Stonehenge (AFP) – Tens of thousands of people gather at Britain’s Stonehenge to celebrate the longest day of the year, enchanted by its standing stones built to align with the sun on the solstices. “The sunrise actually came up in the northeastern horizon and shone right into the centre of Stonehenge. So it’s built to reflect the solstices,” says Senior Property Curator at English Heritage, Heather Sebire.
Batken (AFP) – As barbed wire goes up on the Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan border — a controversial Soviet-era demarcation leaving thousands of Tajiks in exclaves surrounded by Kyrgyz territory — so too does a monument designed to denote a fresh start between the recently warring nations. Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan signed in March the last of a series of deals to formalise the long-disputed borders between the Central Asian countries in the Fergana Valley, a region that has ignited several violent clashes.
Neu Delhi (AFP) – Hundreds of yoga enthusiasts gather at iconic locations across India — including New Delhi’s Lodhi Garden, Srinagar’s Dal Lake, and Mysuru Palace — to mark the 11th International Yoga Day.
Berlin (AFP) – Activists from the former Letzte Generation group, now calling themselves Neue Generation, have written the words ‘Stop genocide’ on the famous Bruderkuss mural in Berlin’s East Side Gallery, which is on a section of the Berlin Wall. According to a post on the group’s Instagram account, the words were painted to protest Germany’s supply of weapons to Israel, which “kill countless civilians in Gaza”. Three people have been taken into custody, according to a police spokesperson and are being investigated for criminal damage to property.
Genf (AFP) – After a day of talks in Geneva, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says that Tehran would re-consider nuclear negotiations with Washington, derailed by war with Israel, “once aggression is stopped, and the aggressor is held accountable for the crimes committed”.
Tel Aviv (AFP) – The Israeli army says it targeted Iran’s Isfahan nuclear facility overnight in a second wave of strikes on the location since the start of the war. “As part of the operation’s opening salvo, we struck this site. Last night, we struck it again — this time with a broader assault — to increase our achievements,” says army spokesman Effie Defrin.
Stonehenge (Royaume-Uni) (AFP) – Thousands gather in the mystical site of Stonehenge, in the south of England, to watch the sunrise on the summer solstice — the longest day of year. The Neolithic landmark welcomes crowds every year, enchanted by its standing stones built to align with the sun on the solstices. IMAGES
Treschenu-Creyers (AFP) – In the rugged peaks of eastern France’s Vercors mountains, a bold effort is underway to bring a nearly extinct species back to its natural home. Captive-bred bearded vultures, massive alpine birds once driven out by human activity, are being released into the wild as part of a major European biodiversity restoration initiative.
Lima (AFP) – Peruvian gas workers found a thousand-year-old mummy while installing pipes in Lima, earlier this week. Their company confirming the latest discovery of a pre-Hispanic tomb in the capital. Ceramic objects, including plates, bottles and jugs decorated with geometric figures and figures of fishermen, were also found next to the mummy.
Genf (AFP) – Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denounces Israeli attacks on the country’s nuclear facilities as “grave war crimes”, warning of potential radiological disasters. “The world, every state, every UN mechanism and body has to be alarmed and has to act now to stop the aggressor,” Araghchi tells the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva ahead of a crunch meeting with European foreign ministers.
Tel Aviv (AFP) – A large billboard in Tel Aviv urges President Donald Trump to “finish the job” as he mulls the prospect of US involvement in the Iran-Israel war. Israel, saying Iran was on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon, launched a massive wave of strikes a week ago, triggering an immediate retaliation.
Ingiriya (AFP) – The alms bowl, or “paathra”, is a symbol of monks, yet in Sri Lanka, artisans are struggling as cheap substitutes flood the market, igniting a debate over Buddhist tradition and quality. Thenuwara Badalge Sarath says he is the only blacksmith left in a village that once supplied much of the country. “Prices of raw materials have gone up,” he says. “But the bigger disaster is the cheap aluminum alms bowls that are coming from abroad.”
