AFP Video

Afrin (Syria) (AFP) – A group of volunteers from Syria’s White Helmets civil defence force have set up a mobile puppet theatre, travelling across displacement camps in the country’s northwest to perform educational shows. “We wanted to bring smiles and joy to the faces of our children, who have endured the long years of war and the aftermath of the earthquake,” explains Wasim Jabra, a White Helmets volunteer and puppeteer who animates Dr. Burhan, the star puppet of the show.

Baku (AFP) – At the COP29 climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock says that “we Europeans bear a special responsibility” for climate change. She adds that it’s “a historical responsibility, which we have not always lived up to in the last century”.

Tokyo (AFP) – Lost your umbrella, keys, or perhaps a stuffed Cookie Monster? In Tokyo, the police are almost certainly taking meticulous care of it. In Japan, lost items are rarely disconnected from their owners for long, even in a mega city like Tokyo — population 14 million.

Istanbul (AFP) – Pep Guardiola says he will remain at Manchester City even if the club were to face relegation from the Premier League over alleged breaches of financial rules. A hearing into the Premier League’s 115 charges against City has been ongoing for several weeks, with a verdict expected before the end of the season. Guardiola this week signed a two-year contract extension, committing him to the English champions till 2027.

Brussels (Belgium) (AFP) – In Brussels, a century-old beer institution produces its beverages using a traditional recipe. This limited production of “Gueuze” beer generates interest that extends well beyond Belgium’s borders. The Cantillon Brewery has established itself in the “lambic” market, which is known for its unique sour beers. These beers are created through open-air fermentation, followed by a maturation period of several months or even years in wooden barrels.

Geneva (AFP) – A staggering 281 aid workers have been killed around the world so far this year, making 2024 the deadliest year for humanitarians, says the UN. “These are numbers that defy comprehension, and killing of aid workers may amount to, I should say, war crimes,” explains Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), during a press briefing in Geneva, Switzerland.

Beijing (AFP) – A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson reiterates calls for “calm” and “restraint” by all parties in the Ukraine war after Russia confirmed it fired an experimental “hypersonic” ballistic missile. Following the launch, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the conflict in Ukraine had characteristics of a “global” war and did not rule out strikes on Western countries.

New York (AFP) – A fresh banana taped to a wall — a work of conceptual art by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan — was bought for $6.2 million on Wednesday by a cryptocurrency entrepreneur at a New York auction. The debut of the edible creation entitled “Comedian” at the Art Basel show in Miami Beach in 2019 sparked controversy and raised questions about whether it should be considered art — Cattelan’s stated aim.

Khan Yunis (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – Palestinians in the war-torn Gaza Strip are attempting to live in their homes destroyed by Israeli bombardment, driven by the harsh conditions in tents and the high cost of renting apartments. Those whose homes are on upper floors face the challenge of destroyed stairways, forcing them to rebuild makeshift ladders and staircases made from materials salvaged from the rubble.

Cape Town (AFP) – Food scarcity and habitat decline has seen a drastic fall in numbers of the African Penguin, putting it on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s critically endangered list. “We have lost 97 percent of the population” says marine biologist Allison Kock.