Yeoncheon (South Korea) (AFP) – Scene outside the military base where BTS member Jin starts his mandatory military duty, the band’s first member to enlist since a hiatus announcement this year left fans heartbroken over the K-pop juggernaut’s uncertain future. IMAGES
Jukkasjärvi (Sweden) (AFP) – 200 kilometres above the Arctic Circle lies the Esrange Space Center which, since the late 1960s, has been a rocket range and scientific research base. Surround by thousands of square kilometres of icy wilderness, the site, originally founded for the study of auroras, is now locked in a race with other space stations to be the first to launch satellites from mainland Europe.
Solihull (United Kingdom) (AFP) – The deaths of three boys who fell into a frozen lake in Solihull, near the city of Birmingham, are a “tragedy beyond words”, says the Area Commander of the region’s fire service, Richard Stanton. The boys, aged eight, 10 and 11, were rushed to hospital in a state of cardiac arrest on Sunday 11 December.
Brussels (AFP) – European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen says charges against a European parliament vice president were “very serious”, after allegations that Qatar paid bribes to burnish its image. Her comments come after Greek MEP Eva Kaili was arrested in connection with a corruption investigation linked to the World Cup host country.
Amsterdam (AFP) – An unlikely marriage between tulips and Bitcoin sees a huge flower farming greenhouse in The Netherlands heated by whirring servers, themselves powered by solar panels. This approach to circular energy usage helps both businesses save on huge energy costs. “Some growers have decided, because of the increase in gas prices, to stop growing this year” explains Danielle Koning, a flower farmer whose facilities now house six Bitcoin miners.
London (AFP) – Londoners wake up to a white morning in the first winter snowfall of 2022 after a cold snap that saw yellow warnings issued for the capital. Overnight snow has caused major travel disruptions, with flights cancelled and train and road networks experiencing major delays.
Beijing (AFP) – The Chinese Foreign Ministry criticises the United States over its stance on human rights issues in Tibet, accusing Washington of imposing “illegal sanctions on Chinese officials”. Speaking after a meeting with a senior US delegation, Wang Wenbin says the country has, in the past, “bullied other countries… and launched wars”.
Brussels (AFP) – European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen says charges against a European parliament vice president were “very serious”, after allegations that Qatar paid bribes to burnish its image. “The allegations against the vice president of the European Parliament are very serious,” von der Leyen says, adding that the issue was a “a question of the loss of trust of people in our European institutions”.
London (AFP) – People enjoy sledding and making snowmen in Wimbledon Park as London wakes up covered in white after its first snow of the year. IMAGES
Brussels (AFP) – The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, says allegations of bribery by World Cup host Qatar to burnish its image at the European Parliament were “certainly very worrisome — very, very worrisome,” after Belgian police charged four suspects with corruption. SOUNDBITE
Odessa (Ukraine) (AFP) – The southern Ukrainian city of Odesa was plunged into darkness following attacks by Russian “kamikaze drones”. On Sunday, regional governor Maksym Marchenko said that 300,000 people had no electricity, but that power was “gradually” returning to Odesa.
Alotenango (Guatemala) (AFP) – One of the most active volcanoes in Central America erupts, spewing lava and ash and forcing authorities in Alotenango, a municipality in Sacatepequez department 65 kilometers southwest of Guatemala City.
