AFP UK

Nearly two-thirds of Swiss voters backed the government’s plan to introduce same-sex marriage in a referendum, with campaigners calling it a historic day for gay rights in Switzerland.

Copenhagen (AFP) – A refuge for anarchists, hippies and artists, Denmark’s ‘freetown’ Christiania turns 50, and though it hasn’t completely avoided the encroachment of modernity and capitalism, its free-wheeling soul remains intact. Nestled in the heart of Copenhagen, Christiania is seen by some as a progressive social experiment, while others simply see it as a den of drugs.

United Nations (United States) (AFP) – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tells the United Nations that no country should exploit the turmoil in Afghanistan for its own advantage after Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan appealed for nations to work with the Taliban.

Alberton (South Africa) (AFP) – Hundreds gather to watch a car spinning tournament near Johannesburg in South Africa. Now recognised as a motor sport, “spinning” was born in South African townships during the late 1980s, when gangsters would spin stolen cars to show off their spoils. Tournaments have resumed after a nearly two-year pandemic hiatus.

Greenville (United States) (AFP) – The town of Greenville, California was completely burned to the ground almost two months ago when the Dixie Fire tore through the area. Buildings lay in ruins, cars sit scorched and trees stand charred after what the governer called a “climate-induced” wildfire. Climate change amplifies droughts, creating ideal conditions for wildfires to spread out of control and inflict unprecedented material and environmental damage.

Shëngjin (Albania) (AFP) – A warm welcome in Albania and luxurious accommodation cannot dispel the desperation among Afghan refugees, who anxiously await news from back home.

Alotenango (Guatemala) (AFP) – The Fuego volcano, one of three actives in Guatemala, begins a strong eruptive phase with explosions, ash expulsion and avalanches of incandescent material, though no evacuations are taking place for the moment, authorities have announced.

Rabat (AFP) – Archaeologists in Morocco indentify clothesmaking tools fashioned from bone dating back 120,000 years, the oldest ever found, according to one of the researchers. The international team discovered more than 60 tools in Contrebandiers (Smugglers’) Cave near Rabat.

La Palma Island (Spain) (AFP) – Exiled Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont “must be brought to justice,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez says, a day after the former regional head was arrested in Italy after fleeing Spain.

Saint-Malo (France) (AFP) – A small company in the Brittany town of Saint-Malo claims to be the first factory in France to knit jumpers in 3D, without seams or waste.

Milton Keynes (United Kingdom) (AFP) – These supermarket deliveries are not only contactless, but done by a robot. Robotics firm Starship are trialling these deliveries in the UK, with a US expansion already underway.

Johnsondale (United States) (AFP) – Hundreds of firefighters are battling the Windy Fire to protect several groves of giant sequoias in the United States. The fire has already charred 25,000 acres (10,000 hectares), and a number of separate fires are converging on the California woodland that is home to the huge trees.