Sriharikota (India) (AFP) – India launches a rocket seeking to land an unmanned spacecraft on the surface of the Moon, its second attempt to become only the fourth country to do so. The Chandrayaan-3 (“Mooncraft”) rocket lifted off from Sriharikota in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, as thousands of enthusiasts clapped and cheered. IMAGES
Helsinki (AFP) – US President Joe Biden says that Russia’s Vladimir Putin has already lost the war in Ukraine, expressing hope at a press conference in Helsinki that Kyiv’s counter-offensive would force Moscow to the negotiating table.
New York (AFP) – Waving a rainbow flag, Desmond Napoles ambles through a confetti- soaked pride parade — in stern defiance of a troubling disinformation campaign that sought to link American LGBTQ people to pedophilia. Emerging from the darkest corners of the internet, an altered picture made it appear like a California pride parade participant had worn a shirt bearing Desmond’s face alongside a disturbing slogan: “Trans kids are sexy.” “They were using it to make LGBTQ people look like ‘groomers,’ and they were using my face,” Napoles told AFP at a glittering New York pride event last month.
Hamburg (Germany) (AFP) – Climate activists blocked the runways at Hamburg and Duesseldorf airports on Thursday, causing severe disruption for thousands of holidaymakers. Activists from the group “Letzte Generation” (Last Generation) breached security fences and glued themselves to the tarmac, protesting against what they see as the government’s “lack of a strategy” for fighting the climate crisis. “I can understand” says Oliver Herrmann, a traveller in Hamburg, “but here are people who have waited a year for their vacation who are experiencing financial hardship and now are waiting here and are put off (the climate message).”
London (AFP) – UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says the government has accepted recommendations from independent pay review bodies for salary increases of between five and seven percent in the public sector and urges unions to call off their strikes. “There will be no more talks on pay” he says, “and no amount of strikes will change our decision.”
Pristina (AFP) – A brief brawl broke out on Thursday between Kosovo lawmakers as emotions boiled over in parliament during a debate over measures to defuse tensions in restive Serb enclaves in the north. The scrap comes with Prime Minister Albin Kurti vowing to de-escalate tensions in northern Kosovo, where pressure has been mounting following his government’s decision to install ethnic Albanian mayors in four Serb-majority municipalities in May. The move has triggered one of the worst bouts of unrest in years, with demonstrations, the arrest of three Kosovar police officers by Serbia and a violent riot by Serb protesters that saw more than 30 NATO peacekeepers injured.
Red Deer (Canada) (AFP) – Thousands of disused oil and gas wells are posing a serious ecological threat to the open landscapes of Alberta, Canada. Mostly built between 1860 and 1940, the structures leak into the surrounding soil and release potent methane gas. According to government data, there are more than 120,000 such wells, abandoned and unsealed, in the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Reims (France) (AFP) – At only 19 years old, Melchie Dumornay has already helped Haiti qualify for the Women’s World Cup for the first time in their history. But it’s not just starring in the tournament that’s motivating her. “We hope that, thanks to the World Cup, other children and generations to come will be more fulfilled” she says.
Washington (AFP) – Members of the G7 will begin discussions with Ukraine aimed at putting the country on a “long-term footing to defend itself” says Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the US State Department. A multi-lateral declaration from the G7 will “focus on ensuring Ukraine has a sustainable fighting force capable of defending the country.”
Montevideo (AFP) – “When you brush your teeth it’s awful, you can taste salt water, it’s disgusting!” says Isabel Moreira, 73, having to resort to bottled water to prepare mate – a herbal Uruguayan infusion – at her home in Montevideo. Uruguayan authorities are mixing salty water from the Rio de la Plata river estuary with its dwindling freshwater supplies to meet demand, as the country struggles with a historic drought that has left its main reservoir dry.
