The heartland Brazilian city of Pirenópolis is hosting its annual Cavalhadas festival, a Holy Spirit celebration where participants ride horses, wear masks and don floral headpieces.

The tradition began in the 1800s with a Portuguese priest who wanted to celebrate the Holy Spirit — one of the entities of the Roman Catholic Church's trinity — and also commemorate the victory of Iberian Christian knights over the Moors.

Hundreds of thousands of Catholic pilgrims slogged for days under a punishing sun through country roads, sandy paths, even a river ford to reach the tiny hamlet of El Rocío in southern Spain for Pentecost weekend.

An icon of the Virgin Mary — La Virgen del Rocío — has been venerated in this remote area since the Middle Ages.

The third U.N. Ocean Conference opened Monday as pressure mounts for nations to turn decades of promises into real protection for the sea.

"The fight for the ocean is at the heart of the yearslong battles we've been waging — for biodiversity, for climate, for our environment and for our health," said French President Emmanuel Macron, delivering the keynote address.

Cristiano Ronaldo says he's almost certain he will not be playing at the Club World Cup, dealing a blow to FIFA president Gianni Infantino's hopes of having one of soccer's biggest attractions at the tournament.

The Portugal captain confirmed Saturday that he received "quite a few" offers from participating clubs to play for them at the tournament starting June 14, but had decided against accepting any of them.

Tropical Storm Barbara gradually weakened Tuesday as it continued heading northwest away from land after earlier strengthening to a hurricane. The storm marked the first hurricane of the eastern Pacific hurricane season.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said swells generated by the storm system will affect portions of the coast of southwestern and west-central Mexico, as well as the southernmost portions of Baja California, on Tuesday. Those swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

A blistering heat wave is sweeping across northern India with temperatures soaring above the normal, disrupting daily life and raising health concerns.

The mercury shot up to 47.3 C (117 F) in Sri Ganganagar, a desert city in the northwestern state of Rajasthan on Monday , according to the Indian Meteorological Department.

The population of emperor penguins in one part of Antarctica appears to be declining faster than previously thought, according to a new analysis of satellite imagery released Tuesday.

The estimated population of 16 penguin colonies — visible in satellite photos taken between 2009 and 2024 – had declined 22% during that period mainly because of climate change that's shrinking the amount of available sea ice. It's unclear whether this drop is seen across the continent, scientists said.

Donald Trump made no secret of his willingness to exert a maximalist approach to enforcing immigration laws and keeping order as he campaigned to return to the White House. The fulfillment of that pledge is now on full display in Los Angeles.

The president has put hundreds of National Guard troops on the streets to quell protests over his administration's immigration raids, a deployment that state and city officials say has only inflamed tensions. Trump called up the California National Guard over the objections of Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom — the first time in 60 years a president has done so — and is deploying active-duty troops to support the guard.

Israeli media reports said that Hezbollah has ramped up its domestic production of explosive-laden UAVs and attack or reconnaissance drones as an easier and cheaper alternative to precision missiles and rockets.

Israeli news portal ynet said Tuesday that Hezbollah has drawn tactical inspiration from the effectiveness of drones in Ukraine as it aims for greater self-sufficiency and less reliance on Iran.

Palestinians desperately trying to access aid in Gaza came under fire again on Tuesday, killing 36 people and wounding 207, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.

Experts and humanitarian aid workers say Israel's blockade and 20-month military campaign have pushed Gaza to the brink of famine.