Poonch (India) (AFP) – A flare is seen in the sky above India-administered Kashmir, after India fired missiles at Pakistani territory in a major escalation of tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals, with Islamabad vowing retaliation. IMAGES
Tegucigalpa (AFP) – Images of security forces deployed outside a bilingual school in Tegucigalpa after the US embassy in Honduras warned of a “threat of mass shooting” in three locations in the capital, prompting police to set up special surveillance. The diplomatic mission frequently alerts US citizens about possible risks due to criminal violence or at times of festivities in the Central American country. The embassy said on his website it has “received information of a threat of a mass shooting to take place today, May 6, in Tegucigalpa,” adding that “the source also threatened such an event on May 16.” IMAGES
Brasilia (AFP) – Images of David Gamble, Trump Administration’s Sanctions Coordinator, after meeting with representatives of the Brazilian Ministry of Justice in Brasilia. IMAGES
Strasbourg (France) (AFP) – The EU unveils a long-promised plan to phase out its last gas imports from Russia by the end of 2027, a challenge given Europe’s continued dependence on Russian fossil fuels. The two-step plan would put an end to new contracts and existing short-term spot contracts with Russian suppliers by the end of 2025. All remaining imports would be banned by the end of 2027.
Geneva (AFP) – The UN accuses Israel of trying to “weaponise” the flow of aid into Gaza, leaving the population desperate for food and water while delivering them “bombs” instead. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) decries the worsening situation in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory after nearly nine weeks of a total Israeli blockade on Gaza.
Harlow (United Kingdom) (AFP) – 80 years after helping prepare British troops for the D-Day landings in France as a signaller, Dorothea Barron teaches yoga in her English village at the age of 100. “Everybody had this spirit in the war: ‘We do not want the Nazis in England, get rid of them’,” says the centenarian who signed up aged 18 for the Women’s Royal Naval Service.
Alcatraz Island (United States) (AFP) – “He says things. And sometimes he does them, and sometimes he doesn’t. So who knows,” says Bill Keyser, a tourist from Chicago at Alcatraz prison, which closed in 1963 and is now a sightseeing destination. US President Donald Trump announced an order to resurrect the once-notorious island prison out of the blue over the weekend in a social media post. Under plans to reopen, Trump says the facility would “house America’s most ruthless and violent Offenders.”
New York (AFP) – Stars hit the Met Gala’s red carpet, which this year spotlights the subversive style of Black dandyism. The theme comes five years after the anti-racist Black Lives Matter movement, which pushed a number of cultural institutions in the United States to grapple with their representation of race and diversity, and now coincides with US President Donald Trump’s efforts to quash institutional initiatives to promote diversity.
Vienna (AFP) – Rolling off the production line at a chocolate factory in Vienna, the Mozart Ball or Mozartkugel is an emblematic Austrian treat. First invented in Salzburg in 1890, the chocolate is beloved by locals and tourists alike, but increasingly isn’t even made in its homeland. Citing high cacao prices and energy costs, US food giant Mondelez, which owns one of Mozartkugel’s most recognisable brands, has moved production to Eastern Europe, making it the latest company to make the sweets outside Austria. The trend has sparked a row, with traditional makers unable to cut costs in the same way and workers’ unions critical of bigger companies’ lack of transparency.
Sanaa (AFP) – Footage aired by the Huthi-run TV channel Al-Masirah shows the aftermath of airstrikes on the Yemeni capital Sanaa, including people being treated in hospital. The Huthis have accused Washington of carrying out around 10 strikes in and around the capital, wounding 14. The bombardment follows a Huthi strike on Israel, which hit the perimeter of the country’s main airport. The Huthis, who control swathes of Yemen, have been targeting Israel and Red Sea shipping throughout the Gaza war, claiming solidarity with Palestinians.
Lome (AFP) – Hundreds protest in the Togolese capital, Lome, against changes to the West African country’s constitution. The rally came a day after leader Faure Gnassingbe assumed a new role with no term limits. Gnassingbe, whose family has ruled Togo for nearly six decades, was sworn in on 3 May as the head of the majority in parliament, held by his UNIR party. Opposition parties and civil society have criticised the move, describing it as a “monarchical drift.”
Guadalajara (Mexico) (AFP) – Crowds gather in Guadalajara in western Mexico to watch a parade of balloon sculptures. Using thousands of balloons and designed by artists from around the world, the dozen floats depict sea creatures.
