AFP UK

Lamjung (Nepal) (AFP) – Hanging from a rope and bamboo ladder off a Himalayan mountain cliff, skilled Nepali climbers gather highly prized hallucinogenic honey — an ancient tradition stung by environmental degradation and rapid climate change. Wreathed in smoke to drive away defensive clouds of giant bees, 26-year-old Som Ram Gurung dangles dangerously 100 metres (325 feet) off the ground, slicing off dark and dripping hunks of delicious honeycomb.

Stansted (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Newly-elected UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemns Russia’s recent attacks on Ukraine ahead of leaving for a NATO summit that he says “is an opportunity for allies to stand together.”

Moscow (AFP) – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is greeted by Russian President Vladimir Putin on a visit to Moscow, his first since Russia launched its campaign in Ukraine and since he was returned to power last month as leader of the world’s most populous country.

Tokyo (AFP) – The streets of Tokyo have been hit by temperatures nearing 40 degrees Celsius as authorities issue heatstroke alerts in the megacity and various other parts of Japan. At least six people have died due to the heat.

Gjirokastër (Albania) (AFP) – Firefighters and soldiers have been deployed to battle wildfires raging across the south of Albania, near the Greek border, as a heatwave sweeps the Balkans.

Antony (France) (AFP) – Reigning Paralympic champion and the only Frenchman to have won an athletics title in Japan after his Tokyo 2021 win, Charles-Antoine Kouakou has his eyes set on a second gold medal. The 400m specialist with an intellectual disability will be aiming high in this year’s Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Mount Arafat (Saudi Arabia) (AFP) – June 2024 was the hottest June on record across the globe, the EU’s climate monitor says, capping half a year of wild and destructive weather from floods to heatwaves. The record-breaking heat coincides with El Nino,a natural phenomenon that contributes to hotter weather globally.

Sanaa (AFP) – Yasameen Al-Raimi is training for the Paris Olympics at a makeshift range in Yemen’s capital Sanaa. Her limited facilities are a fact of life in the divided country, which has been engulfed by conflict since the northern Huthi rebels seized the capital in 2014.

Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – Russia attacked cities across Ukraine on Monday with a missile barrage that killed dozens of people and ripped open a children’s hospital in Kyiv, an assault condemned as a ruthless attack on civilians.

Santa Cruz (Bolivia) (AFP) – Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is greeted by Bolivia’s Foreign Minister Celinda Sosa as he arrives at Viru Viru Airport in Santa Cruz for his state visit to the country. IMAGES

Chiriquí (Panama) (AFP) – Images show people gathered outside a hospital in Chiriqui, a province located about 500 km southwest of Panama City, after a 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck, causing damage to some buildings but resulting in no casualties. IMAGES

Priozersk (Kazakhstan) (AFP) – For decades, Priozersk was a secret city, unmarked on maps and closed to the outside world, owing to nearby Soviet era military test sites. Now, authorities and residents want to turn their home into a tourist hotspot on the shore of central Kazakhstan’s Lake Balkhash.