Chisinau (AFP) – The former Soviet republic of Moldova celebrates 34 years of independence, with French President Emmanuel Macron, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz joining President Maia Sandu to mark the occasion as she fights for the country’s entry into the EU.
Mexico City (AFP) – Mexican senators Gerardo Fernandez Norona, of the ruling Morena party, and Alejandro Moreno, of the opposition PRI party, engage in a physical confrontation following a heated debate over alleged opposition calls for US military intervention against drug cartels. The brawl followed a debate in which opposition parties PRI and PAN were accused of calling for the intervention, which both parties deny.
Mexico City (AFP) – Members of the Mexico Clown Club set-off for the 25th annual pilgrimage to the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City. “A bunch of us clowns get together and have the opportunity to see each other,” says Moises Jimenez, aka Yom. “It’s really about the unity of clowns.”
Lomas de Zamora (Argentina) (AFP) – Argentina’s President Javier Milei drives off as protesters throw objects at his vehicle during a rally in Lomas de Zamora, Buenos Aires province, amid controversy over an alleged corruption case involving the government. IMAGES
(AFP) – US Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg says during a National Prayer Breakfast in Kyiv that he hopes that, by the time the war-torn country celebrates its 35th Independence Day next year, fighting will be brought to “an end” and Ukraine will be “a different place to be”. The event was attended by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and other senior Western officials.
Garaño (Spain) (AFP) – Fire crews survey an area of northwest Spain where deadly wildfires are still burning. 14 wildfires are still classed as ‘category two’ fires – meaning they pose a risk to people and property. In recent days the number of category two’s has decreased by 4 from 18 wildfires. But authorities in Madrid still say the situation is precarious, and temperatures remain high.
Caracas (AFP) – Civil servants, housewives and retirees alike line up to volunteer to join the country’s civilian militia – dubbed the “Bolivarian Militia”. It comes after the U.S. stationed three warships off the country’s coast. The Trump administration has accused Venezuela’s President Nicholas Maduro of being involved in a cartel smuggling drugs into the United States. Maduro has declined the claims, and has called the U.S. deployment a “violation of international law”.
Vinh (Vietnam) (AFP) – Rain batters Vietnam’s coastal city of Vinh where Typhoon Kajiki — Vietnam’s fifth this year — has made landfall. More than 325,500 residents in five coastal provinces will be moved to schools and public buildings turned into temporary evacuation centres, authorities say.
Palmyra (Syria) (AFP) – Timelapse footage shows the Milky Way passing over Syria’s ancient ruins of Palmyra. Palmyra is one of six Syrian sites inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage list, all of which suffered varying degrees of damage during the country’s 13-year civil war. During their occupation of the site starting in 2015, jihadists from the Islamic State group destroyed several temples, columns, and other ancient treasures, reducing much of the city to rubble.
Bilozerske (Ukraine) (AFP) – Ukrainians in the country’s war-torn east display mixed feelings about the country’s Independence Day. Nina, an 84-year-old local who is sleeping in the basement of her nearby church, says she just wants peace. Vitaliy, who works for Ukraine’s electrical grid, says Independence Day is about “the defence of our state”.
Umerkot (Pakistan) (AFP) – The practice of elder women needling delicate shapes onto the faces, hands, and arms of younger generations stretches back centuries in the Hindu villages that dot Pakistan’s southern border with India. In recent years, however, as the rural communities become more connected to nearby cities, many young women have opted out of the “old ways”.
Bilozerske (Ukraine) (AFP) – Ukrainians in the country’s war-torn east display mixed feelings about the country’s Independence Day. Nina, an 84-year-old local who is sleeping in the basement of her nearby church, says she just wants peace. Vitali, who works for Ukraine’s electrical grid, says Independence Day is about “the defence of our state”.
