Beijing (AFP) – China slams a United Nations report into human rights abuses of its Muslim Uyghur minority in the Xinjiang region as a “political tool” being used against Beijing. Foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin claims the report was “manufactured by the US and some other Western forces”. The report said torture allegations were credible and cited possible crimes against humanity.
Zaporizhzhia (Ukraine) (AFP) – IAEA chief Rafael Grossi vows that UN inspectors will continue their visit to the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine despite an earlier strike on the town next to the facility. “We are not stopping… so wish us luck!” he tells reporters.
Sukkur (Pakistan) (AFP) – A makeshift school in a tent opens for flood victims in Pakistan, providing vital aid and education for children affected by devastating floods. Monsoon rains have submerged much of Pakistan, unleashing torrents that have washed away vital crops and damaged or destroyed more than a million homes.
London (AFP) – Progressive US senator Bernie Sanders gives his backing to striking British workers, urging global solidarity amid surging inequality, inflation and a cost of living crisis. “What is going on today in the UK is no different than what is going on in the United States of America. Same bloody thing,” Sanders says.
Madyan (Pakistan) (AFP) – Collapsed houses and damaged structures hug the banks of Pakistan’s Swat River after relentless monsoon rains brought unprecedented flooding and submerged swathes of the country.
Kabul (AFP) – Hundreds of Taliban members flood the streets of Kabul with flags, fireworks and the sound of gunfire to mark one year since the final withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan.
Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi says in Ukraine that his team is ‘ready’ for an ‘extremely complex’ visit to the Zaporizhzhia plant — Europe’s largest atomic facility, which has been occupied by Russian troops since early March.
Nusa Dua (Indonesia) (AFP) – John Kerry, US special envoy on climate change, and other counterparts arrive at G20 environment and climate ministerial meeting, in Nusa Dua, Bali. IMAGES
Kuala Lumpur (AFP) – Malaysia celebrates its 65th Independence Day with parades being held at the Independence Square (Dataran Merdeka) in Kuala Lumpur. IMAGES
Luanda (AFP) – Opinion is divided on the streets of Angola’s capital Luanda after President Joao Lourenco won a second five-year term. Angola’s biggest opposition party has vowed to contest last week’s election results, which saw the long-ruling MPLA win by a significantly reduced majority.
Samolva (Russia) (AFP) – Surrounded by dozens of men in chainmail and helmets playing dead in a field, an impersonator of mediaeval Russian prince Alexander Nevsky raises his sword and roars. “This land is Russian, always has been, and always will be!” It was on this spot near Lake Peipus on Russia’s border with Estonia that eight centuries ago Nevsky repelled a force of Teutonic Knights who wanted to convert Russia to Catholicism. For the hundreds of history enthusiasts re-enacting the battle on a recent August day, that victory is especially resonant today, as Russian forces wage an offensive in Ukraine framed by the Kremlin as part of an enduring conflict with the West.
Luanda (AFP) – Angola’s President Joao Lourenco promises to keep working on the ‘social and economic development’ of Angola after winning a second five-year term. His MPLA party emerged victorious with a thin majority in last week’s closely fought election, extending its decades-long rule in the oil-rich country.
