Rafah (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – Younis al-Shaer’s family sit at home mourning his death. The 21-year-old left Gaza dreaming of a better life in Europe, only to return to the Palestinian enclave in a coffin. He was one of scores of Palestinians risking the perilous journey across the Mediterranean Sea.
Purnia (India) (AFP) – CCTV footage shows a soldier saving a man from being pulled underneath a moving train at a station in eastern India. The soldier, a member of India’s Railway Protection Force, was working at the station, in the state of Bihar, on New Year’s Day when the incident occurred.
Las Vegas (AFP) – Tech health devices steal the show during “CES Unveiled”, a pre-show event where awarded start-ups can present their best innovations. Some products included a pillow that stops snoring, a toilet bowl that analyzes urine and a massage seat to help fight muscle issues created by its fellow tech devices.
Unknown (AFP) – Russian Lieutenant General Sergei Sevryukov says that the use of cellphones by soldiers despite a ban led to a deadly strike on New Year’s Eve on Makiivka, where the military suffered heavy losses. The toll from the Ukrainian strike on the Russian-controlled city in eastern Ukraine has risen to 89.
Vatican City (AFP) – Pope Francis pays his respects to former pope Benedict XVI who died on Saturday at the age of 95. Francis says he “turns (his) thoughts to him, a great master of catechesis”, as he holds his general audience in the Vatican, on the eve of Benedict’s funeral.
Essaouira (Morocco) (AFP) – In Essaouira, a port town on Morocco’s Atlantic coast, the women-only Cooperative Marjana works to extract the precious oil from the argan nut – yet despite the money it earns the community, the craft fears for its feature as it struggles to attract young workers.
Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – A garage in Kyiv is giving battered cars a second lease on life as vehicles for the Ukrainian military, plugging a hole in supplies as the war against Russia grinds on.
Cape Town (AFP) – 20,000 performers divided into troupes march through Cape Town while playing music and dancing for the annual carnival. The Kaapse Klopse carnival has returned to the city after a two-year pause due to the pandemic.
Riyadh (AFP) – Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo received a thunderous welcome at the Mrsool Park stadium in Riyadh, after his move to the Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr makes him the biggest recruit in the club’s history.
Rome (AFP) – Mourners react to seeing the body of former pope Benedict XVI, on public display for three days at St Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City, as they come to pay tribute to “a good pope” who “sacrificed so much for the Church”.
Santos (Brazil) (AFP) – – This video contains images of footballer Pele’s body, which some viewers may find disturbing – International football legend Pele’s son, Edson Cholbi do Nascimento or ‘Edinho’, greets members of the public and pays tribute to his late father lying in state at the stadium in Santos, ahead of the funeral.
Beijing (AFP) – China condemns fresh Covid test requirements for travellers coming from its territory, as close to a dozen countries put the regulation in place. “Some countries have taken entry restrictions targeting only China. This lacks scientific basis and some practices are unacceptable,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning tells a regular briefing, warning China could “take countermeasures based on the principle of reciprocity”.
