Orem (United States) (AFP) – People gather for a candlelight vigil at Orem City Center Park in Orem, Utah, for right-wing youth activist and influencer Charlie Kirk, who was shot dead during a public event at Utah Valley University. IMAGES
Lyon (AFP) – With small, colourful tiles, French artist In The Woup gives a twist to Super Mario, bringing the game from his childhood into the real world. He creates mosaics of Mario characters and puts them up on city walls around the globe, from Italy to Kyrgyzstan and Mexico.
Paris (AFP) – A day after demonstrators rallied across France in a show of grassroots opposition to President Emmanuel Macron, cleaning crews are removing graffiti from the base of a statue in Paris. France’s new Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu’s first day on the job coincided with nationwide street protests, which resulted in clashes with police, with one protester hospitalised after being tear-gassed.
Veendam (AFP) – Dutch tech startup Hardt Hyperloop tests its futuristic hyperloop transport system. The company says it has set a European speed record for the system and could reach 700 kilometres (435 miles) per hour once longer tracks are built. The development comes as China pushes ahead with its own high-speed projects, with state media reporting tests above 600 kph and a goal of linking Shanghai and Guangzhou by 2035.
Posen (AFP) – Polish President Karol Nawrocki says violations of Polish airspace by Russian drones are “a provocation” designed to test the response capabilities of Poland and NATO. “We have passed all these tests,” he adds during a visit to a military base in Poznan, a day after Warsaw accused Moscow of carrying out a drone raid on its territory.
Kathmandu (AFP) – Nepali youth, digitally savvy but bowed down by unemployment and limited opportunities, hit a breaking point this week, furious at an elderly ruling class they see as out of touch. THE DEADLY PROTESTS IN NEPAL
Orem (AFP) – People sing and pray at a vigil for right-wing youth activist and influencer Charlie Kirk, who was shot and killed at a public event at Utah Valley University in Orem. US President Donald Trump lashed out after the murder of Kirk, a powerful voice in conservative US politics at just 31 years old, and vowed to crack down on those responsible.
Washington (AFP) – In a video posted on the Truth Social website, US President Donald Trump pays tribute to his right-wing ally Charlie Kirk, calling him a “martyr for truth and freedom”. Kirk, a powerful voice in conservative politics at just 31 years old, was shot and killed at a public event at Utah Valley University in Utah.
Paris (AFP) – A fire at Place de la Republique in Paris is quickly extinguished by firefighters before law enforcement detain several protesters as they take to the streets in a show of grassroots opposition to President Emmanuel Macron. The demonstrations, led by a loose left-wing collective under the slogan “Block Everything”, are a baptism of fire for France’s new Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, 39, a close ally of Macron and defence minister for the past three years. IMAGES
Paris (AFP) – France’s new Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu arrives at the Beauvau Hotel in Paris, at the interministerial crisis center, where he meets Laurent Nunez, Paris police prefect, Eric Lombard, resigning Minister of Economy, as well as Catherine Vautrin and Rachida Dati. Lecornu has promised a “profound break” with the past as he faces the thorny task of trying to build a government with enough parliamentary support to pull the country out of a political crisis. Lecornu’s first day on the job coincides with street protests across France in a show of grassroots opposition to President Emmanuel Macron, which have resulted in clashes with police and dozens of arrests, as well as a fire that broke out at a restaurant in central Paris. IMAGES
Vereinte Nationen (AFP) – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calls on the world to “rethink priorities” by redirecting a portion of record military spending toward human development and the fight against poverty, as he presents his report on global arms spending. “Excessive military spending does not guarantee peace. It often undermines it, fueling arms race, deepening mistrust, and diverting resources from the very foundations of stability,” he tells a press briefing in New York.
Den Haag (AFP) – The consequences of the brutal crimes allegedly committed by Uganda rebel chief Joseph Kony are still reverberating in the country more than 20 years later, says an International Criminal Court prosecutor during his opening remarks at a hearing against the fugitive warlord. Kony faces 39 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, rape, torture, enslavement and sexual slavery, allegedly committed between July 2002 and December 2005 in northern Uganda. Kony, a former Catholic altar boy, headed the feared LRA, whose insurgency against the Ugandan government saw more than 100,000 people killed and 60,000 children abducted, according to the United Nations.
