Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says during an address to the Davos summit that 87 people were killed in a Russian attack earlier this month on a military base in a region of northern Ukraine that was earlier reclaimed by Kyiv’s forces.
Tokyo (AFP) – President Joe Biden said Tuesday the United States would defend Taiwan militarily if Beijing invaded the self-ruled island. “That’s the commitment we made,” he said when asked if the US would intervene militarily against a Chinese attempt to forcibly take control of Taiwan. “We agreed with the One China policy, we signed on to it… but the idea that it can be taken by force is just not appropriate”. SOUNDBITE
Tokyo (AFP) – US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida review an honour guard during a welcome ceremony at the Akasaka Palace state guest house in Tokyo. DURATION: 01:48
Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – Polish President Andrzej Duda says that there can’t be any “business as usual” with Russia, after the discovery of massacres of civilians in Ukraine, attributed to Russian troops, in an address to Ukrainian Parliament.
Al-Jadaa (Iraq) (AFP) – Awatef Massud is longing to reunite with her Iraqi family after years spent in Syria, but first she must do time in a vetting camp to ensure she has no links to jihadists. For four months now, since her return to Iraq, she has been living in the Jadaa camp, a compound near the northern city of Mosul presented by the authorities as a “rehabilitation” centre for those coming back from Syria.
Sfax (Tunisia) (AFP) – Three rescued loggerhead turtles are released into the Mediterranean off the Tunisian coastal city of Sfax, one, named Marwa, with a tracking beacon glued to its shell to help researchers better protect the threatened species.
Hokuriku Shinkansen bullet train (Japan) (AFP) – On Japan’s bullet trains, dogs usually have to travel in a carrier, but on Saturday they could stretch their paws and enjoy the scenery on a special pet-friendly express.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanks US President Joe Biden for signing off on a $40-billion package of aid for the Ukrainian war effort, saying it’s a “historic contribution to the protection of freedom in Europe”, in a video address to the nation.
Lisbon (AFP) – “Mbappe has been playing both sides” say frustrated fans in Madrid after the star footballer rejected Real Madrid to stay at Paris Saint-Germain until 2025. Mbappe had made no secret of his desire to play one day for Real, but PSG have battled to hold on to their biggest asset. Kylian Mbappe
Yokota Air Base (Japan) (AFP) – US President Joe Biden lands in Japan on Sunday for the second leg of a trip to reinforce US alliances in Asia. Biden, making his first trip to Asia as president, flew from South Korea to Yokota Air Base outside Tokyo, and will meet with Japan’s prime minister and unveil a US-led trade initiative for the region on Monday, before joining a summit of the Quad regional grouping Tuesday before returning to Washington. DURATION: 00:35
