AFP UK

Vatican City (AFP) – During his Sunday Angelus prayer, Pope Francis asks to end the violence in Peru. Addressing the crowd in St. Peter’s square he says “I invite you to pray for an end to the acts of violence in Peru. Violence extinguishes hope for a just solution to the problems”. The prayer comes a day after Peruvian authorities closed the country’s famed tourist site, Machu Picchu, as anti-government protests rage on, claiming 46 lives.

Monterey Park (United States) (AFP) – The gunman who killed 10 people and wounded 10 others in a mass shooting at a dance club in California remains at large and has been described as an Asian man, law enforcement officials tells reporters in Monterey Park.

Paris (AFP) – “We will continue to support Ukraine for as long and as comprehensively necessary” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz promises alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, whilst on a visit in Paris.

Arghandab (Afghanistan) (AFP) – Taliban security personnel destroy a poppy field in the Arghandab district of Kandahar in southern Afghanistan, following through on a ban on poppy cultivation announced in April 2022. The country is the world’s biggest producer of poppies, the source of a sap that is refined into heroin. In recent years and since the ban, the sector has known a huge increase in production and exports.

Demokaya (Sudan) (AFP) – Sudanese farmers have been tapping thorny acacia trees for decades, with one reward in mind: to harvest the prized “gum arabic” resin. These golden beads are near irreplaceable in the global industry, used in everything from soft drinks to chewing gum and pharmaceuticals. But in the harsh drylands where farmers struggle to cope with the arid climate, many are reluctant to take up the arduous profession, considered unrewarding, especially by the youth.

Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson makes a surprise visit to Kyiv and meets with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukrainian officials.

Isandlwana (South Africa) (AFP) – Thousands of Zulu men, called “amabutho”, participate in a reenactment of the battle of Isandlwana. The battle was the first engagement in the Anglo-Zulu war on the 22 of January 1879 and was the greatest triumph in the Zulu nation’s military history, as well as being one of the biggest defeats for the British Empire.

Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska attend the funeral for victims of a helicopter crash that killed 14, including the country’s Interior Minister and other officials from the Ministry. (Sound from original source)

Hereford (United States) (AFP) – Arizona’s shipping container wall, on the state’s nearly 370km border with Mexico, is being removed. The makeshift barrier was only built a few months ago by Republican former state governor, Doug Ducey, at a cost of $100 million to the taxpayer. Ducey was sued by Washington in December and agreed to take the wall down, a pledge that is now being seen through by his Democrat successor, Katie Hobbs.

Wellington (AFP) – Poised to be New Zealand’s next prime minister, Chris Hipkins pays tribute to the outgoing Jacinda Ardern, saying “I look at the challenges that Jacinda led us through, whether it was a terrorist attack, a volcanic eruption, several natural disasters, a global pandemic that disrupted our day-to-day lives more than any other event”. Hipkins also says he’s “looking forward to getting into the work”.

Berlin (AFP) – Images show hundreds of protesters gathered in front of Berlin’s Federal Chancellery building on January 20, as they demand the German government send tanks to Ukraine. The gathering takes place hours after a key meeting at Ramstein’s US military base, where German officials did not reach a decision on whether or not to deliver Leopard tanks to Ukraine.

Beijing (AFP) – At Zhou Tianxiao’s hotel in Beijing’s northern suburbs, where service extras includes belly rubs and squeaky toys, rooms are filling up fast. The loosening of Covid restrictions in China has fuelled a travel boom as millions reunite with their families over the Lunar New Year holiday for the first time since 2019. Many of those leaving the city are choosing to put their pets up in facilities like Zhou Tianxiao’s, which are enjoying the return to normality after years of pandemic-induced hardship.