Chonburi (Thailand) (AFP) – Thai authorities present 200 kilograms of crystal meth they say was seized after being hidden inside a replica Easter Island statue that was awaiting shipment to Taiwan. Southeast Asia’s so-called Golden Triangle — the notorious border region of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand — has long been an infamous hotspot for drug trafficking.
Paris (AFP) – “There was no other way” to push back the crowd, explains Paris police prefect Didier Lallement during a Senate hearing, as he apologises for tear-gassing supporters as they tried to enter the Stade de France ahead of the Champions League final.
Palma de Mallorca (Spain) (AFP) – Fresh off the back of his 14th French Open title, tennis legend Rafael Nadal attends the graduation of 33 students from his International School in the Manacor municipality of Spain, on the island of Majorca. Nadal is accompanied by NBA basketball player Ricky Rubio.
Cairo (AFP) – In a 500-year-old stone theatre in the Egyptian capital, young dervishes spin ceaselessly. Slowly, then all at once, they are consumed in a flurry of vivid fabrics. Born into a lineage of whirling dervishes, Mohamed Adel, 20, takes great pride in the uniquely Egyptian interpretation of the centuries old-ritual, known colloquially as “tanoura”, or skirt in Arabic. The kaleidoscopic performance is a world away from the whirling dervishes of Turkey, who trace their origins to the teachings of Sufi poet and mystic Jalal al-Din Rumi. The United Nations’ cultural agency UNESCO proclaimed the ritual an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Atalaia do Norte (Brazil) (AFP) – The Brazilian federal police and military continue their search for British journalist Dom Phillips and Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira by flying over and visiting communities they had visited prior to disappearing.
Singapore (AFP) – People marvel at dancing “fireflies” on a lawn, walk through an inflatable whale, and pose for photos beside multicoloured artworks at a light festival in Singapore that aims to encourage sustainability. The i Light Singapore festival has returned to the city’s Marina Bay area after a two-year hiatus. Among its 20 installations are a giant glowing jellyfish, lanterns made of discarded fishing nets, and a sculpture comprised of CDs. Energy-saving lights and environmentally-friendly materials are used in the installations to encourage the public to adopt sustainable habits, organisers say, although some visitors remain sceptical of the festival’s effectiveness to relay an environmental message.
Raqa (Syria) (AFP) – An ancient lake-side fortress, once used by jihadists to launch attacks, is slowly regaining its status as a key cultural destination, attracting visitors from across war-torn Syria.
New York (AFP) – Leaders, celebrities, activists and scientists who are making an impact on the world walk the Time100 red carpet in New York City. The event is resuming for the first time in three years since the pandemic.
Buenos Aires (AFP) – Pizza chefs from around Argentina take part in the 10th Argentine Pizza Championship in Buenos Aires, making huge pizza doughs and performing gravity-defying tricks.
Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba says that Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine is responsible for a global grain crisis, dismissing Russian claims that Western sanctions on Moscow had sent prices soaring.
