AFP UK

Stockholm (AFP) – Sweden, the first country to introduce legal gender reassignment, has begun restricting gender reassignment hormone treatments for minors. With the number of diagnoses soaring, the medical community faces the dilemma of weighing precaution against the risks associated with not offering treatment to those suffering from gender dysphoria. According to health services, approximately 8,900 people have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria in Sweden between 1998 and 2021.

Vatican City (AFP) – Pope Francis appeals for global solidarity with Turkey and Syria following a devastating earthquake, and thanks those risking their lives to help. Officials and medics said over 8,000 people had died in Turkey and over 2,000 in Syria from Monday’s 7.8-magnitude tremor, bringing the total to at least 11,000.

Kahramanmaras (Turkey) (AFP) – At a press conference in Kahramanmaras, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says the number of deaths in Turkey has risen to 8,574, in the aftermath of the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria.

Los Angeles (AFP) – “It’s just an honor to be named with the greats,” says LeBron James after surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the top NBA scorer of all time. James finished the night with 38,390 career regular season points, three more than Abdul-Jabbar’s tally of 38,387, a record that had stood since 1984. SOUNDBITE

Tokyo (AFP) – Robots have become a more common sight on Japanese streets as tech companies run trials for automated deliveries of food and other daily necessities by the machines. A change in Japan’s road safety laws, set to come into effect later this year, will allow self-driving delivery robots to navigate streets across Japan.

Concepción (Chile) (AFP) – International experts joined Chile’s frantic fight against devastating, drought-fueled forest fires that have killed 26 people, injured hundreds and destroyed more than 1,100 homes in less than a week.

Washington (AFP) – US President Joe Biden promises Ukraine’s ambassador to Washington, Oksana Markarova, that the United States will support Ukraine for “as long as it takes” to fight off the Russian invasion, during his State of the Union speech. SOUNDBITE

Washington (AFP) – “As we made clear last week, if China threatens our sovereignty we will act to protect our country and we did,” US President Joe Biden says during his State of the Union speech. SOUNDBITE

Washington (AFP) – “Let’s sit down together and discuss our mutual plans together,” US President Joe Biden urges Republicans in Congress in his annual State of the Union address, amid deep political divisions. SOUNDBITE

Washington (AFP) – US President Joe Biden tells Americans that US democracy is “bruised” but “unbroken” in a State of the Union speech at the US Capitol. SOUNDBITE

Washington (AFP) – US President Joe Biden urges to “ban assault weapons now” in his State of the Union speech. “I led the fight to do that in 1994… Let’s finish the job and ban these assault weapons”, Biden says. SOUNDBITE

Washington (AFP) – US President Joe Biden offers in his State of the Union speech to “work together” with Republicans in Congress. “Fighting for the sake of fighting, power for the sake of power, conflict for the sake of conflict, gets us nowhere,” he says. SOUNDBITE