Rio de Janeiro (AFP) – Thousands of supporters of Brazilian president-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva hold a “CarnaLula” party on Rio’s Copacabana beach to “exorcise” defeated far-right incumbent president Jair Bolsonaro from Brazil.
Washington (AFP) – Images of the United States Capitol building on the eve of the midterm elections, as Americans prepare to go to the polls to elect 435 members of the House of Representatives, one-third of the Senate and a host of state and local posts.
Lahore (Pakistan) (AFP) – Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan leaves hospital three days after being shot in the legs in a failed assassination attempt. Khan, 70, was wounded by gunfire aimed at his open-top container truck as he led a political party convoy through thick crowds in the eastern city of Wazirabad on Thursday.
League City, Texas (United States) (AFP) – In Texas, Cindy Scott teaches women to handle firearms, convinced that guns are not only safe but symbols of female empowerment. The right to bear arms — the privilege asserted in the Second Amendment to the US Constitution — is one of the key faultlines that runs through America.
Bukoba (Tanzania) (AFP) – Tanzanian Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa visits the scene after a Precision Air flight with dozens of passengers on board plunged into Lake Victoria while approaching the northwestern Tanzanian city of Bukoba.
Cape Town (AFP) – One of Cape Town’s oldest residential areas, the Bo-Kaap on the slopes of Signal Hill, was brought to a standstill as thousands flocked to watch the Red Bull Box Cart race.
Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – Ukraine says the defence ministry has requisitioned several energy and manufacturing companies to guarantee sufficient supplies for the military to fend off the Russian invasion. The secretary of Ukraine’s national security and defence council, Oleksiy Danilov, said the enterprises include aircraft engine manufacturer Motor Sich working from the partially Russian-controlled region of Zaporizhzhia, and the oil and gas company, UkrNafta.
Sharm el Sheikh (Egypt) (AFP) – UN chief Antonio Guterres tells world leaders “we are on a highway to climate hell with our foot on the accelerator” as they gather in Egypt for talks tasked with curbing global warming and protecting people and the planet.
Pyin Oo Lwin (Myanmar) (AFP) – People gather in the hills of central Myanmar to mark the annual Tazaungdaing light festival that marks the end of the rainy season in a fiery display of exploding hot air balloons. The festival in the former British hill station of Pyin Oo Lwin has not been held for two years because of the Covid pandemic and unrest following the military’s coup last year.
Beijing (AFP) – About 30,000 runners, some wearing face masks, take part in a chilly and smoggy first Beijing Marathon since 2019 after Covid cancelled previous races.
Sagami Bay (Japan) (AFP) – Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledges to beef up Japan’s naval and military capacity, warning that nations must prepare to face aggressors, and also denouncing North Korea’s recent blitz of missile tests, one of which flew over Japan for the first time since 2017 and prompted a rare evacuation warning. He was making his remarks during Japan’s international naval fleet review which gathered ships from Japan and 12 other countries — including Australia, India and the United States — at Sagami Bay, south of Tokyo.
Atlantic City (United States) (AFP) – In Atlantic City, the largest organ in the world is coming back to life. The pipe organ in the New Jersey city’s Boardwalk Hall was constructed in the 1920s, during the seaside resort area’s golden age. But the instrument suffered the wrath of a hurricane in 1944, and wear and tear after years of quasi-abandonment for a while left it unusable. Now, through private donations and careful restoration, it is coming back to ear-pleasing functionality.
