Damaskus (AFP) – The German flag waves once again over the newly reopened German embassy in Damascus. Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock officially reopened her country’s diplomatic mission, which closed in 2012 amid the Syrian civil war, on her second visit to the capital since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad more than three months ago.
Nationalpark Mount Kenya (AFP) – The “very, very beautiful” Lewis Glacier on Mount Kenya, Africa’s second highest peak, is now little more than “small patches of ice and snow”, says veteran guide Charles Kibaki Muchiri. It is one of the few mountains on the African continent with glaciers, and scientists fear it could become one of the first in modern times to turn entirely ice-free as soon as 2030.
Tokyo (AFP) – Three decades since Shizue Takahashi’s husband and a dozen others were killed with a nerve agent on Tokyo’s subway, she fears Japan could see a repeat of the doomsday cult attack. Another widow, Yuki Niimi, knows the group that carried out the attack only too well. Her husband was a follower of Aum Shinrikyo and was executed in 2018 for his role in the 1995 gas attack.
Buenos Aires (AFP) – Argentine retirees and football fans gather alongside unions and activists to protest against President Javier Milei’s budget-slashing policies, following last week’s violent day. Dozens of security force trucks, water cannons, and metal barriers are stationed around the Congress to prevent protesters from passing. IMAGES
La Paz (AFP) – Aymara Indigenous people march in La Paz to protest the shortage of dollars and fuel in the country. Wearing red ponchos and black hats, the Aymaras descend on Plaza Murillo, site of the presidential palace blocked by riot police, to deliver a list of demands to government officials. Since 2023 Bolivia has been undergoing an economic crisis due to the lack of US currency. It has almost exhausted its liquid international reserves, which it uses to import fuel to sell in the domestic market at subsidized prices. IMAGES
Kaboul (AFP) – The all-enveloping blue burqa with a face mesh has long been a symbol of the Taliban’s oppression of women in Afghanistan, but the trend is slowly changing.
Unknown (AFP) – Some 175 Russian soldiers have returned to Russia after an exchange with Ukraine in the latest prisoner swap, brokered by the United Arab Emirates. The Kremlin announced the swap on Tuesday, following talks between US President Donald Trump and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
Téhéran (AFP) – Lighting fireworks and dancing around fires, Iranians in Tehran are celebrating “Chaharshanbe Suri”, or “Fire Festival”. The celebration is held annually on the night of the last Tuesday of the Iranian calendar year.
Istanbul (AFP) – “There is no justice, there is no law”: Istanbul residents take to the street as the city’s popular opposition mayor Ekrem Imamoglu is detained in connection with two investigations into graft and “supporting terror”. The arrest comes just days before Imamoglu, considered President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s main political rival, was to be named the opposition candidate for the 2028 presidential election.
Helsinki (AFP) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says that Kyiv’s allies should increase their support for Ukraine, after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s demand that the West halt their military and intelligence support. “I do not believe that we should make any concessions in terms of assistance for Ukraine, but rather there should be an increase,” he states during a press conference with his Finnish counterpart Alexander Stubb.
Cártama (Espagne) (AFP) – Members of the Spanish Civil Guard rescue dogs as Storm Laurence hits southern Spain, causing flooding after heavy rainfall. Spain, which went through a long period of drought between 2021 and 2024, has been facing a series of intense rainfall for several weeks.
Aéroport international d’Alep (Syrie) (AFP) – The first commercial flight lands at Aleppo International Airport as it reopens after being out of service since Islamist-led rebels took over the city and toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad.
