AFP UK

Vatican City (AFP) – Pope Francis says that former pontiff Benedict XVI, 95, whose health has steadily been deteriorating, is “very ill” and he is praying for him.

Holstebro (Denmark) (AFP) – Reinventing himself as a brewer at age 62 would never have occurred to Poul Erik Vestergaard, but Denmark’s controversial cull of the country’s minks over Covid fears forced him to change course. Authorities ordered the slaughter of the Nordic country’s farmed mink population — around 15,500 — in November 2020 following the discovery of a mutated strain of the coronavirus. After a two-year ban, Denmark will once again allow mink farming from January 2023. But for Vestergaard, his mink raising days are over.

Zhengzhou (China) (AFP) – One person died during a highway pile-up involving hundreds of vehicles in central China, state media reported Wednesday. Aerial pictures show chaotic scenes with hundreds of passenger cars, vans and lorries — many of which had smashed into one another — piled up on a section of the highway.

Chon Buri (Thailand) (AFP) – Underneath the calm turquoise waters off eastern Thailand, a rapidly spreading disease is killing corals over vast stretches of the sea floor, and scientists fear it may be getting worse because of climate change.

Kamyanka (Ukraine) (AFP) – The eastern Ukrainian village of Kamyanka, on the outskirts of Izyum, used to be home to 1,200 people. But after months of war and occupation by Russian forces, when Ukrainian soldiers recaptured the village in September, just 15 residents remained. One family managed to survive in the midst of heavy fighting and near total destruction.

Buffalo (AFP) – The monster storm that killed dozens in the United States over the Christmas weekend continues to inflict misery on New York state. A Buffalo resident describes the last five days as the “worst thing I’ve ever seen.”

Washington (AFP) – Visitors step on the frozen Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, DC, after the extreme weather over the weekend sent temperatures to below freezing in all mainland US states.

Nashville (AFP) – Passengers are stranded at Nashville International Airport after several Southwest Airlines flights were cancelled due to a severe winter storm.

Taipei (AFP) – Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen announces an extension in mandatory military service from four months to one year, citing the threat from an increasingly hostile China. Beijing considers self-ruled, democratic Taiwan a part of its territory, to be taken one day, by force if necessary, and the island lives under the constant fear of a Chinese invasion.

Shanghai (AFP) – Chinese residents are preparing for change after Beijing said it would scrap mandatory Covid quarantine for overseas arrivals, ending almost three years of self-imposed isolation. “The travel plans I made three years ago may finally become a reality,” a Beijing resident says.

Beijing (AFP) – Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin says China will scrap mandatory quarantine on arrival, further unwinding years of strict virus controls as the country battles a surge in cases.

San José (AFP) – Cowboy hats and boots, in the purest “wild west” style, flood the streets of downtown San José to proudly display the horse culture in Costa Rica, as jockeys participate in the traditional ‘El Tope’ parade.