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Rio roasts - Temperatures hit 41°C as beaches overflow, city deploys emergency water stations

Rio roasts - Temperatures hit 41°C as beaches overflow, city deploys emergency water stations

"Rio de Janeiro recorded its highest temperatures in the first days of 2026, with thermometers reaching 41.4°C (106.5°F) in western areas, driving residents to the beaches and prompting expanded water distribution across the city. Footage filmed Tuesday shows crowds cooling off along Rio's shoreline, playing in the water and seeking shade as vendors sell drinks. Locals are seen filling water bottles at hydration stations as staff distribute cups of water to heat-weary residents. "I think this heatwave is very complicated. It requires us to adapt to a routine that can be harmful to our health," said Romulo, a resident. He added that the heatwave "is being worsened by global warming, [...] so whoever can ends up looking for a beach to be able to cool down. And it is one of the ways we can deal with a scenario that is also worrying." In response to the situation, the municipal government has expanded its free water distribution programme in key areas of the city, installing hydration stations in public spaces. "I think it is a great initiative. I think it should be done all year round. Not only in this hot season, because sometimes we leave home and walk along the street, and we need to drink water, and it is difficult," remarked Alana, a local. According to authorities, Monday's highest temperature was concentrated in the western zone, reaching 39°C (102.2°F), while Santa Cruz recorded 41.4°C. The Rio Alert System and Operations Centre forecast cloudy skies with isolated showers in the afternoon and evening over the next two days. Temperatures are expected to remain stable, with a high of 39°C and a low of 21°C (69.8°F). "

'Criminal Yankee bombing' - Scientists assess damage to Venezuela's top research institute after US strike

'Criminal Yankee bombing' - Scientists assess damage to Venezuela's top research institute after US strike

"Staff at Venezuela's Institute for Scientific Research (IVIC) could be seen assessing the damage to the facilities in Altos de Pipe, Miranda on Monday after it was hit during the US operation that captured now former president Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores. Footage shows broken windows, destroyed furniture, and debris scattered throughout the complex, both inside and outside the institute, following the missile strikes. "The real impacts of what the criminal Yankee bombing did in our country are multiple," said Pedro Silva, head of the Physics Centre, stressing that it is not only about material losses, but "the moral damage caused by the imperial aggression." "When one is Bolivarian, and one feels that the homeland has been attacked like this, it is like feeling that they have struck one's mother," he proclaimed. Sergio Cobarrubia, biologist and researcher at the IVIC, also condemned the 'very flagrant violation' by the United States, stating that the attack on research centres carries an implicit message. "Just as they bombed two warehouses with medicines for Venezuelans. [...] Symbolically, it is health, it is production, it is science. All of that feels violated and causes a lot of anger," he explained. According to Gabriela Jimenez, Venezuela's Minister for Science and Technology, five IVIC research centres were affected by the US attacks on January 3. The Mathematics Centre was destroyed, and the Physics, Chemistry, and Ecology Centres, as well as the Nuclear Technology Unit, were damaged. "

'Continue moving forward' - President Museveni holds final campaign rally in Kampala ahead of Uganda's presidential vote

'Continue moving forward' - President Museveni holds final campaign rally in Kampala ahead of Uganda's presidential vote

"Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni held his final campaign rally in Kampala's Kasese District on Monday, as the country prepares to head to the polls in three days for the presidential election. Footage shows massive crowds filling Kololo Independence Grounds, where Museveni arrived in a convoy and delivered a speech to his supporters. In his address, the president urged voters to back the National Resistance Movement (NRM), saying it was essential for the country to 'continue moving forward.' "Uganda is richer now. We've got a lot more production than before. At Uganda, as a country, more coffee, more bananas, more cows, more maize, more sugar. Everything is more," Museveni said. "What NRM is telling you is not stories. It is things that have been done and you can see them," he stressed. "In two days, I want you to support the NRM, so that we consolidate what we have done." President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power since 1986, is currently serving his sixth elected term and is seeking to extend his four-decade rule - a path made possible after Uganda's parliament abolished presidential term limits in 2005 and amended the constitution again in 2017 to remove the 75-year age cap. The Electoral Commission has cleared eight candidates for the presidency. Recent polls suggest Museveni remains ahead with roughly 45-55% of decided voters. Robert Kyagulanyi - widely known as Bobi Wine - polls second with 30-40%, while other candidates trail in the single digits."