Wellington (AFP) – New Zealand’s treasured kiwi birds are shuffling around Wellington’s verdant hills for the first time in a century, after a drive to eliminate invasive predators from the capital’s surrounds.
Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – Two Ukrainian artists reflect on their creations as well as the evolution of their art since the start of the war, which has sparked huge interest in Ukrainian culture. Contemporary Ukrainian artists are finding ways to highlight the horrors the country faces as well as explore ideas about its future.
Sevastopol (AFP) – A huge fire breaks out at a fuel depot in Sevastopol, the main port in Moscow-annexed Crimea, with Russian-installed authorities saying it was the result of a drone attack. Sevastopol is home to Russia’s Black Sea Fleet and has been hit by a series of drone attacks since the Kremlin’s Ukraine offensive launched last year.
Malindi (Kenya) (AFP) – Titus Katana has been digging for days to find the remains of victims of a Kenyan starvation cult that once counted him as a follower. “I am here in solidarity to try and get justice for the victims,” he says. Katana says he knew Nthenge well but left due to differences over new restrictions pushed by the former taxi driver-turned-pastor. “The laws became stiffer and got to a level of killing people,” he says. The discovery of mass graves in Shakahola forest near the coastal town of Malindi last week shocked Kenyans, with the government warning that the death toll — currently at 109 — could rise even
Le François (France) (AFP) – To fight against the Sargassum scourge that is hitting the Caribbean countries hard, two entrepreneurs decide to join forces to collect seaweed blocked by an anti-Sargassum barrier off the coast, protecting the beaches from Sargassum strandings, sparing the inhabitants from the nauseating gases and protecting the economic activity of the seaside.
Tajura (Libya) (AFP) – War-ravaged Libya is better known for its oil wealth than its forests, but environmentalists hope to save the North African country’s last remaining green spaces from logging and the impacts of climate change.
Birmingham (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Dancers from the Royal Birmingham Ballet rehearse for a new full-length, three-act ballet inspired by British heavy metal band Black Sabbath which will open in September. The band’s co-founder Tony Iommi says he was “fascinated” by the idea presented to him by ballet director Carlos Acosta, and that it is good to “break out that box a bit and do something different”.
Wonosobo (Indonesia) (AFP) – The sky of Wonosobo in Indonesia’s Java island fills with colourful hot air balloons. Dozens of homemade balloons fly during the days-long Ansor Kertek Balloon Culture Festival, which is back in full swing this year after a Covid hiatus in 2020 and 2021. The festival, which is a tradition to celebrate Eid Al-Fitr, has previously been criticised by the aviation community as the balloons often flew away and were considered dangerous to commercial flights.
Dhangri (India) (AFP) – Brandishing a bolt-action rifle, civil servant Sanjeet Kumar is one of 5,000 Kashmir villagers who have joined all-Hindu militia units in India-administered Kashmir, armed and trained by Indian forces to fight off rebel attacks. India has more than half a million soldiers permanently stationed in the parts of Muslim-majority Kashmir it controls, as the Hindu nationalist government presses a bid to crush a decades-long insurgency.
Amsterdam (AFP) – US band Metallica launches its M72 world tour at the Johan Cruyff ArenA in Amsterdam, drawing fans from across the globe for their first concert. The tour will feature “No Repeat Weekends” with different setlists and support line-ups for each of the two nights in the 22 cities it visits. “There’s nothing better” says one fan outside the stadium, while another from Australia adds that he has been to over 70 of their shows in 20 countries.
