Rostov-on-Don (Russia) (AFP) – Dozens of residents in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don on chant “Wagner! Wagner!” outside the military headquarters that had been captured earlier by the rebel mercenary group.
Davidson (Canada) (AFP) – Following repeated droughts, Canadian farmers are having to adapt to a new era in agriculture marked by warming — including trapping snow on fields, planting heat-resistant crops and seeding earlier in the season.
San Antonio (AFP) – France’s Victor Wembanyama lands in San Antonio, Texas one day after being chosen with the top pick in the NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs, sparking wild celebrations as the Texas club reveled in landing the gifted teenager seen as a once-in-a-generation talent. Towering cut-outs to prayer candles portraying him as a saint, welcome the 19-year-old prodigy.
Elk Island (Canada) (AFP) – Wild bison that once numbered in the tens of millions in North America before being hunted almost to extinction are once again thriving in a pocket of Western Canada and restoring balance at the top of a fragile ecosystem.
Cape Cod (United States) (AFP) – All five people aboard a submersible that went missing near the wreck of the Titanic died — likely in an instant — when their vessel suffered what the US Coast Guard said Thursday was a “catastrophic implosion” in the ocean depths.
Paris (AFP) – Paris 2024 organising committee head Tony Estanguet says the Olympic Torch will visit hundreds of towns and sites on its 80-day journey. The first stop will be Marseille, “a city known for its openness, cultural diversity and sport”, he says.
Middelkerke (Belgium) (AFP) – Twenty five sand sculptors from across Europe spend 10 days creating a fairy tale world on the Belgian beach of Middelkerke for the annual sand sculpture festival, which opens to the public on July 1st. “We bring in about 5,000 tons of sand” explains Peter Monbailleu, the festival’s organiser.
Canberra (AFP) – A mystery Russian diplomat with a penchant for loungewear and cigarettes has sparked a national security standoff between Canberra and the Kremlin, defying Australia’s efforts to kick him off a messy building site near parliament.
Hong Kong (AFP) – Hong Kong’s famous Dragon Boat Festival draws thousands of spectators on Friday, reviving a centuries-old tradition that was forced to ban crowds during the pandemic.
Puebla (Mexico) (AFP) – Beautician by day, Wendy Martinez, the woman behind the Miss Gaviota persona, is proud to call herself Mexico’s first transgender “lucha libre” wrestling star.
