Sydney (AFP) – Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese offered Narendra Modi a rock-star welcome Tuesday, dubbing the Indian leader “the boss” and comparing his reception to US musician Bruce Springsteen.
Washington (AFP) – President Biden is not currently planning to invoke the 14th Amendment to prevent a US debt default, the White House says, ruling out a constitutional solution to the current debt impasse. SOUNDBITE
Washington (AFP) – The United States renews calls for Russia to free Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich after his detention was extended until August 30. SOUNDBITE
Madrid (AFP) – Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti says that racism in football “has to stop” after Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior was abused by Valencia fans. The 22-year-old forward suffered racist taunts at Mestalla on 21 May in La Liga, with three fans arrested by Spanish police on Tuesday.
Donetsk (Ukraine) (AFP) – President Volodymyr Zelensky visits Ukrainian troops on the frontline in the eastern region of Donetsk, where Russian forces have concentrated their efforts to capture territory, presenting them awards. ++ 33FX3JA TEXT
Cardiff (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Two cars are set on fire in the streets of Cardiff after riots break out in the Welsh capital over the death of two teenagers in an accident. Scores of youths, some covering their faces with masks, threw rocks, paving slabs and fireworks at officers with riot shields in the city’s Ely area. Local authorities believe the riots followed rumours that the two teenagers had died in a crash while being chased by police.
Ciudad Juárez (Mexico) (AFP) – Authorities in the northern Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez, near the US border, clear a makeshift migrant camp, to move them to a shelter provided by the municipality.
Moscow (AFP) – “There were corpses in every courtyard” says Alyona, easily recalling the horrors of the siege of Mariupol, horrors her young family lived through “for 100 days”. Alonya lived in the southern Ukrainian port city as it was surrounded by Moscow’s forces, hiding in a basement with around 60 children. Even now, rebuilding their lives far from the fighting, in Moscow, the family is haunted by the two-month ordeal. “My daughter was talking around and she saw a dog eating a corpse. She would ask me: ‘Mum, what’s going on? Why is a dog eating a man?’ And I still don’t know what to tell her.”
Belgorod (Russia) (AFP) – The governor of Russia’s Belgorod region tells residents of the Grayvoronsky district via his Telegram channel that they “shouldn’t return home”, after several drones struck overnight. Drones struck the region where security operations pressed into a second day after a cross-border raid blamed on fighters from Ukraine.
Jakarta (AFP) – Indonesian President Joko Widodo meets his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi who’s visiting Jakarta for a two-day trip aiming to strengthen economic ties.
