AFP UK

Sevastopol (AFP) – Despite Russia’s four-and-a-half-year assault on Ukraine, the scenic Black Sea peninsula of Crimea — which Moscow annexed in 2014 after the overthrow of a pro-Russian government in Kyiv — has until recently remained a popular summer retreat for Russian tourists. This summer, however, Ukraine has heavily targeted Crimea, escalating a campaign of strikes on fuel depots and electrical facilities, making blackouts and fuel shortages part of daily life and sending the local tourism economy into freefall. Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014 after the overthrow of a pro-Russian government in Kyiv, with only a handful of countries, such as Cuba, North Korea and Venezuela, recognising the move.

Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – Firefighters battle flames and clear debris at a market in Kyiv after a Russian strike sparked a major fire, leaving rows of stalls gutted and sending smoke billowing over the Ukrainian capital. Russian strikes across the country killed at least eight people and wounded more than a dozen others, authorities say.

Navaluenga (Spain) (AFP) – Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez lifts a state of emergency over wildfires threatening the country, after the prefect’s office said they had stopped expanding with “almost no flames left” in the Madrid region. The fire in Avila, the largest Spain has experienced since records began in 1961 with around 50,000 hectares burnt, is still raging. A new fire has also broken out in Fermoselle, western Spain, just a few kilometres from the Portuguese border, forcing the evacuation of more than 600 people.

Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) (AFP) – High winds empty out beaches in Rio de Janeiro as a surprise windstorm brings chaos to southeast Brazil, with at least five people killed in Brazil following the powerful gusts. Residents were taken by surprise when winds of up to 100 kilometers an hour hit just before rush hour, felling dozens of trees and leaving thousands stranded as the city’s three subway lines ground to a halt.

Kumamoto (Japan) (AFP) – Japanese emergency workers battle to find survivors from a wrecked shopping mall, as the death toll from a major earthquake two days earlier hit 34 and thousands sweltered in punishing heat.

Lima (AFP) – Peru’s newly inaugurated conservative President Keiko Fujimori presides over a military parade in Lima, a day after taking office and pledging to crack down on the crime wave gripping the Andean nation. On her fourth presidential bid, Fujimori won June’s runoff by fewer than 50,000 votes. IMAGES

Teheran (AFP) – Iranians in Tehran share their views after US President Donald Trump vowed to hit back hard at Iran after it attacked American bases in Jordan, reigniting the Middle East war and once again drawing in the Islamic republic’s proxies. Dental assistant Niloofar describes the situation as “terrible, absolutely awful in every respect,” while retiree Golrokh says she no longer sees people “happy or laughing.”

Peking (AFP) – Beijing accuses the United States of seeking to “suppress” Chinese companies, after Washington banned imports of humanoid robots manufactured abroad. Most humanoid robots sold in the United States are imported, particularly from China, where local companies are racing ahead in the booming sector. “China has always firmly opposed the US overstretching the concept of national security to suppress Chinese companies,” says foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning.

Pelayos de la Presa (AFP) – Jose Fernandez walks around the debris of his ruined home in the small Spanish town of Pelayos de la Presa, after los ing everything in wildfires. “This disaster is impossible to bear,” says the 74-year-old. “I have no money, I have no papers, I have nothing left from my home.”

Gaza (AFP) – Displaced Palestinians evacuate nearby tents before an Israeli strike hits Al-Muttaqin Mosque in central Gaza City. “Is this a ceasefire? Every day there are attacks, every hour, every breath there are attacks,” says witness Shehadeh Badawi.

Navalcarnero (AFP) – Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez says that efforts to extinguish a major wildfire near Madrid are progressing “favourably” and that the next 12 hours would be “decisive”. “At the moment, efforts are focused on containing the fire and also on cooling the area,” Sanchez tells reporters in televised comments at a command centre near the fire zone.

Muridke (Pakistan) (AFP) – Flooding from heavy monsoon rains inundated villages in eastern Pakistan, pushing residents to flee their homes by boat over fields turned into vast swathes of water. “The water rose so rapidly that we had no opportunity to save or move any of our belongings,” says Muhammad Ramzan, a resident whose house has been damaged by floodwater.