Washington (AFP) – US President Joe Biden sends his best wishes as Mexico celebrates 200 years of independence, saying that both countries have learned that they are stronger when they “stand together as neighbors, partners and friends.”
Paris (AFP) – Australia’s AUKUS alliance with the US and UK, which deprives France of a contract to supply submarines to Australia, “does not change France’s Indo-Pacific strategy,” says French President Emmanuel Macron. Macron was left furious by Australia’s decision to ditch a 2016 deal to buy diesel submarines from France in favour of nuclear-powered ones from the United States and Britain.
Shetland (United Kingdom) (AFP) – For hundreds of years, the inhabitants of the northernmost part of Scotland and the United Kingdom have bred small horses — the Shetland pony. The animals, named after the unforgiving northern archipelago in the North Sea, have long drawn attention for their distinctive shape, size and rough hair. But during the coronavirus pandemic they saw their value soar to new highs, prompting hopes of another bumper year as the islands’ annual sale approaches.
Bamako (AFP) – Between pothole-filled roads, swarms of motorcycles driven by minors, and a distinct lack of road signs, learner drivers in Bamako must surmount a range of challenges to obtain their licence. Once a rarety, driving schools are now booming in Mali, catering for the millions of young people — the minimum age for driving is 18 — who crave a licence, often to find work.
London (AFP) – Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta praises his team and the impact of having fans in the stadium after his team struck three times inside 35 minutes to beat Tottenham 3-1 and move above their north London rivals in the Premier League table.
Germany braces for a period of political unpredictability after the Social Democrats Party narrowly wins a general election but faces a rival claim to power from outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative camp.
Tokyo (AFP) – Sumo’s greatest-ever champion Hakuho has decided to retire over persistent knee trouble, Japanese media report, leaving a gaping hole at the top of the ancient sport.
Chassieu (France) (AFP) – A man pelts French President Emmanuel Macron with an egg during his visit to a restaurant and hotel trade fair in the southeastern city of Lyon.
A Kosovar artist creates a portrait of the outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel using some 100 kilogrammes of seeds.
Kabul (AFP) – Every weekend, fighters from around Afghanistan gather on a public field in the capital to pit their skills against each other in a sport that is a mix of judo and wrestling.
Traders of carpets, antiques and souvenirs on Kabul’s famed Chicken Street say business has completely dried up since the vast majority of foreigners left the Afghan capital as the Taliban took over.
Villawood (Australia) (AFP) – A set of hulking machines from ‘Mad Max: Fury road’ await a new owner in a Sydney warehouse as a far-out fleet of 13 from the 2015 film goes up for sale.
