Budapest (AFP) – Tens of thousands throng a central Budapest square to hear Pope Francis lead an open-air mass in which he urged all Hungarians to be more open toward migrants. The pontiff is wrapping up a three-day visit to the central European country, and his comments have stood in stark contrast to those of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban who has regularly espoused anti-migration rhetoric.
Breitenbrunn (Austria) (AFP) – Once upon a time many homes in the picturesque Burgenland wine-growing region of eastern Austria were thatched. But now Jacobus van Hoorne’s house is the only one in the entire neighbourhood with a reed roof. And to get it approved he had to do battle for two years with the local authorities, culminating in having to set fire to a model thatched house to prove that his home wouldn’t be a fire hazard.
Washington (AFP) – US President Joe Biden jokes about his old age during his speech at the White House Correspondents’ dinner. Washington’s political and media elites gathered for their annual big-night-out in the US capital for an event that ranged from the traditional comedy gags to somber calls to free reporters imprisoned abroad.
Seoul (AFP) – Louis Vuitton holds its first Prefall show at Jamsugyo Bridge, spanning Seoul’s Hangang River. Film director, Hwang Dong-Hyuk – renowned for Netflix original series ‘Squid Game’ – participated in the show scenography as Creative Advisor, and Jung Ho-yeon, South Korean model and actress, who also starred in Squid Game, lead the row of models on the runway.
Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) (AFP) – A ship carrying 1,600 evacuees from Sudan, including a group of Iranians, arrives in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Multiple nations are scrambling to evacuate embassy staff and citizens by road, air and sea from Sudan, where fighting between the army and paramilitaries has killed hundreds.
Wellington (AFP) – New Zealand’s treasured kiwi birds are shuffling around Wellington’s verdant hills for the first time in a century, after a drive to eliminate invasive predators from the capital’s surrounds.
Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – Two Ukrainian artists reflect on their creations as well as the evolution of their art since the start of the war, which has sparked huge interest in Ukrainian culture. Contemporary Ukrainian artists are finding ways to highlight the horrors the country faces as well as explore ideas about its future.
Sevastopol (AFP) – A huge fire breaks out at a fuel depot in Sevastopol, the main port in Moscow-annexed Crimea, with Russian-installed authorities saying it was the result of a drone attack. Sevastopol is home to Russia’s Black Sea Fleet and has been hit by a series of drone attacks since the Kremlin’s Ukraine offensive launched last year.
Malindi (Kenya) (AFP) – Titus Katana has been digging for days to find the remains of victims of a Kenyan starvation cult that once counted him as a follower. “I am here in solidarity to try and get justice for the victims,” he says. Katana says he knew Nthenge well but left due to differences over new restrictions pushed by the former taxi driver-turned-pastor. “The laws became stiffer and got to a level of killing people,” he says. The discovery of mass graves in Shakahola forest near the coastal town of Malindi last week shocked Kenyans, with the government warning that the death toll — currently at 109 — could rise even
Le François (France) (AFP) – To fight against the Sargassum scourge that is hitting the Caribbean countries hard, two entrepreneurs decide to join forces to collect seaweed blocked by an anti-Sargassum barrier off the coast, protecting the beaches from Sargassum strandings, sparing the inhabitants from the nauseating gases and protecting the economic activity of the seaside.
Tajura (Libya) (AFP) – War-ravaged Libya is better known for its oil wealth than its forests, but environmentalists hope to save the North African country’s last remaining green spaces from logging and the impacts of climate change.
Birmingham (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Dancers from the Royal Birmingham Ballet rehearse for a new full-length, three-act ballet inspired by British heavy metal band Black Sabbath which will open in September. The band’s co-founder Tony Iommi says he was “fascinated” by the idea presented to him by ballet director Carlos Acosta, and that it is good to “break out that box a bit and do something different”.
