Chamonix (France) (AFP) – The 2,500 participants in the Mont Blanc Ultra Trail (UTMB), the Holy Grail of ultra-trail running, set off on Friday in Chamonix, two hours later than originally scheduled due to stormy weather in the mountain range. The run is approximately 170 kilometers with about 10,000 m of elevation gain.
Oslo (AFP) – “He was the best man we could have had,” says Lilian Haabrakke, one of those signing books of condolence in Oslo, following the death of Norway’s King Harald. Town halls in many Norwegian cities have made books of condolence available in the wake of Harald’s death, after 35 years on the throne, with his son succeeding him as King Haakon VIII.
Nuwakot (Nepal) (AFP) – Buildings and vehicles lie half-buried in Nepal’s Nuwakot district after a devastating tsunami-like wall of freezing water and mud wiped out towns.
Beijing (AFP) – China has offered to assist Nepal with rescue operations and emergency relief following deadly flooding and mudslides along their shared border, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman says. The pledge follows a high-level meeting chaired by Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday to deploy disaster relief, with Premier Li Qiang dispatched to the disaster zone in Tibet to direct emergency response operations on the ground.
Nuwakot (Nepal) (AFP) – Scene of devastation in Nepal’s Nuwakot district with buildings, vehicles, roads covered in mud after a devastating tsunami-like wall of freezing water and mud wiped out towns. Nearly 2,500 people were still missing Saturday and around 600 confirmed dead after flash floods and landslides hit the Nepal-Tibet border. IMAGES
Kandy (Sri Lanka) (AFP) – Large crowds gather outside the historic Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, Sri Lanka, to watch dance and music performances and a parade featuring decorated elephants as part of the Esala Perahera Buddhist festival celebrations. The annual celebration pays tribute to a relic believed to be the Sacred Tooth of the Buddha and seeks blessings for protection and prosperity.
Toronto (Canada) (AFP) – Canadians in Toronto react after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America” amid an escalating trade dispute with Canada. “Typical Trump,” says Mark Weicker of Kitchener, Ontario. “He’s being a bully, he goads, he antagonizes, he tries to get under your skin.”
Nuwakot (Nepal) (AFP) – Nepal flood victims take temporary shelter in a local hospital after landslides left at least 552 dead and more than 1,400 missing on the Nepal-Tibet border. “I don’t know where to go,” says Kula Priya, whose son is still missing. “I just want my son back. If any of you could rescue my son, please do it for me”. The devastating tsunami-like wall of freezing water and mud wiped out entire villages under a torrent of sludge, engulfing homes, and smashing bridges and dams.
Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Hundreds of people gather at Los Angeles’ landmark Griffith Observatory to watch the deep partial lunar eclipse as Earth’s shadow covers 96 percent of the moon’s surface and it turns blood red. After this, there isn’t expected to be a good partial or total eclipse until 2028.
Oslo (AFP) – Norwegians gather outside the royal palace in the capital Oslo to mourn the death of King Harald. His 53-year-old son, Crown Prince Haakon, automatically succeeds him on the throne. “He was the king of the people,” says one mourner, Kristoffer Hamre. “King Harald has been such a good king, and I think most Norwegians really feel that they know him very well,” says another mourner, Andreas Engesvik.
Washington (AFP) – US President Donald Trump says he is considering renaming Lake Ontario as “Lake America” as his trade war with Canada escalates. The threat — which Trump backs up with a map featuring the new name — mirrors his move to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America last year.
Bunyol (AFP) – Thousands gather in the eastern Spanish town of Bunol for a massive tomato fight as part of the famed festival La Tomatina, near Valencia. “Nothing like it, absolutely nothing like it anywhere else,” says 44-year-old Luke Williams, who travelled from the UK.
