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Langeais (AFP) – Sandbanks are starting to appear along the Loire in France as the river’s level has dropped, a consequence of a lack of rainfall and intense heat in June and July.

Ankara (AFP) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says his country has achieved victory following the symbolic destruction of weapons by Kurdish rebels. “Turkey has won. 86 million citizens have won,” says Erdogan. The ceremony, held on Friday in Iraq’s Kurdistan region, marked a major step in the transition of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) from armed insurgency to democratic politics — part of a broader push to end one of the region’s longest-running conflicts.

Perth (AFP) – German backpacker Carolina Wilga lost hope of rescue after 11 nights in the Australian bush and only made it out by “sheer luck”, says a police inspector in Perth.

Peking (AFP) – “I’m diving to beat the heat,” says 70-year-old Bai Xiaopeng, one of dozens of elderly Beijing residents taking a dip in the Longtan River to cool down as a heat alert is in place and temperatures are expected to exceed 35 degrees over the next few days.

Brüssel (AFP) – The European Commission says it will “assess” the details of a deal between Paris and London on returning migrants arriving in the UK, as other EU countries fret over the impact. “On the specific envisaged cooperation between France and the United Kingdom, the Commission will assess the concrete modalities of this cooperation,” EU spokesman Markus Lammert says, adding that “the rising number of migrants smuggled across the Channel is alarming”.

Nairobi (AFP) – The coffin of a bystander who died days after being shot by Kenyan police during clashes with protesters leaves a morgue in Nairobi. Boniface Kariuki, who was unarmed and selling face masks when he was shot point-blank in the head, is set to be buried in his hometown of Kangema.

Genf (AFP) – More than 3,000 people have died amid escalating gang violence in Haiti since the beginning of the year, says the United Nations. “So far this year, from the first of January to June 30, at least 3,141 people were killed across Haiti,” Ravina Shamdasani, spokeswoman for the UN rights office, tells reporters in Geneva.

Srebrenica (AFP) – Relatives of victims of the Srebrenica massacre visit the graves of their loved ones ahead of official commemorations where the remains of seven victims will be laid to rest. Thousands of people have gathered in Srebrenica to commemorate the genocide committed 30 years ago by Bosnian Serb forces, one of Europe’s worst atrocities since World War II. “My children are gone. I’ve been living for thirty years waiting to join them,” says Nezira Mehmedovic.

Kuala Lumpur (AFP) – US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is seen speaking to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov ahead of the East Asia Summit as part of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Kuala Lumpur on Friday. IMAGES

Rio de Janeiro (Brésil) (AFP) – People attend a demonstration calling to tax the super-rich and demanding the end of the six-day workweek in Rio de Janeiro IMAGES

Lahore (AFP) – Residents in Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore wade through waist-deep water as the city floods after heavy downpours during the monsoon season. Pakistan is one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change, and its 255 million residents are facing extreme weather events with increasing frequency. In 2022, monsoon floods submerged a third of the country and killed 1,700 people.

Moskau (AFP) – Hundreds of people attend the farewell ceremony for former Russian transport minister Roman Starovoyt, who allegedly committed suicide hours after being dismissed from his position by President Vladimir Putin. At least 17 members of the Russian government bid farewell to Starovoyt, according to state media. “He loved life very much, and I don’t know how this could have happened,” says mourner Vasilisa, adding that her husband worked with Starovoyt.