AFP UK

London (AFP) – The news of Boris Johnson’s resignation is well received by several Londoners who are happy to see the back of the leader after his ability to escape controversies finally ran out. His departure comes just less than three years after he took over from Theresa May in an internal Conservative leadership contest. Since then, he has faced criticism, from his handling of the coronavirus pandemic to allegations of corruption, cronyism, double standards and duplicity.

Pamplona (Spain) (AFP) – Half-tonne fighting bulls knock over thrill-seekers in the first bull run in three years at Spain’s San Fermin festival in Pamplona, with five people taken to hospital. There were no fatal injuries, but several daredevils were trampled or knocked to the cobblestone pavement of the mediaeval northern city in the first of the festival’s eight early-morning bull runs.

Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says in his daily address that the artillery delivered as part of Western military aid to the beleaguered nation is “working very powerfully”. “Our defenders inflict very noticeable blows on warehouses and other points which are important for the logistics of the occupiers. And this significantly reduces the offensive potential of the Russian army”, he adds.

Indramayu (Indonesia) (AFP) – In a small Indonesian fishing village, a former teacher performs in front of a group of eager children with cardboard puppets in his hands and a fake rhino head perched like a crown. Samsudin is educating the young about the plight of the critically endangered Javan rhino with puppets on a stick, comical expressions, and exaggerated voices, spreading his message of conservation one story at a time.

San Clemente del Tuyú (Argentina) (AFP) – A South American fur seal is returned to the sea after being rehabilitated. The seal was found on June 16 at the the Riachuelo, a highly polluted freshwater course in Avellaneda, Buenos Aires province.

Mecca (Saudi Arabia) (AFP) – Muslim worshippers perform the “tawaf”, the circumambulation of the Kaaba, on the first day of the biggest hajj pilgrimage since the Covid pandemic began. “As I saw the Kaaba, I felt like I was in heaven,” says an Egyptian pilgrim at Mecca’s Grand mosque.

New Taipei City (Taiwan) (AFP) – Dressed in military camouflage with an assault rifle at the ready, “Prof” Yeh peers from behind a vehicle in a parking lot outside Taipei, scanning his surroundings and waiting for a signal to advance. Yeh actually works in marketing, and his weapon is a replica — but he is spending the weekend attending an urban warfare workshop, to prepare for what he sees as the very real threat of a Chinese invasion.

Pamplona (Spain) (AFP) – Locals and tourists in the city of Pamplona, located in the Navarre region of northern Spain celebrate the San Fermin festival (bull-running festival) in the town square whilst covered in wine. The ‘Chupinazo’ rocket is launched to mark the start of the San Fermin festivities (6th – 14th July) which have come back for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic.

In Flight (AFP) – AFP joins French air force pilots during their rehearsal for the 2022 Bastille Day military parade, which marks the national day of France on July 14th. It is the last time the pilots of the 2/5 squadron will fly in the Mirage 2000C fighter jet before being replaced by Rafales.

Isumi (Japan) (AFP) – Harumichi Shibasaki was nearly 70 when he began making YouTube art tutorials from his quiet home in the Japanese countryside. Five years on, he has 1.4 million subscribers. He has also built a global following thanks to the English subtitles on his videos demonstrating painting and sketch techniques, which sometimes feature his grandchildren and two cats.

Sulaimaniyah (Iraq) (AFP) – Tourists watch as members of an Iraqi paragliding team launch at sunset from Mount Azmar to glide over Iraq’s northeastern city of Sulaimaniyah, in the autonomous Kurdistan region.

Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – In his nightly address, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky says “to provide basic security to Ukrainians, basic protection against missile attacks” is a key task for Ukraine.