Malolos (Philippines) (AFP) – Filipino Catholics hold a requiem mass at Malolos Cathedral for ex-pontiff Benedict XVI on the same day as the funeral at the Vatican. Benedict, born Joseph Ratzinger, died on Saturday aged 95, bringing an end to an unprecedented situation of having two “men in white” — he and Francis — living in the Vatican. IMAGES
Rafah (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – Younis al-Shaer’s family sit at home mourning his death. The 21-year-old left Gaza dreaming of a better life in Europe, only to return to the Palestinian enclave in a coffin. He was one of scores of Palestinians risking the perilous journey across the Mediterranean Sea.
Purnia (India) (AFP) – CCTV footage shows a soldier saving a man from being pulled underneath a moving train at a station in eastern India. The soldier, a member of India’s Railway Protection Force, was working at the station, in the state of Bihar, on New Year’s Day when the incident occurred.
Las Vegas (AFP) – Tech health devices steal the show during “CES Unveiled”, a pre-show event where awarded start-ups can present their best innovations. Some products included a pillow that stops snoring, a toilet bowl that analyzes urine and a massage seat to help fight muscle issues created by its fellow tech devices.
Unknown (AFP) – Russian Lieutenant General Sergei Sevryukov says that the use of cellphones by soldiers despite a ban led to a deadly strike on New Year’s Eve on Makiivka, where the military suffered heavy losses. The toll from the Ukrainian strike on the Russian-controlled city in eastern Ukraine has risen to 89.
Vatican City (AFP) – Pope Francis pays his respects to former pope Benedict XVI who died on Saturday at the age of 95. Francis says he “turns (his) thoughts to him, a great master of catechesis”, as he holds his general audience in the Vatican, on the eve of Benedict’s funeral.
Essaouira (Morocco) (AFP) – In Essaouira, a port town on Morocco’s Atlantic coast, the women-only Cooperative Marjana works to extract the precious oil from the argan nut – yet despite the money it earns the community, the craft fears for its feature as it struggles to attract young workers.
Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – A garage in Kyiv is giving battered cars a second lease on life as vehicles for the Ukrainian military, plugging a hole in supplies as the war against Russia grinds on.
Cape Town (AFP) – 20,000 performers divided into troupes march through Cape Town while playing music and dancing for the annual carnival. The Kaapse Klopse carnival has returned to the city after a two-year pause due to the pandemic.
Riyadh (AFP) – Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo received a thunderous welcome at the Mrsool Park stadium in Riyadh, after his move to the Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr makes him the biggest recruit in the club’s history.
