Guadalajara (Mexico) (AFP) – Hundreds of naked and half-naked cyclists bike through the streets of Guadalajara to promote cycling and raise awareness of bike safety issues. An Ipsos Mori survey conducted in 2022 found that 68% of Mexicans believed that cycling was too dangerous in the area they lived in.
Athens (AFP) – In a ceremony in Greece’s capital, Athens, a new cabinet formed by the elected Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is sworn in during a service led by Archbishop Ieronymos. The Conservative leader embarks on his second term as Greece’s prime minister with a vow to accelerate institutional and economic reforms. IMAGES
Munich (Germany) (AFP) – Ex-Audi CEO Rupert Stadler arrives at a Munich court for his “dieselgate” trial where he later received a suspended sentence and a fine. Stadler is the first high-ranking executive to be convicted over an emissions cheating scandal that rocked the car industry in 2015. IMAGES
Luxembourg (AFP) – Ministers for European Affairs from the European Union’s 27 member states meet in Luxembourg for a General Affairs Council. The ministers plan to discuss preparations for the European Summit on June 29 and 30, and the council’s programme for the coming months. IMAGES
West Manggarai (Indonesia) (AFP) – Last May, leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) wore special shirts with the mata manuk woven fabric at the bloc’s summit, raising hopes for more orders.
Colombo (AFP) – Heart-wrenching images of revered elephants and cattle eating plastic in Sri Lanka have prompted politicians to toughen pollution laws, but sceptical conservationists warn past bans were repeatedly ignored.
Yuya Motomura, a 45-year-old mahjong parlour manager in Japan, is one of a handful of Japanese men who have joined Ukrainians battling the Russian invasion, bucking a decades-long national principle of pacifism and their government’s own warnings. “People in this town (in Japan) probably see me as a punk, someone rogue, but I’ve always felt that I’m someone who is more socially conscious than other people realise,” he says.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang slams efforts in the West to “de-risk” their economies as a “false proposition”, hitting back against US and EU policy aimed at reducing their reliance on China in a speech delivered at the World Economic Forum in the port city of Tianjin.
Maebashi (Japan) (AFP) – Yuya Motomura, a 45-year-old mahjong parlour manager in Japan, is one of a handful of Japanese men who have joined Ukrainians battling the Russian invasion, bucking a decades-long national principle of pacifism and their government’s own warnings. “People in this town (in Japan) probably see me as a punk, someone rogue, but I’ve always felt that I’m someone who is more socially conscious than other people realise,” he says.
Moscow (AFP) – Russian President Vladimir Putin says that “from the start of the events, on my direct orders, steps were taken to avoid large-scale bloodshed”. Speaking during a televised address, Putin blames Kyiv and the western countries for wanting “precisely this fratricide” and Russian soldiers “killing each other”.
