Scarring for life: traditional practice fades in Sudan
Khartoum (AFP) – Sudanese women and men show the of their traditional facial scars, an ancient practice that was once common among African tribes but which has greatly diminished over the years.
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Carbon-ara : UK restaurant puts climate awareness on the menu
Bristol (United Kingdom) (AFP) – The menu at The Canteen in southwest England doesn’t just let diners know how much a dish costs. They can also check its carbon footprint.
Kim Jong Un had Covid, powerful sister tells tearful North Korean audience
Pyongyang (AFP) – Kim Jong Un’s powerful sister, Kim Yo Jong, says the leader had been ill during the coronavirus outbreak. This is the first time North Korea has indicated its leader — whose health is the subject of extraordinarily close scrutiny by analysts — had been infected by the coronavirus. Yo Jong also claimed the country’s Covid-19 outbreak was caused by South Korea, warning of “retaliation”.
Taliban fighters swap arms for books as hundreds return to school
Kabul (AFP) – Young Taliban members like Gul Agha Jalali used to spend nights planting bombs — hoping to target an Afghan government soldier or, better still, a foreign serviceman. One year after the Taliban return to power, the 23-year-old Taliban member is now studying English, and has enrolled in a computer science course in the capital, Kabul.
Greece: Migrants rescued after boat sinks return to land
Kardamena (Greece) (AFP) – Images of the Greek coastguard transporting rescued migrants back to land after their boat sank. An air and sea operation by the Greek coastguard has rescued 29 migrants after the boat sank in the Aegean Sea off the islands of Karpathos and Rhodes, leaving dozens missing.
Firefighters battle national park blaze in central Portugal
Sameiro (Portugal) (AFP) – Firefighters battle a blaze in in the heart of Portugal’s Serra da Estrela National Park, which has been raging for the past four days. The fires, according to estimates, have already destroyed more than 4000 hectares of forest.” We were able The fires, according to estimates, have already destroyed more than 4000 hectares of forest. “I have never, ever seen anything like this. It’s a catastrophe, it breaks my heart,” says 69-year-old Duarte, a local resident.
US House Speaker Pelosi says she’s ‘proud’ of trip to Taiwan
Washington (AFP) – US Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi says she is “proud” of her trip to Taiwan, which was intended “to praise Taiwan”, not “to talk about China”, during a press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.
Salt of the earth: Israeli artist’s Dead Sea sculptures
Ein Bokek (Israel) (AFP) – Israeli artist Sigalit Landau wades into the warm, briny waters of the Dead Sea to inspect her latest creations — everyday objects coated in salt crystals that glisten in the bright morning sun. The lowest point on Earth is also Landau’s studio where she submerges objects — from a ballet dress to a lampshade’s wire frame — for weeks until they are magically transformed by ice-like layers of salt.
Trump’s convoy leaves New York attorney general’s office after deposition
New York (AFP) – Images of Donald Trump’s convoy leaving the New York attorney general’s office in New York City, after some six hours of questioning under oath over alleged fraud at his family business, having earlier vowed he would invoke his constitutional right to remain silent.
In scorched UK, source of River Thames dries up
Cirencester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – In Ashton Keynes, a village located near the official source of the river Thames, a dry earthy path is now visible where the river usually flows. Locals say they “haven’t seen it as dry and as empty as this” as England experiences record heat and low rainfalls this summer.
US Defense Secretary says Russia has committed its most capable forces to Ukraine
Riga (AFP) – During an official visit to Latvia, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says there is no doubt that Russia has committed a significant portion of its most capable forces to the effort in Ukraine. He also believes that sanctions will make it more difficult to regenerate the Russian army.
‘We hope for peace’: Nairobi residents day after presidential polls
Nairobi (AFP) – A quiet Nairobi wakes up after a close-fought general election which will see a new president elected. Residents call for peace as they anxiously await the results. “People voted peacefully, returned to work and I see Kenya moving forward. There will be peace” remarks one.
