AFP Video

Marilyn Monroe drag queens call for presidents to act on climate change at Americas summit


Los Angeles (AFP) – Drag queens dressed as Marilyn Monroe sing “Happy Summit, Mr President” to life-sized cardboard figures of US President Joe Biden and other leaders attending the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, calling them to take action on climate change. “We want to also bring other presidents as well into the spotlight, such as President Bolsonaro of Brazil, who has an anti-Amazon, anti-indigenous agenda,” says Oscar Soria, campaign director of the activism nonprofit Avaaz.

©AFP

Kyiv not in danger but anywhere in Ukraine can be a target: Interior Minister


Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – Denys Monastyrsky, Ukrainian minister of internal affairs, says that there is no danger of an attack on Kyiv in recent days but adds that any place in Ukraine can be a target of Russian shellings. “Any scenarios are possible tomorrow,” he tells AFP during an exclusive interview in the capital, during which he also talks about potential war crime prosecutions.

©AFP

Thai cops seize crystal meth found in replica Easter Island statue


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.

©AFP

Rafael Nadal attends graduation ceremony at his academy


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.

©AFP

Egypt’s tanoura puts kaleidoscopic spin on dervish tradition


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.

©AFP

Dancing ‘fireflies’ and inflatable sea creatures at Singapore light festival


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.

©AFP

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