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The UN, Brangelina and me

Carole Landry Friday 23 September 2016

"The madness begins in the weeks leading up to the UN General Assembly when my email inbox is suddenly disgorging invitations to cover "high-level events"  on everything from anti-microbial resistance to climate change," writes AFP's UN correspondent Carole Landry.

"NGOs are offering up  experts to discuss the refugee crisis and a PR firm asks  if we would like to interview the foreign minister of Kazakhstan.  Recep Tayyip Erdogan's wife is inviting reporters to talk about 'the advancement of the Turkish economy and democracy.'  Everyone is in town for UNGA."

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  • AFP / Carl De Souza
  • AFP / Carl De Souza
  • AFP / Carl De Souza
  • AFP / Carl De Souza

Peeking into the past

Carl De Souza Monday 19 September 2016

"Living in Kenya, you have this incredible ability to witness things that on the whole look the same today as they did hundreds of years ago," writes Nairobi-based photographer Carl de Souza.

"It’s like peeking into the past.  When the world is changing around you as much as ours is, it’s an incredible privilege to witness something like that."

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A week in the life of Shanghai

Fred Dufour Friday 16 September 2016

"When Shanghai city authorities invited a dozen foreign photojournalists to spend a week shooting life in the busy port and financial hub, I jumped at the chance," writes Beijing-based photographer Fred Dufour.

"Although it’s the world’s most populous city, with 24 million souls, Shanghai has retained the winding streets and trees that give it a more 'human' feeling than the capital Beijing where I’m based, and it’s been a long time that I’ve wanted to take a closer look."

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Opening a bureau in Pyongyang

Michèle Léridon Tuesday 13 September 2016

"What will a global news agency do in one of the world’s most closed countries?" writes AFP's Global News Director, Michèle Léridon.

"The answer lies in the question itself. The fact that images from North Korea are so rare, and information coming out of the country is so meticulously and scrupulously controlled by the regime, is what makes both so precious. We have to be present here."

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