.

Tapachula (Mexico) (AFP) – Days before Donald Trump returns to the White House with a vow of mass deportations, migrants in Mexico say they are increasingly nervous about whether their asylum appointments will be honored.