Tbilisi (AFP) – When Russia sent troops into Ukraine in late February, Georgian lawmaker Aleko Elisashvili did not hesitate to rush to the country’s defence, and within days was fighting in the battle for Irpin.
Baldomar (Spain) (AFP) – Emergency services battle several wildfires in Catalonia as Spain remains in the grip of an exceptional heatwave that has seen temperatures reach 43 degrees Celsius (109 degrees Farenheit). The most alarming blaze, near Baldomar in Catalonia, has already destroyed more than 500 hectares of forest.
Chamonix (France) (AFP) – Matthias Giraud, also known as “Super Frenchie” because of his thrill-seeking stunts, performs a Ski-BASE jump from the Aiguille du Goûter, a 4000 metre-high mountain in the Mont Blanc Massif in the French Alps. In his latest exploit, 10 years in the planning, Super Frenchie is seen enjoying an impressive descent and deploying his parachute while free-falling.
Manaus (Brazil) (AFP) – Brazil’s federal police announce that one of two men arrested over the disappearance of a British journalist and an indigenous expert in the Brazilian Amazon has confessed to having buried the pair in the jungle after human remains were found. ++ COMPLETES WITH VIDI_32CK8TT++
Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – From a Ukrainian flag being rethreaded to a portrait of a famous demining dog who received a medal of courage from President Volodymyr Zelensky – in Kyiv and its suburbs, artists and art collectives have been painting murals inspired by the war against Russia.
Islamabad (AFP) – Pakistanis drink tea, known locally as “chai”, in a restaurant in Islamabad as a minister urges citizens to cut back on the popular drink in order to preserve foreign currency that pays to import the leaves used in brewing the beverage.
Quito (AFP) – Several thousand indigenous people flocked to Quito on the third consecutive day of protests against Ecuador’s government, and as their leader Leonidas Iza, accused of paralysing public transport by blocking roads, was released from detention.
Canberra (AFP) – Australia’s new prime minister Anthony Albanese says he has written to the United Nations to raise the country’s 2030 emissions reduction target to 43 percent.
Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi are seen onboard a train bound for the Ukraine capital Kyiv, that left from Poland. IMAGES
Quito (AFP) – The Ecuadorian police and protesters clash on Wednesday as anti-government demonstrations continue in the capital city Quito for the third consecutive day. The protests were called by the powerful Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (Conaie) — a group credited with helping topple three Ecuadoran presidents between 1997 and 2005.
Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – In his nightly address, President Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukraine is as close to EU candidate status “as we could have only dreamed of even a few years ago”. He adds, “the answer to our candidacy will be the answer of the European Union not only to Ukraine but also to themselves, their future.”
Rhodes (France) (AFP) – Three female lynx, born on May 18, undergo their first medical examination and are fitted with an electronic identification chip at the Sainte-Croix animal park in Rhodes, in France’s northeast.
