Azusa (United States) (AFP) – With two deadly mass shootings fresh in people’s minds, and a rise in hate crimes, an increasing number of Americans of Asian descent are considering getting trained on how to use firearms to defend themselves. “Anytime there’s been a mass shooting, my business goes up” says Tom Nguyen, a firearms instructor based in Azusa, California.
Unknown (AFP) – “I think we’re in slightly more difficult territory” says UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Martin Griffiths, when asked if the Black Sea Grain deal will be extended. The hard-won initiative was brokered by the UN and Turkey last July and renewed in November, but is now due to expire in mid-March.
Vienna (AFP) – The Belvedere Museum in Vienna invites couples to be photographed kissing in front of Gustav Klimt’s painting “The Kiss” to celebrate Valentine’s Day and “to reach out to people who would otherwise not come,” says the museum’s chief financial officer Wolfgang Bergmann.
Kharkiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – As the snow-covered eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv celebrates Valentine’s Day not far from the Russian army, a Ukrainian soldier uses his leave from active duty at the front to get married with his wife.
Donetsk Oblast (Ukraine) (AFP) – The vehicle has become a familiar sight on the main roads to and from the frontline in the east: from the outside, it looks like any other long-distance coach crossing the barren countryside, but inside it is packed with the latest medical equipment and machines to help keep the most seriously injured troops alive.
Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – Ukraine’s state train company, Ukrzaliznitsiya, organizes a special “train of love” for those celebrating Valentine’s Day. Passengers get to enjoy romantic music, candles and decorations, as well as meals cooked by star chefs. Ukrainian soldiers were given the opportunity to get free tickets.
Brest (Belarus) (AFP) – “We always have to be prepared” says Vadim Lukashevich, Deputy Commander of Belarus’ Special Operations Forces, as troops undergo training exercises close to the Moscow-allied country’s border with the European Union. Despite the promises of Belarusian President, Alexander Lukashenko, that his forces will not join Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine, concerns over mobilisation have grown. The country currently hosts an unspecified number of Russia’s troops and allowed Moscow to use its territory to launch its special operation in February last year.
Tokyo (AFP) – In one of his last diary entries, Japanese teacher Yoshio Kudo lamented workdays that started early and could last until nearly midnight. Two months later, he suffered “karoshi” — death from overwork. “From when he moved to the new school in April until he died… he kept saying he was exhausted,” says his wife Sachiko. Kudo’s taxing schedule is far from an exception in Japan, where teachers work some of the longest hours in the world, saddled with tasks from cleaning and supervising school commutes to after-school clubs.
Hatay (Turkey) (AFP) – After 180 hours buried under the rubble, a Syrian woman, Abir, is now fighting for her life in a Turkish hospital. “It’s a miracle to reach a patient alive” explains Yilmaz Aydin, an emergency doctor in Hatay. Over a week on from the disaster, the chances of finding survivors like Abir are growing slim and focus in the affected region is turning to caring for the tens of thousands left injured and the millions made homeless.
Brussels (AFP) – During a meeting of NATO Defence Ministers in Brussels, US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd James Austin, vows that the Ukraine Defense Contact Group “will support Ukraine’s fight for freedom over the long haul”. And “help Ukraine hold and advance during the spring counter offensive”.
Malmedy (Belgium) (AFP) – Belgium is far from being a snowsport hub, low-lying and lacking the regular snow needed. But one workshop in Malmedy, in the country’s east, has put geography and climate aside, carving a respected niche for itself in the world of high-end ski manufacture. Each pair of Pierre Gerondal’s handmade wooden skis take around 30 hours to make. “Our goal isn’t to become the biggest ski manufacturer in the world” he says, explaining that his team aims instead “to be sure that each pair of skis is made with the same care.”
Taipei (AFP) – Taiwan’s military says it will shoot down any “targets” that it deems a security threat after revealing that Chinese balloons fly frequently over the democratic self-ruled island. “If we ascertain that a target poses a high level of threat, our response will of course include shooting it down as it nears or enters our territorial space” says Huang Wen-Chi, Assistant Deputy Chief of the country’s General Staff For Intelligence.
