Rwanda faces many accusations of rights abuses, but it has been praised for its conservation work, which is key to its vital tourism sector. Spearheading efforts to preserve the Grey Crowned Crane is conservationist Olivier Nsengimana, whose work has seen the migratory bird make a comeback in recent years. N°43DK462
Jakarta (AFP) – On a rainy day in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta, three men coated in metallic paint known as the “manusia silver”, or silvermen, brave the elements to ask drivers for change. It is not without risks, but one some young Indonesians feel it’s necessary to make ends meet as the cost of living worsens and jobs dwindle after the pandemic.
Undisclosed (AFP) – Deep circles frame the blue eyes of Oleg, a 42-year-old Ukrainian military medic. The three-day truce announced by Russia this week has not given him any rest. “When you watch television and from the screen it looks like a truce, but on the battlefield there is little of that,” he says. “The war continues.”
Vatikanstadt (AFP) – Pope Leo XIV calls for fighting to “cease immediately” in the Gaza Strip as he greets crowds from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica, in his second official public appearance since becoming the leader of the Catholic Church.
Srinagar (AFP) – Armed forces personnel patrol Srinagar, in Indian-administered Kashmir, hours after India and Pakistan trade accusations of ceasefire violations. The truce was agreed on 10 May, after four days of fighting, missile, drone and artillery attacks which killed at least 60 people and sent thousands fleeing — the worst violence since India and Pakistan’s last open conflict in 1999.
Rom (AFP) – Leo XIV prays at the tomb of Pope Francis two days after being elected new head of the Catholic Church and hours after vowing to humbly follow in his predecessor’s footsteps. The surprise visit to Santa Maria Maggiore, a papal basilica in Rome beloved of Francis, who died on April 21 at age 88, capped a busy day for Leo, the first US pope now charged with leading the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.
Tirana (AFP) – Albanians begin casting their ballots in the capital Tirana to decide whether to give pro-EU prime minister Edi Rama a fourth term or side with his longstanding rival Sali Berisha in an election seen as crucial for the country’s European Union ambitions. “I’ve come to express my wish… to make Albania an even better and more beautiful country, so that our sons, daughters and grandchildren no longer leave for other countries,” says 80-year-old Agim Lali at the polling station.
Neu Delhi (AFP) – India says Pakistan has repeatedly violated the ceasefire, hours after both countries reached an agreement to halt hostilities, and vows to retaliate. “The armed forces are giving an adequate and appropriate response to these violations,” says Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.
Jabalia (AFP) – In food-starved Gaza, residents have resorted to grinding lentils, pasta and rice for baking bread amid severe shortages of flour. “Where is the humanity of the world that sees us every day? For more than 60 days, not even a glass of water has entered through the crossings. Our people want to live, our children want to eat,” says Mahmoud Dardouna, standing outside a mill shop in Jabalia camp, in northern Gaza. Despite imposing a now two-month-long blockade of aid on Gaza, which it says is aimed at putting pressure on Palestinian militant group Hamas, Israel insists there is no humanitarian crisis in the territory.
Kiew (AFP) – French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk join Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska in laying candles at the National Memorial to the Fallen Defenders of Ukraine.
Vatikanstadt (AFP) – Pope Leo XIV says his choice of name reflects a commitment to social causes embraced by Leo XIII, a late 19th century pontiff and determined defender of workers’ rights during the industrial revolution, according to the Vatican.
Vilanova i la Geltrú (AFP) – Spanish authorities tell more than 160,000 people near Barcelona to stay indoors after a fire at an industrial property has released a toxic cloud of chlorine over a wide area. The blaze, in the coastal city of Vilanova i la Geltru, just south of Barcelona, took hold of a building storing pool cleaning products, the regional fire service say.
