Beijing (AFP) – China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning dismisses the accusation from the US Department of Energy that the coronavirus pandemic likely arose from a Chinese laboratory leak. The department now joins the Federal Bureau of Investigation in believing that the pandemic, which has left nearly seven million people dead, was the result of a mishap in a Chinese research facility.
Adiyaman (Turkey) (AFP) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan asks for forgiveness over rescue delays while visiting one of the areas hit hardest by the deadly earthquake earlier this month. Erdogan, who is seeking another term as president after two decades in power, has received strong criticism from earthquake survivors in Adiyaman in the southeast. In the last election in 2018, Erdogan handily beat his secular opposition rival in that province.
Hawara (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – Palestinians in the occupied West Bank are left reeling after deadly violence and arson by Israeli settlers targeted a town where two Israeli brothers were killed. Dozens of Israeli settlers set homes and cars ablaze in the northern town of Huwara overnight, after a day of Israeli-Palestinian talks in neighbouring Jordan aimed at quelling a surge in violence in the Palestinian territory.
Tokyo (AFP) – From childhood, Rina Gonoi dreamed of joining Japan’s military. But as an adult, she has gone to war against the institution over sexual abuse she was subjected to by fellow soldiers. The 23-year-old decided to go public about the assaults she was subjected to after an investigation was dropped on the grounds of insufficient evidence.
Guilin (China) (AFP) – In the dead of night on a bridge in southern China, around two dozen livestreamers sat crooning and chatting into microphones, their identical ring lights spaced a few metres apart in glowing rows. The surreal scene appears most nights, with streamers choosing the spot in the city of Guilin with the hopes of catching the attention of online “passers-by” scrolling through livestreams late at night on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok.
Vatican City (AFP) – During his weekly Sunday Angelus prayer, pope Francis says he “prays” for migrants who lost their lives in a shipwreck off the Italian coast in the early hours of the morning.
Salé (Morocco) (AFP) – Moroccans are struggling to secure basic needs amid declining purchasing power as prices rocket, with residents taking to the streets to protest the surging prices of food and fuel.
Bakhmut (Ukraine) (AFP) – Drone images from the state-run Russian news agency RIA-Novosti show the scale of desctruction in Ukraine’s eastern city of Bakhmut, the scene of the longest-running battle of Russia’s year-long offensive.
Crotone (Italy) (AFP) – Police inspect the scene at the beach where the wreckage of a ship can be seen strewn across the sand, in the Croton area of Italy. At least 27 people died in the wreck after their migrant boat sank at dawn.
New York (AFP) – The Metropolitan Opera holds a concert to mark the one-year anniversary of Russia’s war, with Ukrainian soloists Dmytro Popov and Vladyslav Buialskyi. They play the national anthem and “Prayer for Ukraine” by Valentin Silvestrov in the presence of Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Nations.
Pasir Gudang (Malaysia) (AFP) – Giant inflatable sea creatures and cartoon characters hover above a field as kite enthusiasts from around the world gather at the 25th Pasir Gudang World Kite Festival, for the first time since 2019.
London (AFP) – David Hockney’s first immersive show opens to the public in London offering a hypnotic, multi-sensory journey through the British artist’s decades-long career, from sun-drenched California swimming pools to the Normandy countryside.
