Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky says his army will hold on to the contested “fortress” city of Bakhmut and urges Kyiv’s Western backers to speed up arms deliveries to help recapture territory in the country’s eastern Donbas region. The comments come at a summit with senior EU officials in Kyiv.
Beijing (AFP) – Bejing’s foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning says it is working to verify reports of a Chinese spy balloon flying over the United States, and insists that China has “no intention” of violating US airspace. The incident comes just days before a rare visit to Beijing by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, with managing heightened tensions between the two powers at the top of the agenda.
Lima (AFP) – Hundreds of protesters march in the Peruvian capital of Lima to call for the resignation of President Dina Boluarte. Peru’s Congress voted down another proposal to advance elections to this year, a day after a similar proposal aimed at quelling deadly nationwide unrest also failed.
Saint-Germain-en-Laye (France) (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain coach Christophe Galtier laments an unusal season cut in half by the World Cup after star striker Kylian Mbappe was ruled out for three weeks coming off injured in Wednesday’s Ligue 1 match against Montpellier. The injury is threatening to derail PSG’s Champions League campaign, just two weeks before the first leg of their last-16 tie against Bayern Munich.
Billings (United States) (AFP) – Images purportedly show a suspected Chinese spy balloon in the sky over Billings, Montana, in a video filmed by a local resident. The Pentagon said Thursday it was tracking a Chinese spy balloon flying high over the United States, reviving tensions between the two countries just days ahead of a planned visit to Beijing by top US diplomat Antony Blinken.
Aley (Lebanon) (AFP) – Aerial images show snow blanketing towns from Aley to Mount Lebanon.
Canberra (AFP) – Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios arrives at a court in Canberra, where he will try to have an assault charge against him dismissed on mental health grounds.
Ainata (Lebanon) (AFP) – In the northern Lebanese mountains, home to forests full of over thousand-year-old trees, one policeman heads out on patrol. He is on the lookout for traffickers illegally chopping down ancient woods — a growing problem as impoverished people burning wood to stay warm during winter.
Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – Moscow is gathering its troops to take “revenge” on Europe and Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky says at a press conference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Kyiv is urging the EU and its other allies to provide longer range weapons to help fight Russia’s invasion.
Volgograd (Russia) (AFP) – President Vladimir Putin says that Russia is being threatened by German tanks “again” as it was during World War II, warning that Moscow is ready to respond to aggression from the West. Speaking on the 80th anniversary of the Red Army’s victory over Nazi Germany in the Battle of Stalingrad, Putin compares the Third Reich’s invasion of the USSR to Germany’s supply of Leopard tanks to Ukraine.
