Titusville (United States) (AFP) – Equipped with binoculars, telescopes and folding chairs, space enthusiasts watched on as the second-ever private mission to the International Space Station (ISS) blasted off from the southern US state of Florida Sunday.
Baghdad (AFP) – Young Iraqis row a flotilla of traditional wooden boats down the Tigris river in Baghdad, celebrating an ancient nautical heritage in the now drought-stricken country. Once common sight across Iraq’s southern streams and marshlands, the elongated boats, known as meshhouf, have been around “since the time of the Sumerians”, said event organiser Rashad Salim.
Kinshasa (AFP) – Police in the Democratic Republic of Congo use tear gas to crack down on opposition protesters as they gather in the capital on 20 May 2023 to demonstrate against growing insecurity, high living costs and call for elections to be held within a constitutional deadline.
Edinburgh (AFP) – In a deserted former department store near the port of Leith in Edinburgh, Tim Vincent-Smith reaches inside a grand piano’s open top, his fingertips lightly plucking at the taut strings. The piano is one of hundreds rescued by the musician and his team of volunteers, as homes around Britain discard the instruments in favour of more space. N°33AA3GY
Dakar (AFP) – Pencil and rubber in hand, Ibrahima Soumare is studying the art of graffiti. In Senegal’s Dakar, RBS Akademya is a unique school, one that aims “to educate young people to understand the realities of their time”, says graffiti artist and a member of the school’s founding collective, Serigne Mansour Fall. The graffiti works often bear political, educational, health or environmental messages.
Killi (Syria) (AFP) – In the town of Killi in Idlib province, Syrians harvest hundreds of pink Damask roses. For centuries the flower’s prized scent has been distilled into rose water for use in perfumes, cosmetics and food across the Middle East and Europe. “Harvesting roses makes me happy,” says Shahed, who lives in a nearby camp for displaced Syrians and picks the flowers to support her family.
Johannesburg (AFP) – DeLovie Kwagala, a LGBTQ Ugandan activist currently living in South Africa, fears for their life as their visa expires and they need to travel back to Uganda to renew it. Under a new law passed by the Ugandan parliament earlier this month, anyone who “knowingly promotes homosexuality” faces up to 20 years in jail and “engaging in acts of homosexuality” would be an offence punishable with life imprisonment.
Unknown (AFP) – The head of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group claims the complete capture of the east Ukrainian town of Bakhmut, scene of the longest and bloodiest battle in Moscow’s offensive. “Today around mid-day, Bakhmut was taken in its entirety,” Yevgeny Prigozhin says in a video posted on Telegram, with fighters behind him holding the Russian flag surrounded by ruins.
Harare (AFP) – Former detainees celebrate as they walk out of a prison in Zimbabwe following a presidential amnesty freeing about a fifth of the country’s inmates, only a few months ahead of crunch general elections. The 4,270 freed inmates will be able to vote in upcoming presidential and legislative elections due to be held in August. The polls come at a time of discontent over chronic poverty and power cuts and high inflation.
Moscow (AFP) – During a televised meeting, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says that announcements by G7 leaders at their summit this weekend to help end the conflict in Ukraine show a determination to “contain” both Russia and China.
Forlì (Italy) (AFP) – Volunteers in the town of Forli set up a mobile field kitchen for volunteers helping people affected by the floods in Italy’s northeastern Emilia-Romagna region, described as the worst the country has seen in a century. Over 200 volunteers are expected to arrive, according to Mauro Valentini, who’s managing the operation.
Guacalillo (Costa Rica) (AFP) – Around 40 volunteers gather on Guacalillo Beach, on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, to clean its shores. “Costa Rica sells itself as a green country, but the reality is that there is a lack of awareness and education” says Montserrat Courrau, a participant in the cleanup day. In 2021, the country generated over 1.6 million tonnes of municipal waste according to the Organisation For Economic Co-operation And Development (OECD).
