Berlin (AFP) – German Health Minister Jens Spahn says the country is experiencing a “pandemic of the unvaccinated” at a press conference, as the number of Covid-19 infections rises in Germany. Germany, Europe’s most populous country with some 83 million people, has been grappling with a fourth wave of Covid-19 cases in recent weeks that has seen the seven-day incidence rate hit highs not seen since May.
ON THE HENGILL VOLCANO (Iceland) (AFP) – At the foot of an Icelandic volcano, a newly opened plant makes rocks from carbon dioxide sucked from the air, trapping the main gas responsible for global warming. The Orca facility, whose name is based on the Icelandic word for “energy”, does its cutting-edge work at the Hellisheidi geothermal power plant in southwest Iceland.
Tzintzuntzan (Mexico) (AFP) – Women in Mexico City take to the streets on the Day of the Dead to march against femicide, which commonly refers to the killing of a girl or woman by a partner or family member. Many women at the protest have painted their faces as “Catrinas,” a skeletal representation of death.
Glasgow (AFP) – Activists and protesters call on world leaders to “stop playing climate games” and to fulfil their climate pledges at a protest inspired by “Squid Game”, the South Korean dystopian show that became a global sensation after its release on Netflix. The UN’s climate conference started this week in Glasgow and will continue for another two weeks to try to craft national plans to forestall the most devastating impacts of global warming.
Lagos (AFP) – Rescue workers continue to search for survivors at the site of a deadly building collapse in Lagos. Desperate relatives wait for news of missing people, a day after the Lagos high-rise building fell down, killing more than a dozen people and leaving many more trapped inside.
Glasgow (AFP) – French President Emmanuel Macron calls on the world’s “largest emitters” behind on their plans to slash carbon pollution to boost their commitments during the crunch UN COP26 summit.
Abomey-Calavi (Benin) (AFP) – In Abomey-Calavi near the port city of Cotonou in Benin, a voodoo priestess organises a large, traditional ceremony bringing together dozens of twins to be honoured as deities. In southern Benin, Nigeria and Togo, twins are worshipped as demigods.
Los Angeles (AFP) – American magician Kayla Drescher is a rising star at Magic Castle, an iconic Los Angeles stage where the young woman is now a regular. But behind the magic, her greater challenge is establishing herself as a legitimate woman performer, in a male dominated environment.
Tel Aviv (AFP) – People wearing costumes and face paint pose as they take part in a “Zombie walk” in Tel Aviv.
Rome (AFP) – Leaders of the Group of 20 major economies, including France’s Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Angela Merkel, and Britain’s Boris Johnson, pose for photographs in front of the world-famous Trevi Fountain before throwing coins into the water.
