Catia La Mar (Venezuela) (AFP) – Lines of graves are prepared for unidentified victims of the twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24. At least 3,300 people are confirmed dead and more than 16,700 injured as a result of the quakes.
Blackfoot (AFP) – As the United States prepares to mark the 250th anniversary of its independence, some members of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes in Idaho say the celebrations hold a different meaning for Native Americans. “We as Native Americans, we have been here a lot longer than 250 years,” says Alonzo Coby, an Indian Relay coach and member of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes. The milestone “feels a little odd” for tribal members because they “have always been here,” says Stephan Kniffin of the tribe’s Language and Cultural Preservation Department.
Toronto (AFP) – Cristiano Ronaldo greets the crowd outside his team’s hotel in Toronto after Portugal edged past Croatia for a 2-1 victory, securing them a place in the World Cup’s last 16. Ronaldo’s second-half penalty made him, at 41, the oldest man to score in a World Cup knockout match. Portugal will face Spain in Dallas on Monday.
Rio de Janeiro (AFP) – Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer statue is illuminated in the colors of the Venezuelan flag in solidarity with the victims of the deadly twin earthquakes that struck Brazil’s neighbor on June 24. The official death toll from the disaster has risen to nearly 2,600 and huge numbers of people are still missing.
Berlin (AFP) – Lithuania’s president says his country wants to be integrated into Western nuclear deterrence against Russia, at a time of heightened tensions between Moscow and its Baltic neighbours. “We would like to be an integral part of this nuclear deterrence,” President Gitanas Nauseda says at a press conference in Berlin, adding that Lithuania is taking steps to remove a constitutional ban on the deployment of nuclear weapons.
Mumbai (AFP) – Heavy rains lash India’s financial capital Mumbai, flooding parts of the city and disrupting traffic and daily life. The coastal metropolis has been hit by continuous rains since the start of the week, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting continued downpours through the weekend.
Teheran (AFP) – Preparations for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral are underway in the Iranian capital Tehran, as banners hang from buildings and gardeners arrange plants near the city’s vast Grand Mosalla complex. The body of Iran’s late supreme leader is due to lie in state from 4 July, after he was killed in US-Israeli strikes on 28 February.
Moskau (AFP) – Russia says it will be ramping up the “pressure” on Ukraine after launching its largest ever attack on Kyiv overnight, firing waves of drones and missiles that killed 17. “Russia will continue to increase pressure on the Kyiv regime in order to achieve our set goals,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov tells reporters, when asked about the EU saying it would look at new sanctions on Moscow over the latest strikes.
Wisbech (AFP) – In eastern England, Swedish-born Mia Hansson has spent the last decade recreating one of history’s most famous embroidered artworks, the Bayeux Tapestry. Hansson says the painstaking work has become a form of therapy, helping her to relax. Despite spending years recreating scenes from the 11th-century masterpiece, she insists she started the project for the craftsmanship, not the history.
Berlin (AFP) – Germany’s ruling coalition is scrapping the right to call in sick without a doctor’s note, Chancellor Friedrich Merz announces as part of a package of sweeping reforms to revive the economy. “We know this is a tough decision. But we can no longer afford this competitive disadvantage caused by long absences in our companies,” he says. + COMPLETES
Genf (AFP) – The World Health Organization (WHO) declares an end to the deadly hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship which sparked international alarm, after the last person is confirmed to have tested negative and left quarantine. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says he is “very pleased to say that WHO considers the outbreak of hantavirus over”. He adds that “the total number of cases from the outbreak remains 13, including three deaths”.
Durban (AFP) – Thousands protest across South Africa to demand undocumented foreign nationals leave the country. The marches come after a weeks-long campaign that has sent thousands fleeing and claimed four lives. Groups mobilising against illegal immigrants accuse them of taking jobs and services, which analysts say is scapegoating foreign nationals for government failures.
