Skrat (Bulgaria) (AFP) – “For now I feel fine,” says Kiril Apostolov who, at 90-years-old, is still doing the rounds as the only doctor in the Bulgarian village of Skrat, climbing steep mountain roads as he carries out at-home patient visits. Apostolov’s case is far from unusual in Bulgaria, where many general practitioners continue working well past retirement age, with no one to replace them, especially in rural areas.
Le Porge (France) (AFP) – A fierce wildfire has swept through at least 2,400 hectares and continues to spread in southwestern France, north of the Arcachon Basin (Gironde), where more than 12,000 residents and tourists have been evacuated. “The children are scared, and well, we’ve never experienced anything like this here before,” says Sophie, a resident of Le Porge. Two firefighters were killed tackling a blaze near Bordeaux airport.
Rotterdam (Netherlands) (AFP) – Police inspect the damage after two trams collide on a key bridge in Rotterdam, leaving at least 15 hurt, one seriously, according to officials. Rotterdam’s mayor says that one tram was standing still, waiting for a boat to pass the bridge when the second one hit it from behind. The Erasmus Bridge is a major landmark in the Dutch port city, spanning the Maas river, and an important transport hub.
Humanes (Spain) (AFP) – Residents evacuated from their homes in the Spanish province of Guadalajara north of Madrid gather at a Red Cross shelter in Humanes, as one of Spain’s largest wildfires this year continues to rage on. Some 1,200 people have been evacuated from their homes and the flames have so far scorched more than 30,000 hectares (74,000 acres) of land, officials said. “I don’t know how I’ll react when I see the houses still standing, but all burnt down. It’s very hard, very painful,” says one evacuee.
Paris (France) (AFP) – France’s parliament has approved a bill prohibiting social media access for children under 15, making France the first European country to ban children from apps such as TikTok. President Emmanuel Macron has championed the ban as a flagship reform of his final term in office and pledged to enforce it by September. The European Commission has also unveiled an age verification app that EU member states, including France, have begun testing in recent months. In December 2025, Australia became the first country in the world to introduce a social media access ban.
Sumba Island (Indonesia) (AFP) – Two hours from the tourist beaches of Bali, slavery is still a reality on the Indonesian island of Sumba, where some are born into bondage. They work from dawn to dusk without pay, are passed on in marriage and are sometimes beaten and raped by their masters. Yet most are resigned to their fate because their status “cannot be wiped away”, as one young slave — or “ata” — tells AFP.
Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says that he is dismissing Oleksandr Syrsky, commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s army, and appointing joint forces commander Mykhailo Drapaty in his place. “I have decided that the new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will be Mykhailo Drapaty,” he says. It comes amid a political crisis triggered by the removal of a popular defence minister, who accused Syrsky of forcing him out and stalling his attempt to reform the military.
Hong Kong (AFP) – Long-awaited reforms to Hong Kong’s sexual offence laws will introduce stricter penalties for sexual crimes, but survivors warn that the proposed changes don’t go far enough to protect victims. Jessie, a survivor who shared her story with AFP, said she felt “oppressed and helpless” after testifying against the man she said attacked her. The judge had acquitted the defendant, saying he may have “honestly but mistakenly” believed that she consented.
Kuwait City (Kuwait) (AFP) – Residents of Kuwait City say they are adjusting their daily routines to reduce electricity consumption after authorities appealed for public cooperation following Iranian attacks targeting power and water facilities. “The government is calling for this, and we should all comply,” says one resident.
Ezeiza (Argentina) (AFP) – Thousands of fans line the streets as Buenos Aires holds a bus parade to celebrate the return of Argentina’s national team back home after its defeat to Spain in the World Cup final. “Argentines are like that, it’s the people, it’s love, it’s grit, it’s pride,” says fan Nadia Borda. “It’s what our players taught us out on the pitch. What more could we ask for?”
Moscow (AFP) – The Kremlin says it has “no hope” for better ties with the UK, a day after Britain’s new prime minister Andy Burnham took office, with Moscow criticising his support for Ukraine. Russia sees the UK as one of the most hostile Western countries, with relations at historic lows over a litany of issues — including accusations of Russian poisonings on UK soil — long before the war in Ukraine.
Parun (Afghanistan) (AFP) – Rescuers use excavators and poles to search for missing residents trapped under mud and boulders in eastern Afghanistan, after a major flood smashed through one province killing at least 23 people.
