Srinagar (AFP) – Hindus begin a vast month-long pilgrimage in contested Indian Kashmir, with many of the faithful starting from near the site where a deadly April attack triggered a four-day conflict with Pakistan. It was the worst standoff by the nuclear-armed nations since 1999, with more than 70 people killed in missile, drone and artillery fire on both sides before a May 10 ceasefire.
Brugelette (AFP) – Animals in Italy’s Bioparco di Roma and the Pairi Daiza animal park in southern Belgium enjoy frozen fruit and meat popsicles to cope with the heat.
Seoul (AFP) – South Korean President Lee Jae Myung says his administration is doing its “best” to secure a trade deal with the United States. Already hit by sector levies on steel and car exports, Seoul is laser-focused on negotiations over a 25 percent country-specific tariff that has been suspended until next week. Without an agreement, it will come into effect just after midnight Washington time on July 9.
Ketapang (Indonesia) (AFP) – At least four people were dead and dozens unaccounted for Thursday after a ferry sank in rough seas on its way to Indonesian resort island Bali, according to rescue authorities who said 31 survivors had been plucked from the water so far.
Buenos Aires (AFP) – Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva arrives to Buenos Aires, Argentina, for the Mercosur summit. This is the first time Lula visits Argentina since Javier Milei took office in December 2023. The Brazilian President will meet with former president Cristina Kirchner, who has been sentenced to six years in prison for corruption and to whom he has already expressed his solidarity, in a visit that could take place on July 3, according to the court document that authorized it. IMAGES
Buenos Aires (AFP) – Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva arrives at Brazil’s Embassy in Buenos Aires ahead of the Mercosur summit, marking a key diplomatic engagement in South America’s main regional bloc amid shifting regional dynamics. IMAGES
Santa Marta (Colombia) (AFP) – The Colombian navy seize for the first time an unmanned narco-submarine equipped with a Starlink antenna off its Caribbean coast. The vessel was not carrying drugs, but the Colombian navy and Western security sources based in the region told AFP they believed it was a trial run by a cocaine trafficking cartel. IMAGES
Paramaribo (AFP) – The land spit at the tip of the Suriname river estuary is rapidly vanishing as erosion, caused by rising sea levels linked to climate change, gobbles up entire swathes of the capital Paramaribo’s coastline. Suriname, South America’s smallest country, is one of the most vulnerable in the world to rising sea levels.
Kopenhagen (AFP) – In Copenhagen, a city programme is rewarding eco-friendly tourists and locals for picking up rubbish, taking public transport or staying in the city longer than three days. From mid-June until late August, the CopenPay initiative offers around 100 activities in exchange for free or reduced prices on a selection of experiences. “It’s pretty cool, and also you’re doing something helpful, and also you’re having a good time,” says Rocio Gomez, a tourist from Mexico.
New York (AFP) – Music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs has been found not guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking but convicted of a less serious prostitution charge after a high-profile seven week trial in New York. The jury found Combs guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. SEAN ‘DIDDY’ COMBS
London (AFP) – UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces questions after his government passed key welfare reforms, avoiding a humiliating defeat by making last-minute concessions to internal rebel MPs. “The reformed welfare system that we’re putting in place will be better for individuals, better for the taxpayer, and better for the economy,” he says during a session of Prime Minister’s Questions.
Kopenhagen (AFP) – In Copenhagen, a city programme is rewarding eco-friendly tourists and locals for picking up rubbish, taking public transport or staying in the city longer than three days. From mid-June until late August, the CopenPay initiative offers around 100 activities in exchange for free or reduced prices on a selection of experiences. “It’s pretty cool, and also you’re doing something helpful, and also you’re having a good time,” says Rocio Gomez, a tourist from Mexico.
