New York (AFP) – A pair of Air Jordan sneakers worn by basketball legend Michael Jordan during Game 2 of the 1998 NBA Finals sold for $2.2 million, setting a record price at auction for game–worn sports footwear.
London (AFP) – Junior doctors working in England public health service have begun a four-day walkout, in what has been billed as the most disruptive strike in its history, calling for pay rises and better working conditions. Up to a quarter of a million appointments could be postponed, according to the National Health Service Confederation.
Beijing (AFP) – Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson says China will take “strong measures” to protect national sovereignty in response to Taiwan’s claim that they detected nine Chinese warships and 26 aircraft around the island. China announced it ended its three-day military exercises around self-ruled Taiwan on Monday.
Manila (AFP) – The Philippines and the United States hold an opening ceremony in Manila for their largest-ever joint military exercises, as the longstanding allies seek to counter growing Chinese assertiveness in the region. Nearly 18,000 troops are taking part in the annual exercises dubbed Balikatan, or “shoulder to shoulder” in Filipino, which for the first time will include a live-fire drill in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost entirely.
Mogadishu (AFP) – Visiting UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appeals for “massive” international support for Somalia as it battles a devastating drought and a grinding Islamist insurgency. “Although Somalis make no contribution to climate change, the Somalis are among the greatest victims. Nearly five million people are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity,” he says.
Ciudad Juárez (Mexico) (AFP) – A large group of migrants gathers at the US-Mexico border crossing bridge in Mexico’s Ciudad Juarez hoping to enter the United States after a rumour spread that the crossing restrictions imposed under Title 42 were to be lifted. The restrictions were implemented under Donald Trump’s administration, ostensibly as a health measure to reduce the flow of people during the Covid pandemic. In response to the big crowds, the US Customs and Border Protection members temporarily closed to pedestrians and vehicles. The crossing was then reopened hours later without incident.
Belfast (AFP) – Police are blocking streets in the city centre of Belfast, around the hotel where the US president Joe Biden is thought to stay during his visit. Biden arrived in Northern Ireland on Tuesday, saying his priority was to “keep the peace” 25 years after the Good Friday agreement ended decades of sectarian violence over British rule.
Marseille (AFP) – A prayer vigil is held at a church for the victims of a building collapse in France’s second city Marseille.
Villahermosa (Colombia) (AFP) – Footage taken from a helicopter show the Nevado del Ruiz volcano emitting a cloud of ash. The eruption threat of the volcano has loomed since the end of March when the number of daily tremors within the volcano shot up from 50 to 12,000.
Les Contamines-Montjoie (France) (AFP) – “We are in a state of incomprehension and pain,” says the head of a French mountain guide agency after an avalanche killed six people, including two mountain guides, on a glacier near Mont Blanc in the French Alps.
