Dublin (AFP) – Ireland’s Leo Varadkar leaves Parliament and greets lawmakers and supporters in central Dublin after taking over as premier for the second time in a handover of power in line with a coalition deal struck in 2020.
Lusail (Qatar) (AFP) – Images of the Lusail stadium in Qatar, the 80,000-seat venue a few hours before it hosts the World Cup final between Argentina and France.
Londres (AFP) – A clinic in London is offering free laser removal treatment for anyone with a Kanye West tattoo following a series of anti-Semitic outbursts from the musician and fashion designer.
Batang Kali (Malaysia) (AFP) – Survivors of a landslide which struck a campsite at a Malaysian farm recall the horror of the deadly disaster near Batang Kali, with rescuers scouring the muddy terrain for those still missing.
Russkiye Tishki (Ukraine) (AFP) – In Ukraine, at the front, former animal shelter worker Olena Bubenko lives in a basement with her husband, elderly mother – and 67 dogs she took in after their owners fled the Russians.
Brussels (AFP) – In an exclusive interview with AFP, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says that Russia is “planning for a long war” in Ukraine, and urges Kyiv’s NATO backers to keep supporting Ukraine’s military until President Vladimir Putin realises he “cannot win on the battlefield”.
Grande-Synthe (France) (AFP) – Migrants in northern France are still determined to try to cross to Britain, according to several charities drawing attention to their harsh living conditions, after four people died when a small boat packed with migrants capsized in freezing temperatures in the Channel overnight. Dozens of others were plucked from the waters of one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes in a large-scale rescue operation involving UK and French emergency services.
Tokyo (AFP) – Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announces that the government will raise defence spending from one to two percent of GDP by fiscal 2027 in response to what he calls China’s “militaristic behaviour”.
Buenos Aires (AFP) – In the streets of Buenos Aires, the football World Cup final between Argentina and France is the talk of the capital, with many fans eager for Sunday to come.
Manila (AFP) – Thousands of Catholics from the Philippines attend the first of nine-day dawn masses, a widely-followed tradition leading to Christmas, as relaxed Covid rules allow churches to operate to their full capacity. In Baclaran Church in the capital Manila, face mask-wearing churchgoers filled the pews as they pray for their wishes and say a word of gratitude for a blessed year.
Batang Kali (Malaysia) (AFP) – Malaysia’s fire and rescue department vehicles arrive and exit the campsite at a Malaysian farm that was hit by a deadly landslide on Friday. At least 16 people were killed in the incident near the town of Batang Kali, just outside the capital Kuala Lumpur.
Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – Ukraine’s capital Kyiv continues to battle partial darkness in some areas of the city after its energy infrastructure was the target of successive Russian strikes.
