Taoyuan (Taiwan) (AFP) – Republic of China President Tsai Ing-wen shoulders a Taiwan-made rocket launcher on a morale-boosting tour for soldiers on guard during the Dragon Boat holiday season. The democratic island’s leader regularly visits her troops amid a heightened threat of Chinese invasion, with Beijing claiming sovereignty over a territory it considers as one of its provinces.
Unknown (AFP) – Moscow claims that it has managed to stem the arrival of foreign “mercenaries” in Ukraine over the past month and that it has killed “hundreds” of them. Most of them died “due to their low level of training and lack of real combat experience”, according to Russian Defence Ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov.
Sao Paulo (AFP) – Protests against Brazilian police brutality erupt in Sao Paulo after a man suffocated in custody during a traffic stop. Witnesses say the man, who was taking medication for schizophrenia, was forced in the trunk of a car filled with tear gas by police.
Longyearbyen (AFP) – Pristine, untouched Svalbard is faced with a problem. The archipelago is reliant on tourism – yet with its glaciers melting, how long can it depend on ultra-polluting cruise vessels for transport and coal for its energy?
Beijing (AFP) – China says it “firmly opposes” trade talks between the United States and Taiwan after Taipei and Washington announced the launch of a new initiative to deepen economic ties. “The US’s insistence on playing the Taiwan card will only put China-US relations in a dangerous situation,” says Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian.
Sydney (AFP) – Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House light up for Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee which marks her 70-year reign, as Australia — a Commonwealth member — pays tribute to the sovereign.
San Salvador (AFP) – Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele says the country is “very close to winning the war against the gangs” as he marks his third year of the government with a ceremony at the congress.
Glasgow (AFP) – Ukraine supporters celebrate in Glasgow after the team defeated Scotland 3-1 in a World Cup play-off game.
Barra de Copalita (Mexico) (AFP) – Residents of Mexico’s Oaxaca region call for help after being left with nothing since Hurricane Agatha hit Mexico’s Pacific coast, leaving at least 11 dead and 22 missing.
Lima (AFP) – Health brigades spray one of South America’s largest cemeteries in Lima to eradicate the dengue-transmitting mosquito and collect larvae in an attempt to control a new outbreak of the endemic disease in Peru, which has killed about 30 people this year.
