Southwell (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Storm Henk has lashed parts of southern Britain with strong winds and heavy rains, causing flooding in the Southwell area in Nottinghamshire. The Met Office has issued a severe yellow warning for rain and wind in Southern England and Wales.
Madrid (AFP) – Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti says that whilst he was “proud” to have been considered to manage Brazil’s national football team, he is “very happy” to have renewed his contract with the Spanish club until 2026. Reports emerged in July 2023 that 64-year-old Ancelotti would become the first foreigner to coach Brazil in almost 60 years once he had seen out his present Real contract this year. However, it seems Ancelotti has had a change of mind.
Moscow (AFP) – Russian President Vladimir Putin says that his forces would intensify strikes on Ukraine, after an unprecedented attack by Kyiv over the weekend on the Russian city of Belgorod. The attack on 30 December, which killed 25 people including five children, came after Moscow launched a large-scale bombardment of cities across Ukraine.
Jerusalem (AFP) – As Israel’s war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip rages on, the country’s far-right politicians are stepping up their calls for the return of Jewish settlers to Gaza and for the strip’s 2.4 million Palestinians to be encouraged to “emigrate”. Israel withdrew the last of its troops and settlers from Gaza in 2005, and while the government has no official plans to evict Gazans or return Jewish settlers, the question of what happens to the Palestinian Territory once the war ends remains up in the air.
Shika (Japan) (AFP) – Japanese rescuers race against the clocks to find the survivors of a New Year’s Day earthquake that killed dozens of people and caused widespread destruction. The 7.5 magnitude quake that rattled the main island of Honshu triggered tsunami waves more than a metre high, caused a major fire and tore apart roads.
Passengers evacuate a Japan Airlines jetliner at Tokyo international airport after the plane collided with a Japanese coastguard aircraft and caught fire. All 367 passengers and 12 crew onboard the Airbus plane were safely evacuated but five of the six crew members from the smaller plane — bound for central Japan after Monday’s huge earthquake — died.
Boston (AFP) – Dozens of people kick off the new year by taking part in the annual L Street Brownies Polar Plunge run into the chilly waters of the Atlantic Ocean in the US city of Boston. “I get out of the water and I feel reborn,” says Ruth Tannert, after dunking in the 44 degrees Fahrenheit (7 degrees Celsius) ocean.
Seoul (AFP) – South Korean opposition party leader Lee Jae-myung is airlifted and transported by ambulance to Seoul National University Hospital after he was stabbed in the neck by a man who pushed through a crowd in Busan pretending to be a supporter. Lee was surrounded by journalists and supporters at a construction site in the southern port city of Busan when a man lunged and struck him in the neck.
Lagos (AFP) – Nigerians welcome 2024 with music, dance, and colourful costumes during the annual street carnival.
Seoul (AFP) – South Korean opposition party leader Lee Jae-myung is airlifted and transported by ambulance to Seoul National University Hospital after he was stabbed in the neck by a man who pushed through a crowd in Busan pretending to be a supporter. Lee was surrounded by journalists and supporters at a construction site in the southern port city of Busan when a man lunged and struck him in the neck.
