Port-au-Prince (AFP) – Images of civilian protesters and police protesting outside the headquarters of the National Police of Haiti and of streets blocked with barricades in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, to demonstrate against a slew of killings of police officers by armed gangs in worsening violence in the Caribbean nation. IMAGES
Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – Israel launches air strikes on Gaza in response to militant rocket fire from the Palestinian enclave, as tensions rise following the deadliest army raid on the occupied West Bank in years. IMAGES
Strasbourg (France) (AFP) – Protesters gather outside the Council of Europe in Strasbourg demanding more EU support for Ukraine. A partially-destroyed Ukrainian ambulance is displayed outside the Council of Europe. “This ambulance is a symbol that reminds us at every moment that pain is common,” says Svetlana Spenle, president of the association “Women 4 Ukraine”, who attended the rally outside the European institution.
Bangkok, Thailand (Thailand) (AFP) – From sleek boutiques to rickety stalls, hundreds of cannabis dispensaries have sprouted across Bangkok following decriminalisation, but in a nation infamous for being tough on drugs, giddy Thai vendors are asking: can the high times last? In a Southeast Asian first, the kingdom removed parts of the marijuana plant from its narcotics list in June 2022, effectively legalising the substance -– albeit with a confusing lack of detail.
Washington (AFP) – The US Justice Department announces it has shut down the Hive ransomware operation, which had extorted more than $100 million from more than 1,500 victims worldwide.
Kochi (India) (AFP) – In an act of defiance, students at Ernakulam Law College in Kochi, India, huddle together to watch the the screening of the BBC documentary ‘India: The Modi Question’, which looks at Modi’s role during the deadly 2002 sectarian riots. Many universities have banned the screening, after Modi’s government attempted to block its spread online.
Altengrabow (Germany) (AFP) – On the occasion of his first military troop visit to the Altengrabow training ground, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius answers a question from an English-speaking journalist about the delivery of German tanks to Ukraine, saying that they should be sent “at the end of March” this year.
Hula Valley (Israel) (AFP) – Thousands of cranes rest along the Agamon Hula Lake area of the Hula Valley in northern Israel, on their seasonal migration route from Europe to Africa.
Martigues (France) (AFP) – A few hundred strikers gather in front of the Lavéra refinery in Martigues, southern France, to protest against Emmanuel Macron’s pension reform plan. Before a nationwide strike on 31 January, strikes begin anew for 48 hours in refineries and EDF power stations, and for 24 hours in ports and docks.
Stockholm (AFP) – European Union heads of delegations pose for a photograph during an informal meeting of justice and home affairs ministers in Stockholm, Sweden.
Algeciras (Spain) (AFP) – People gather in the town of Algeciras, southern Spain, to hold a vigil for the victims of an attack on two churches on Thursday. A machete-weilding assailant stormed the churches, killing one and badly wounding a priest, before being arrested on the scene. IMAGES
Spain has opened a terror probe after a man wielding a bladed weapon stormed a church in the southern town of Algeciras, killing one and wounding several others, legal sources tell AFP. Prosecutors say the probe will be led by a judge from the Audiencia Nacional, Spain’s top criminal court.
