Cannes (France) (AFP) – For anyone born before 2000, the name “JVKE” (pronounced “Jake”) is unlikely to ring any bells. But with 11.5 million followers on TikTok alone and millions worldwide, the 22-year-old singer-songwriter is showing established music stars the way forward.
Beirut (AFP) – Lebanon’s Sursock museum, heavily damaged by the deadly 2020 Beirut blast, prepares to reopen its doors after nearly three years of restoration work.
London (AFP) – A fresh focus on biodiversity and sustainability has made gardeners grow fond of the often maligned garden weed. At this year’s Chelsea Flower Show, participants are giving nettles, dandelions, brambles and other weeds a place to shine.
Washington (AFP) – The White House calls the latest negotiations with Republicans on avoiding a US debt default “productive.” “The team has had productive discussions,” Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre says. SOUNDBITE
Lausanne (AFP) – A paralysed man has regained the ability to walk for the first time using only his thoughts, thanks to two implants that restored communication between brain and spinal cord. The advance is the result of more than a decade of work by a team of researchers in France and Switzerland.
Goheung (South Korea) (AFP) – South Korea successfully launches its homegrown Nuri rocket en route to placing working satellites into orbit, which the country hailed as a key step forward for the country’s burgeoning space programme. The three-stage rocket, more than 47 metres (155 feet) long and weighing 200 tonnes, soars into the sky from the Naro Space Center in South Korea’s southern coastal region.
unknown (Ukraine) (AFP) – The head of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, says his troops have started transferring their positions in the flashpoint eastern Ukraine town of Bakhmut to the Russian military. The battle for Bakhmut has raged for nearly one year, levelling the city and decimating waves of Wagner recruits who have led Russia’s assault on the industrial hub.
iran (Iran) (AFP) – Iran’s defence ministry unveils its new “Kheibar” ballistic missile with a range of 2,000 kilometres and a capacity to carry warheads weighing more than a tonne. Whilst Iran says the missile is to provide “support” to its friends and allies, its unveiling comes at a time of heightened tensions in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in which Iran has backed militant group Islamic Jihad.
Tehran (AFP) – In a dimly lit corner of Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, Mohammad Rafi is surrounded by all colours of the rainbow in his tiny shop that sells nothing but art pencils. The world may have gone digital, but Rafi has stayed true to his passion of the past 35 years, surrounded by thousands of pencils in every hue and shade imaginable.
Hollywood (United States) (AFP) – Fans commemorate Tina Turner, the trailblazing rocker who died Wednesday at the age of 83. Her powerful voice and imposing stage presence thrilled global audiences for decades.
