Lagos (AFP) – The holy fasting month of Ramadan has begun in Nigeria, with the worst economic crisis in a generation leaving many in Africa’s most populous Muslim country struggling to provide for their families.
Jimbaran (Indonesia) (AFP) – The Indonesian island of Bali comes to a standstill for 24 hours as local Hindus observe Nyepi, a day of silence that marks the start of the new year in the Balinese Hindu calendar.
Stockholm (AFP) – “We feel a bit like broken records,” says Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg as she blocks an entrance to the Swedish Parliament along with other campaigners. “We are way too many young people who have had to grow up in the climate movement and who have had to grow up way too quickly, to take the responsibility and to try to clean up after the older generation,” adds Thunberg whose global climate strike movement, which has gathered more than one million strikers across 125 countries, celebrates its 5 years this week.
Israel-Gaza Border (Israel) (AFP) – Parachutes with humanitarian aid fall from the sky following an airdrop in northern Gaza, seen from Israel. Gaza’s deadliest war showed no signs of abating as the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins amid a gruelling humanitarian crisis that has pushed much of the territory to the brink of starvation.
London (AFP) – “It’s a major communication failure from their side to distribute such an image, which raises doubts, will only create rumors,” says Eric Baradat, director of photography at AFP, as Catherine, Princess of Wales, apologised after a Mother’s Day photo of her with her children was published, only to be withdrawn by major news agencies who discovered it had been retouched.
Rafah (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – “We don’t know what we are going to eat to break the fast, there’s nothing” says a displaced Palestinian man inside his tent in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, on the first day of Ramadan. As the first day of the Mulism holy fasting month began, Gaza’s deadliest war showed no signs of abating amid a gruelling humanitarian crisis that has pushed much of the territory to the brink of starvation.
Brussels (Belgium) (AFP) – Swedes express mixed feelings towards their country becoming the 32nd member of NATO, a move that brings the curtain down on more than 200 years of military non-alignment. “It’s good for the country” says Fredrik Palmqvist, a 36-year-old chef. However, Kerstin Bergea, an NGO worker, sees Sweden’s accession as “a historic mistake”. Stockholm’s bid to join the US-led alliance was prompted – alongside that of Finland – by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Liverpool (AFP) – “The result is only one thing,” says Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, following his team’s 1-1 draw with Manchester City. “Today, I saw a team who is in the right position,” he adds. The result leaves Arsenal at the top of the Premier League, if only on goal difference, level on points with Liverpool and just one point ahead of Manchester City.
Lisbon (AFP) – Portugal has become the latest European country to take a step to the political right, after the centre-right Democratic Alliance (AD) claimed a narrow electoral victory. Near-complete results on Monday showed the AD with 29.49 percent of the vote, with the incumbent Socialist party receiving 28.66 percent. The closeness of the results positions the far-right Chega as a potentially decisive force after the anti-immigration party captured 18 percent of the vote, boosting its standing when compared to the 2022 election.
Beijing (AFP) – China’s Foreign Ministry urges the United States, Britain and Australia to drop the “Cold War mentality” of the so-called AUKUS defence pact. A number of states in Southeast Asia have expressed reluctance to back the agreement, in which the US and Britain have pledged to help Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarines as part of plans to counter China’s influence. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin also says Beijing has “always upheld an objective and just position” on the war in Ukraine.
Hiroshima (Japan) (AFP) – At the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, people give their views on Christopher Nolan’s film ‘Oppenheimer’, which became one of the most awarded films in Oscar history when it swept up seven statuettes on Sunday.
Kyoto (Japan) (AFP) – Visitors will be banned from entering private alleys in Kyoto’s famous geisha district, as the ancient city tackles overtourism after the pandemic. Kyoto residents have long expressed frustration with tourists behaving badly, especially in the city’s picturesque Gion neighbourhood, home to teahouses where “geiko” — as geisha are locally known — and their young “maiko” apprentices, perform.
