London (AFP) – A national service of commemoration is held at St Paul’s Cathedral to mark the 20th anniversary of the London July 7 bombings which killed 52 people. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan join victims’ families and survivors for the service. On July 7, 2005, four homegrown Islamist extremists detonated suicide bombs on three underground trains and a bus across central London.
Urk (Netherlands) (AFP) – In Urk, a fishing village in the northern Netherlands, the sea has long been the lifeblood for families — but has often taken loved ones in return. Advances in DNA technology and artificial intelligence are giving locals renewed hope. Researchers are now able to match remains with living relatives more accurately than ever before, offering families long-awaited answers and the chance to finally mourn properly.
Pamplona (Spain) (AFP) – Locals and tourists participate in the first bull run of the annual San Fermin festival in Spain’s Pamplona. Six bulls, led by some tame bullocks, are released at 8am local time to run around 850 metres through the city’s streets. “I still don’t even know what I’m doing. I’m shaking. This is crazy. This is unreal,” says a runner from Australia.
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) (AFP) – Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva slams NATO’s recent decision to “allocate 5% of GDP to military spending” as “fueling the arms race”, during his introduction speech at the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro. He also slams the decision as evidence that spending goals on aid and international development are not met due to “lack of political will”.
Abuja (AFP) – Nigerian hiking enthusiasts are defying fears of violence and kidnappings and a lack of public footpaths to explore the hills and countryside around the capital Abuja. Many join group hikes organised by companies like Naija Adventurers, who say they use an array of methods to prioritise hiker safety, including being joined by armed security. “We usually make sure that we have armed persons, you know, on the hike with us,” says Esesua Adeyemi, Brand partner for Naija Adventurers. “If anything happens now, you’ll be amazed the guns that will come out.”
Nangahale (Indonesia) (AFP) – A volcano in eastern Indonesia spews a colossal ash tower 18 kilometres (11 miles) into the sky. Dozens of flights to and from Bali have been cancelled as a result. The aviation disruption comes just weeks after the same rumbling volcano caused dozens of flight cancellations to and from the popular resort island.
Paramaribo (Surinam) (AFP) – Jennifer Geerlings-Simons leaves Parliament to greet a crowd of jubilant supporters after being officially elected Suriname’s first female president. The 71-year-old former opposition leader secured the presidency after her party won the most seats in May’s legislative elections, and her path was cleared when rival parties chose not to put forward a candidate. Her historic election marks a significant political milestone for the small South American nation. IMAGES
McLeod Ganj (India) (AFP) – Tibetan exiles, monks, officials and Hollywood star Richard Gere join the Dalai Lama in McLeod Ganj, northwest India, to celebrate his 90th birthday, while devotees celebrate in cities around the world including Taipei and London.
Nairobi (AFP) – An armed gang attacks the headquarters of the Kenyan Human Rights Commission as it hosts a press conference calling for an end to state violence ahead of “Saba Saba Day”, an annual commemoration of pro-democracy protests in the 1990s. Protesters marching against police violence on June 17 were attacked by hundreds of men on motorbikes armed with whips and clubs, while at least 19 people died on June 25 as another day of protests turned violent.
Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – Palestinians mourn their loved ones after an Israeli airstrike in the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood of Gaza City. 10 were killed in the pre-dawn strike, according to Gaza’s civil defence agency. Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas are set to resume in Doha for a Gaza truce and hostage release deal, ahead of a visit by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House. Two Palestinian sources close to the discussions told AFP a US-backed proposal included a 60-day truce, during which Hamas would release 10 living hostages and several bodies in exchange for Palestinians detained by Israel.
Hunt (United States) (AFP) – At the flood-ravaged site of Camp Mystic, on the Guadalupe River in Texas, Michael sifts through the debris in search of his eight-year-old daughter, who is among the 27 girls yet to be found after powerful waves of water rushed through the riverside camp after torrential rainfall.
Vatican City (AFP) – Pope Leo offers condolences to the families of the victims of devastating floods in Texas which have left at least 50 people dead and nearly 30 more missing, many of them children who were attending a summer camp. “We pray for them,” says the US-born pontiff following Angelus prayers.
