Berlin (AFP) – The centre-left Social Democratic Party’s (SPD) federal executive board unanimously backs current German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to lead it to the polls a second time – this time for snap elections in February. The decision is expected to be formally confirmed at a party congress on January 11.
Paris (AFP) – Christmas lights are switched on along the Champs-Elysees in Paris as spectators gather on the road to witness the illumination of the “world’s most famous avenue” ahead of the holiday season in the city of light.
Fiuggi (AFP) – Speaking on the sidelines of the G7 meeting in Fiuggi, Italy, Britain’s Foreign Minister David Lammy says that the UK is sanctioning 30 more ships in Russia’s “shadow fleet”. He calls the measures the UK’s “biggest sanctions package” yet, against tankers and cargo ships used by Moscow to circumvent export and oil embargoes to fund its war against Ukraine.
Simon’s Town (AFP) – Hundreds of chacma baboons roam the Cape Town area, enchanting tourists and some locals, but also creating a nuisance for others. As human settlements increasingly encroach on their habitat, the region struggles to find solutions.
Nana Backpackers Hostel in Laos has been linked to the deaths of six foreign tourists from suspected methanol poisoning after a night out in the backpacker hotspot of Vang Vieng. Two of the victims were Australian teenagers Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles. The Vietnamese manager of the hostel has been detained for questioning but no charges have been made, the Laos tourist police told AFP.
Swabi (Pakistan) (AFP) – Protesters across Pakistan are calling for the release of former prime minister Imran Khan. The demonstrations were called for by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.
Hong Kong (AFP) – Twenty elderly couples, averaging 70 years old, reaffirm and cement their love at a special mass wedding ceremony in Hong Kong organised by the NGO Volunteer Space. The event took place on Senior Citizens Day, on the 17th November, and seeks to highlight the importance of love for mental well-being among older adults.
Villahermosa (Mexico) (AFP) – Police cordon off an area after at least six people were killed and 10 wounded in an armed attack at a bar in the city of Villahermosa, in the southeastern Mexican state of Tabasco. At least five people were found dead at the scene, a venue known as “DBar,” while another died after being taken to hospital, according to officials. The shooting occurred two weeks after a similar attack in the city of Queretaro, a region of central Mexico that until now had been spared from violence linked to organized crime. IMAGES
Manila (AFP) – A huge fire has broken out in the Philippine capital of Manila. Footage released by the Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office shows flames engulfing houses in Isla Puting Bato in Tondo, with thick plumes of black billowing into the sky.
Baku (AFP) – A new climate finance deal is agreed at the COP29 conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, following an exhaustive two weeks of negotiations. The deal commits developed nations to pay at least $300 billion a year by 2035 to help developing countries green their economies and prepare for disasters.
Madrid (AFP) – Three football fans have been arrested in Spain over the racist abuse of Barcelona players Lamine Hamal and Alejandro Balde during last month’s Clasico against Real Madrid, Spanish police say. Two adults and a minor are accused of having “made xenophobic statements that harmed the dignity and moral integrity of the two footballers” during the match which Barcelona won 4-0 in Madrid, police say.
Beirut (Lebanon) (AFP) – Rescue teams continue to clear heavy destruction in the Basta area of central Beirut, after an overnight Israeli strike targeted the area bringing down a residential building. The Israeli strike, which hit the working-class Basta neighbourhood, killed at least 11 people and wounded 63, Lebanon’s health ministry said, adding it had also left behind “a large amount of body parts that are being identified”.
