G7 Summit: Canadian PM Carney shakes hands with Brazil’s Lula
Kananaskis (Canada) (AFP) – Canadian prime minister Mark Carney shakes hands with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva at the G7 summit. IMAGES

Kananaskis (Canada) (AFP) – Canadian prime minister Mark Carney shakes hands with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva at the G7 summit. IMAGES

Rio de Janeiro (Brésil) (AFP) – National and international buyers take part in an auction in Rio de Janeiro for the concession of oil and gas exploration rights near the mouth of the Amazon River, as activists and Indigenous people protest outside. Brazil sold exploration rights to 19 oil and gas blocks for $153 million at the start of an auction that has been criticized by environmentalists, just months before the country is set to host the COP30 climate summit. IMAGES

Freetown (AFP) – At the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, in Sierra Leone’s capital Freetown, two baby chimps in their caretakers’ arms are unaware that deforestation and illegal building are threatening their habitat. Aside from the wildlife, the threat to the forests is also endangering the city’s water supply — a risk experts warn could spark security concerns in a country already vulnerable to climate change.

Khan Yunis (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – Palestinians rush the wounded and the dead to Nasser hospital as Gaza’s civil defence agency says Israeli forces have killed at least 50 people gathered near an aid distribution site in Khan Yunis in the territory’s south. Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that at least 53 people were killed and some 200 wounded as thousands of Palestinians gathered to receive flour at a World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid centre in the morning.

Lisbon (AFP) – Rainbow flags will fill Lisbon’s streets on 21 June when the Portuguese capital hosts the annual EuroPride parade in support of LGBTQ rights, which organisers hope will cement its standing as a gay-friendly destination. Portugal has emerged as a quiet leader in LGBTQ rights, but the far-right party Chega won a record vote share in a snap general election last month, becoming the main opposition party in the country’s parliament for the first time. “We must take advantage of this EuroPride to make it known that we are not afraid, that we are strong,” says Jose Marquina, a club manager.

Tel Aviv (AFP) – Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warns Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei he could suffer a fate like that of Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, who was toppled and later executed. “I warn the Iranian dictator against continuing to commit war crimes and launch missiles toward Israeli civilians. He should remember what happened to the dictator in the neighbouring country to Iran who took the same path against Israel,” he says. The two countries have been exchanging strikes since Israel launched a devastating attack on Iran on 13 June, which it says aimed to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons — an ambition Tehran denies.

Buenos Aires (AFP) – Supporters of former Argentine president Cristina Kirchner gather outside her home, as she awaits a decision on her six-year house arrest sentence for corruption. The Supreme court rejected her appeal against her conviction for fraudulent administration during her 2007-2015 presidency. The court’s ruling rendered Kirchner’s 2022 conviction and sentence, which includes a life-long ban on holding public office, final. IMAGES

Sikka (Indonesia) (AFP) – A volcano in eastern Indonesia spews a colossal ash tower into the sky, as authorities raise its alert level to the highest of a four-tiered system. Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki on the tourist island of Flores erupted at 5:35 pm local time (0935 GMT) on Tuesday, the volcanology agency said in a statement. There were no immediate reports of damages or casualties.

Tehran (AFP) – UGC images filmed on June 16 overnight show heavy traffic in Tehran as residents attempt to leave amid exchange of fire between Israel and Iran. Israel launched a devastating attack on 13 June that has killed at least 224 people in Iran, the health ministry said on 15 June, though it is yet to issue an update. The assault prompted a retaliatory barrage from Iran that has killed at least 24 people in Israel, according to the Israeli prime minister’s office.

Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – At least 14 people have been killed and dozens more injured after overnight Russian strikes on Kyiv. Entire sections of apartment buildings lie in ruins, with rescuers racing to pull survivors from the rubble. As talks between Russia and Ukraine have stalled, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he had hoped to speak with his US counterpart Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada. But the Ukrainian leader was expected to arrive at the G7 after the departure of the American president, who cut short his stay in the Canadian Rockies as Israel pounded Iran.

Beijing (AFP) – China accuses President Donald Trump of “pouring oil” on the mounting conflict between Iran and Israel, after the US leader warned Tehran residents to “immediately evacuate”.

Kuala Lumpur (AFP) – “Selfie man” Nizam is hustling to snap another tourist’s perfect Instagram shot on a balmy night at a bustling intersection near Kuala Lumpur’s landmark Petronas Twin Towers. “Photo? Photo?” he calls out, iPhone and selfie rig in hand, at the busy city centre junction that’s become a hotspot to showcase viral backdrops of the glistening skyscrapers.
