Hanoi (AFP) – Vietnam holds its largest-ever annual public celebration to mark 80 years since the declaration of independence, with legions of lock-stepped patriots marching under fluttering flags. “I am impressed by the military and public security forces in the parade, as well as by all of Vietnam’s military equipment that has been brought here,” says Thanh Tra, a Hanoi resident.
Kiew (AFP) – As air raid sirens blast over Kyiv, residents scramble once again to take shelter in the city’s metro stations, waiting out the prolonged alert. Among them, 18-year-old Artem Korneev, who says: “Students have no choice but to sit in shelters instead of learning or developing.”
Peking (AFP) – Russian President Vladimir Putin says that any deal to resolve the conflict in Ukraine must not compromise Moscow’s security. “Naturally, it is Ukraine’s own decision how to ensure its security,” Putin says in China at a meeting with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. Efforts to end the war appear to have lost steam, and Moscow has played down the likelihood of a Putin-Zelensky summit.
New York (AFP) – Hundreds gather outside Trump Tower in New York City to advocate for workers’ rights and voice criticism of US President Donald Trump’s policies. “We are here to make sure President Trump realizes that there are many of us that are not happy with his decisions,” says Jill Pitman, a protester and negotiator for Unions. “There are many of us that want him out of the White House because he doesn’t protect the middle class and he doesn’t protect workers.”
(AFP) – Rescuers treat the injured in Afghanistan’s Kunar province after a powerful earthquake struck the country’s east at the weekend. The 6.0-magnitude earthquake killed more 1,400 and injured 3,000 others, according to the Taliban government, making it one of the deadliest to hit the country in decades.
Caracas (AFP) – During a press conference in Caracas, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro shows off his mobile phone, a Huawei gifted by his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. “The best phone in the world, the Huawei. And it cannot be tapped, not even by the gringos, nor by spy planes, nor by satellites,” he says.
Irpin (AFP) – Schoolchildren in the town of Irpin, northwest of Kyiv, mark the start of the academic year with a ceremony, ringing bells and carrying Ukrainian flags. In Irpin’s Mriya school, more than 2,700 students begin the academic year, some returning from abroad. Along with other towns on the outskirts of Kyiv, Irpin was seized and occupied by Russian forces in the weeks after Moscow’s offensive began last year, but was liberated by Kyiv’s forces following a bloody, month-long battle.
Nuseirat (AFP) – Palestinians in Nuseirat camp in the centre of the Gaza Strip receive meals distributed by a charity organisation. “If it wasn’t for the charity, I wouldn’t find food and I would have died of hunger,” says Atef Jarbou, a displaced Gazan. The United Nations has declared a state of famine in the territory, warning that 500,000 people face “catastrophic” conditions.
Tokio (AFP) – Japan sweltered this year through its hottest summer since records began in 1898, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as climate change creates ever more erratic weather patterns.
Tianjin (AFP) – Russian President Vladimir Putin hails Russia-India ties as he meets Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin, with the two leaders coming under increasing US pressure over Russia’s war in Ukraine. US President Donald Trump has accused India of fuelling Moscow’s deadly attacks on Ukraine by purchasing Russian oil.
Tianjin (AFP) – Chinese President Xi Jinping says the world has entered “a new period of turbulence” and warns against a “Cold War mentality” while addressing members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and guest countries at a summit in Tianjin.
Hanoi (AFP) – Every morning at dawn, Nguyen Thi Van walks down from her home in Hanoi’s French Quarter and starts setting up her cart on a bustling street. By mid-morning, locals on their way to work and curious tourists line up for her take on Vietnam’s iconic street food: bánh mì. Once a byproduct of French colonialism, the baguette sandwich has become a proud emblem of Vietnamese culture.
