Undisclosed (AFP) – An increase in Russian drones – both in number and ability – has forced Ukrainian soldiers on the eastern frontlines to constantly adapt and modernise. Operating in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, the Spartan Brigade’s ‘Black Sky’ unmanned systems battalion has repurposed agricultural drones, like several other brigades, to deliver supplies and act as bombers.
Tokio (AFP) – Japan’s meteorological agency has issued heatstroke alerts for parts of the country as temperatures near 40 degrees Celsius, with hundreds hospitalised and more extreme heat forecast in the coming days. The hot weather is headline news in the country, which last year experienced its joint warmest summer ever as climate change fuelled extreme heatwaves around the globe.
Genf (AFP) – Iran’s representative to the UN in Geneva says his country will respond “strongly” to aggression from any side, be it Israel or the United States. After decades of enmity and a prolonged shadow war, Israel says its surprise air campaign that began on June 13 is aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons — an ambition Tehran denies. US President Donald Trump has said that Washington has played no part in the bombing campaign by its ally Israel, but has also warned Iran that his patience is wearing thin.
Birqin (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – Iranian missiles and Israeli air defense systems light up the sky over Birqin, in northern West Bank. After decades of hostility and a long-running shadow war waged through proxies and covert attacks, Israel and Iran are now exchanging direct fire with unprecedented intensity — raising fears of a broader conflict that could engulf the Middle East. 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.
