Moskau (AFP) – Russian President Vladimir Putin names the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as a potential location for an upcoming summit with US President Donald Trump. “We have many friends who are willing to help us organise such events. One of our friends is the president of the United Arab Emirates,” Putin says, standing next to UAE leader Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as he visits the Kremlin.
Al-Zawayda (AFP) – Palestinians watch as an aircraft drops aid parcels in the distance in central Gaza’s Al-Zawayda camp. Global criticism has soared over the suffering of the more than two million Palestinian inhabitants of Gaza, after the United Nations warned that famine was unfolding in the territory.
Gaza (AFP) – In a small plot outside his tent in Gaza City, Ibrahim Abu Jabal plants vegetables in the hope of providing daily sustenance for his children amid dire food shortages in the war-ravaged territory. Alongside his nine-year-old daughter — her head and torso wrapped in gauze after being burned while hustling in a crowd to obtain a hot meal from a charity kitchen — the displaced farmer harvests tomatoes, green peppers and cucumbers to help his children “survive another day, or a little longer.”
Brasília (AFP) – Indigenous people march in Brasilia to demand action on climate justice in Brazil, as the country prepares to host the COP30 climate summit in November. IMAGES
Kuala Lumpur (AFP) – Thai and Cambodian defence ministers speak in Kuala Lumpur as the two countries agree to extend a shaky ceasefire deal that followed five days of deadly hostilities along their border last month. At least 43 people were killed in the conflict that ended on 29 July after a long-standing dispute over border temples erupted into violence.
(AFP) – Hidden in the green mountains of Dhofar — Oman’s largest governorate — lie four giant sinkholes whose origin are unknown to many, inspiring local folklore. The sinkholes are marketed as a tourist attraction in Dhofar, whose temperate climate draws many visitors from the Gulf during its punishing summers.
Neu Delhi (AFP) – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi vows to protect farmers’ interests, hours after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order raising tariffs on India to 50 percent as a penalty over oil purchases from Russia. “For the farmers of my country,” Modi says, “India is ready.”
Hong Kong (AFP) – Hong Kong’s LGBTQ community has reluctantly rallied behind a government plan to expand rights for some same-sex couples. Lawmakers are set to vote on the legislation in September when they return from their summer recess.
Brasilia (AFP) – Dozens of supporters wave flags and chant outside former President Jair Bolsonaro’s home in Brasilia, where he remains under house arrest after defying a social media ban. The move by a Supreme Court judge escalates an ongoing showdown with Bolsonaro, who faces accusations of plotting a coup. IMAGES
Brasília (AFP) – In Congress, lawmakers cover their mouths with tape in protest over the house arrest order for Brazil’s far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro. A Brazilian judge placed Bolsonaro under house arrest for breaking a social media ban, escalating a dramatic standoff between the court and the politician, who is accused of plotting a coup. IMAGES
Geneva (AFP) – In front of the UN headquarters in Geneva, a reproduction of Auguste Rodin’s famous statue “The Thinker” is gradually being swallowed up in a sea of plastic waste. Canadian artist Benjamin Von Wong aims to draw attention to plastic pollution, as ten days of talks on the issue are held at the UN.
La Paz (AFP) – Supporters of former Bolivian president Evo Morales inaugurate their “blank vote” campaign headquarters, as they urge voters to spoil their ballots in protest. Morales has been barred from standing in the upcoming August 17 election due to term limits in the constitution, a move his camp sees as unjust. He led Bolivia three times between 2006 and 2019.
