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.
Copenhagen (AFP) – Studies conducted on 1,000 year old ice cores from Greenland have shown that global warming “has also found its way to very remote locations” says Bo Mollesoe Vinther, associate professor in climate physics at the University of Copenhagen, who co-authored an article on the findings published in the scientific journal Nature.
Stockholm (AFP) – Stockholm is seeing a surge in serious crime, including shootings and bombings, with the city’s interim police chief announcing that a special crisis group will be deployed to try end the violence. “What we have today is not one conflict, but several conflicts that are going on at the same time” explained police chief Mattias Andersson. Four shootings and three bombings have occurred in the Swedish capital this week, with a total of 21 such incidents and two deaths since December 25.
Siem Reap (Cambodia) (AFP) – 15 Ukrainian deminers are in Cambodia, learning from local experts with decades of experience in one the world’s most heavily mined countries. In December, President Volodymyr Zelensky called for long-term help in clearing Ukraine of mines and other unexploded ordnance, which he said now covers an area roughly the size of Cambodia. One priority for those in training is to protect “the health and lives” of those carrying out this dangerous work.
London (AFP) – Domestic abuse charity Refuge lays 1,071 rotten apples outside London’s New Scotland Yard, headquarters of the city’s Metropolitan Polcie. Each apple represents an officer in the UK’s largest force who is currently, or has been, under investigation for “domestic abuse or other forms of sexual violence against women”. The Met is reeling from a week in which a serving officer was exposed as a serial rapist and two retired officers were charged with child sex offences.
Davos (Switzerland) (AFP) – Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg attends at a Fridays for Future demonstration in Davos on the final day of the World Economic Forum meeting. She and other activists have launched an online petition demanding that energy firms stop any new oil, gas or coal extraction projects — or face possible legal action. IMAGES
Lima (AFP) – Peru’s president, Dina Boluarte, calls for “dialogue” and “calm” as the anti-government protests that have been raging across the country for over a month reach the capital city, Lima. Protesters gathered in the city of Thursday to take their demands — for Boluarte to step down and for fresh elections to take place — directly to the presidential palace. In regions like Cusco, Puno and Arequipa, clashes continue and Peru’s human rights authority has reported a total of 44 people killed in the unrest, which was triggered by the ousting and arrest of former president Pedro Castillo in early December last year.
