Zardana (Syria) (AFP) – A makeshift pool and improvised air conditioner are the only ways to cool down in Zardana’s camp for internally displaced people, in Syria’s rebel-held northwestern Idlib province, as temperatures exceed 40 degrees Celsius.
Kherson (Ukraine) (AFP) – Residents of Kherson repair their houses after overnight Russian shelling. At least three people were injured in the strike, which began at 2am, according to a local governor.
Seoul (AFP) – South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol calls former colonial ruler Japan a “partner” that shares his country’s values and common interests, as he aims to strengthen ties with Tokyo.
Washington (AFP) – An Iranian immigrant to the United States who was jailed in Tehran, and his son camping outside the White House have together gone on hunger strikes to win the elder’s freedom after he was not included in a deal to free US citizens. Shahab Dalili — who is a US permanent resident but not a citizen — was jailed in 2016 after he said he returned to Iran for his father’s funeral. He was handed 10 years in prison on espionage-related charges he strongly denies.
Sarajevo (AFP) – Thousands of people demonstrate in Sarajevo, after the murder of a woman by her husband, who broadcast his act live on social networks, before killing two other people and himself. The murders, and the 35-year-old suspect’s Instagram posting of her killing, have shocked the Balkan country.
Amsterdam (AFP) – Zipping around an indoor skatepark in Amsterdam, skaters take advantage of a new space that welcomes LGBTQ and women to a sport that, despite its laidback image, has long battled with sexism and homophobia. “When I was still identifying as a girl I would even get standing ovations because I could ride on a board” says Flip, who is trans and manages the park, “I’m super happy that we have a place now.”
Baghdad (AFP) – Animals in Baghdad Zoo swelter as temperatures in the Iraqi capital breach 50 degrees Celsius. Siberian tigers, more suited to freezing conditions, try to cool off in pools while parrots drink from water bottles in an attraction that hasn’t seen renovation since the 1970s. “Visitors complain about old cages” says Haider Al-Zamili, the zoo’s director. In recent years, with summers defined by intense heat and drought, the zoo has lost numerous animals to harsh conditions.
Niamey (Niger) (AFP) – Niger’s coup leaders announce that they have “gathered the necessary evidence to prosecute the deposed president” Mohamed Bazoum for “high treason and undermining Niger’s internal and external security”. Colonel Major Amadou Abdramane also criticises the “illegal, inhumane and humiliating sanctions imposed by ECOWAS,” the West African bloc.
New York (AFP) – Taiwanese Vice President William Lai says “when Taiwan is safe, the world will be safe”. Speaking in New York, in front of members of the local Taiwanese community, Lai assures those listening that “we will never be afraid or back down” in the face of “authoritarianism”. Lai is in New York as he travels to Paraguay to attend the inauguration of president-elect Santiago Pena.
Solan (India) (AFP) – At least 24 people have died in flooding and landslides in parts of northern India, officials say, after days of torrential rain destroyed buildings and washed away bridges and vehicles. 16 people have died in Himachal Pradesh over the past 24 hours and at least eight people have been killed since Friday in neighbouring Uttarakhand. Flooding and landslides are common during India’s monsoon season, but experts say climate change is making the phenomena more frequent.
Tokyo (AFP) – Foreign tourists are flocking to Japan for a look inside the insular world of sumo. Japan’s national sport — hundreds of years old and steeped in tradition — has long been a source of fascination outside the country, but interest has spiked in recent years, with some in the industry making the most of the new attention.
Lahaina (United States) (AFP) – Many of those who fled the fast-moving wildfire that killed dozens of people on the Hawaiian island of Maui say they received no warning notice.
