Hissar (Tajikistan) (AFP) – On a hillside around 30 kilometres from the Tajik capital Dushanbe, Bakhtior Sharipov watches over his flock of Hissar sheep. The breed, prized for profitability and an ability to adapt to climate change, garners celebrity status in the Central Asian country, which is beset by a shortage of both meat and suitable grazing land.
Guareña (Spain) (AFP) – For centuries, the lost civilisation of Tartessos — which emerged in the Iberian peninsular almost 3,000 years ago — was shrouded in mystery, but today its secrets are slowly being revealed through the meticulous work of archaeologists. “We still don’t know where or why they left”, says Esther Rodriguez, in charge of the Casas del Turunuelo site, where excavation work has been ongoing since 2015.
London (AFP) – In a darkly lit arts studio in east London, five young actors mark their scripts and run through their lines. They are the latest cast assembled by “Phosphoros Theatre”, a company that empowers refugees and asylum seekers to tell their own story on stage.
Rio de Janeiro (AFP) – Madonna arrives at the Copacabana Palace in Rio de Janeiro, where she will perform a free mega-concert in May to close out her “Celebration” tour. IMAGES
Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Russia was taking advantage of delays in Western arms supplies to go on the offensive, saying quicker deliveries from allies would bolster the frontline.
Copenhagen (AFP) – Builders have begun working on Copenhagen’s historic former stock exchange after a fire ravaged the iconic building mid-April. Located close to Denmark’s Christiansborg parliament and seat of government, the Borsen building was undergoing renovations ahead of its 400th anniversary. Copenhagen police has launched a major investigation into the blaze.
Madrid (AFP) – Spain’s Pedro Sanchez says he will stay on as prime minister after threatening to stand down over what he has denounced as a campaign of political harassment by the right. “I have decided to stay,” he says in a highly anticipated public address after five days of silence which began following a court’s decision to investigate his wife for alleged graft.
Copenhagen (AFP) – Builders have begun working on Copenhagen’s historic former stock exchange after a fire ravaged the iconic building mid-April. Located close to Denmark’s Christiansborg parliament and seat of government, the Borsen building was undergoing renovations ahead of its 400th anniversary. Copenhagen police has launched a major investigation into the blaze.
Turin (Italy) (AFP) – Hundreds of protesters gathered in the streets of Turin, Italy, ahead of the G7 Ministers’ Meeting on Climate, Energy, and Environment that opened on Sunday evening. Earlier that day, demonstrators blocked a highway and burned images with the faces of the G7 country leaders.
Venice (AFP) – People welcome Pope Francis’s visit to Venice on Sunday, the ageing pontiff’s first outside Rome since last year. The Pope addressed more than 10,000 faithful seated in the vast St Mark’s Square, following an earlier visit to a women’s prison and an address to young Venetians.
Manila (AFP) – Easy to fix and cheap to ride, jeepneys were once the backbone of the Philippines’ transport system, carrying passengers, goods and even visiting popes. But the government’s plan to phase out jeepneys in an effort to modernise the country’s public transport network has put the future of the iconic vehicles in doubt.
Kyoto (Japan) (AFP) – A special Japanese animation studio aims to provide job training and confidence to people with autism, who can find it hard to cope in Japan’s often high-stress and long-hours work environment.
