Machala (Ecuador) (AFP) – Ecuador’s Armed Forces and police officers guard Machala prison a day after security forces took back control of several jails that had fallen into the hands of gang members. The country’s simmering security crisis erupted last week as the government and powerful narco gangs declared all-out war on each other, after the prison escape of a dangerous drug lord. IMAGES
Grindavik (Iceland) (AFP) – UGC images from @bsteinbekk show lava from a volcanic eruption in Iceland spilling into neighbourhoods from the fishing town of Grindavik, completely engulfing several homes. The eruption began early on January 14, southwest of the capital Reykjavik, when two fissures opened up. Volcanic activity in southwest Iceland has since eased, according to authorities.
Qamishli (Syria) (AFP) – Firemen extinguish a fire at a power station in Syria’s Kurdish-held city of Qamishli, following a Turkish airstrike. Turkey carried out another series of airstrikes against Kurdish sites in Syria and northern Iraq in response to the deaths of nine Turkish soldiers, Ankara announced on 14 January.
Davos (Switzerland) (AFP) – The world’s wealthiest five men have more than doubled their fortune since 2020, the charity Oxfam says, as it calls on nations to resist the ultra-rich’s influence over tax policy. A report from the charity, published as the global elite hobnob at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos this week, said their wealth rose from $405 billion in 2020 to $869 billion last year.
Kamrup (India) (AFP) – Hundreds of villagers take part in a traditional mass fishing event during the Bhogali Bihu celebrations at Bamuni Lake in northeastern India to mark the end of the harvesting season.
Quito (AFP) – North Quito residents spend their Sundays in the park, engaging in sports and walks with their children, seemingly calm. However, they say they still feel fearful and lacking in confidence after the armed forces regained control of prisons amid the security crisis across the country.
Beijing (AFP) – China says it welcomes Nauru’s decision to cut ties with Taiwan, after the Pacific island nation announced it was severing relations with Taipei.
Beijing (AFP) – China says it is “firmly opposed” to all official exchanges between the United States and Taiwan, as the island’s president-elect Lai Ching-te welcomed an American delegation following his election victory.
Taipei (AFP) – Taiwan “will terminate” its diplomatic relations with Nauru, Taipei’s foreign ministry says, after the South Pacific nation announced it was severing ties on a Facebook post.
Copenhagen (AFP) – Frederik X becomes Denmark’s new king after the abdication of his mother Queen Margrethe, ushering in a new era for the country’s monarchy. More than 100,000 Danes turned out to watch the historic event, and the royal family remains hugely popular in the Scandinavian nation.
