AFP UK

Mugla (Turkey) (AFP) – Fire crews tackle blazes for a fourth day as the number of people killed in forest fires sweeping through southern Turkey rises to at least six.

Byas-Kyuel (Russia) (AFP) – With Russian firefighters and emergency services struggling, hundreds of volunteers have joined the efforts to contain the blazes scorching the Siberian region of Yakutia’s legendary vast northern forests known as the taiga.

Kabul (AFP) – America’s top diplomat in Afghanistan, Ross Wilson, says that the first flight carrying Afghans who worked as interpreters for American troops has arrived in the US, the start of an operation to evacuate thousands from possible Taliban retaliation.

Lastras de Cuéllar (Spain) (AFP) – Across Spain, dozens of villages do not have access to drinkable water due to agricultural pollution, a lack of water quality controls and drought. Residents have no alternative but to purchase bottled water for their everyday needs.

Washington (AFP) – A 25-foot totem pole carved by Native American artists is displayed on the National Mall in Washington, DC, during a ceremony attended by tribal leaders and US Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.

San Francisco (AFP) – Many San Francisco bars and restaurants have begun asking customers to provide proof of full vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test result before entering the premises.

Chicago (AFP) – One of America’s largest events — Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago — is underway this weekend, to the delight of fans and to the despair of others. The four day music festival is expected to draw more than 100,000 people to downtown Chicago each day, at a moment when coronavirus cases are on the rise and vaccinations have plateaued. Lollapalooza has said their policy is for unvaccinated people to wear masks and show a recent negative Covid test.

Gyōda (Japan) (AFP) – Japan’s Ukiyoe and Kabuki culture are showcased in an unusual masterpiece. Rice fields have been transformed into art in the Japanese city of Gyoda to mark the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Chambley-Bussières (France) (AFP) – In the sky above the French region of Meurthe-et-Moselle, more than three hundred hot air balloons rise to the rhythm of the rising sun.

Jerusalem (AFP) – Israel launches its campaign to give over-60s coronavirus booster shots, becoming the first country to widely offer a third dose of a western vaccine to citizens.

Quincy (United States) (AFP) – Moving up and down through the aisles of northeast America’s Stop and Shop supermarkets is an autonomous robot named Marty. In these stores he has one job: to inspect the floor and look for hazards and spills.

heinavesi (Finland) (AFP) – When the pandemic shut down tourism, Finland’s only orthodox Christian monastery, Valamo, faced a one-third loss of its three million euro ($3.5 million) turnover, but the monks opted to cut down and sell four years’ worth of their trees at once, managing to plug the gap in its finances. The orthodox Christian church numbers 60,000 members in predominantly protestant Finland, about one percent of the population.