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Ljubljana (AFP) – While most people believe a broken umbrella means you have to buy a new one, umbrella repairer Marija Lah has spent her life proving them wrong. “Everything can be repaired! I believe I can repair 98 percent of all the umbrellas I get,” the 56-year-old Slovenian says. While most umbrella repairers have closed shop as millions of broken, cheap umbrellas are tossed out each year around the world, Lah caters to a growing base of new customers who try to throw away less due to environmental concerns.

London (AFP) – UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promises that flights deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda will begin in “10 to 12 weeks” as part of a plan to deter arrivals that has sparked controversy. Parliament is set to approve a new bill compelling judges to regard the east African nation as a safe third country, which is Sunak’s answer to a Supreme Court ruling last year that sending migrants to Rwanda was illegal under international law.

Taipei (AFP) – Hundreds of devotees gather to watch a fireworks show with a burning “fire lion” at Taipei’s Dalongdong Bao’an Temple to mark the birthday of the medicine god Baosheng Dadi. The “fire lion” has long been a plague-dispelling ritual and symbolises warding off bad luck and keeping diseases at bay. The religious carnival is a highlight of the Baosheng Cultural Festival which goes on until 29 June.

Nur Shams Camp (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – After one of the worst Israeli raids anyone in the Nur Shams refugee camp can remember, a funeral procession for 13 Palestinians killed in the West Bank passes through roads piled with rubble from Israeli bulldozers and rocket fire. Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967 and more than 480 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli troops or settlers there since the start of the war in Gaza on 7 October, according to Palestinian officials.

Katuwapitiya (Sri Lanka) (AFP) – Sri Lankans hold church services and march in silence to commemorate the 5th anniversary of deadly suicide bombings on Easter Sunday 2019 which left 279 people dead.

Bogotá (AFP) – Huge crowds take to the streets of Bogota in Colombia to protest against the left-wing government of Gustavo Petro, whose popularity is at an all-time low.

New York (AFP) – New York City’s famous Washington Square Park was the site of a huge 420 party, with thousands celebrating the plant amidst a giant cloud of marijuana smoke. 420 is considered the most celebrated day for marijuana enthusiasts and just a few years after legalization, New Yorkers are taking full advantage of the laws that allow public consumption in any area where smoking cigarettes is allowed. At this year’s event, many unlicensed vendors hawked their products to eager buyers with cash in hand. With the slow rollout in New York City of only 138 legal stores, the vendors have taken up the supplying the huge demand in New York City.

Jerusalem (AFP) – In a video released by the Government Press Office of Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vows to increase “military pressure” on Palestinian militant group Hamas in the “coming days” in a bid to secure the release of hostages held in Gaza.

Tel Aviv (AFP) – Israelis and family members of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip protest in Tel Aviv, calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – People in Kyiv share their views after the US House of Representaives’ approved a long-delayed $61-billion aid package for Ukraine. “It will help a lot,” says Oksana, a Nurse. “It will make guys who are fighting there – happy,” says Stepan, who works for Ukrainian Railways.

Bamako (AFP) – Mali experienced and exceptional heatwave at the start of April, with temperatures soaring above 45 degrees Celsius, leading to dozens of deaths. “There is a very, very high mortality rate linked to dehydration and fever,” says Dr Ibrahim Fall, head of health centre located in Mali’s capital Bamako.

Istanbul (AFP) – The Turkish Presidency releases images which show Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh meeting in Istanbul, where they spoke for more than two and a half hours, Turkish media reported. Haniyeh was received at the Dolmabahçe palace with his delegation, including a key member of the Palestinian militant group, Khaled Mashal, according to photographs released by the Turkish presidency.