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London (AFP) – For 25-year-old London-based artist James Cook, drawing portraits used to be a struggle. But that all changed when he discovered his now signature tool: the typewriter. From Hollywood star Tom Hanks to the London Eye observation wheel, his adept fingers can turn symbols and letters into art. Cook discovered typewriter art in 2014 when he came across Paul Smith, an artist from the 1920s who produced similar work. Cook never set out to make it a career and actually went to university to study architecture, before interest online encouraged him to pursue his passion. He will host an exhibition from July until August where people will also be able to try the techniques for themselves.

New York (AFP) – Nathan’s Famous 4th of July hot dog eating contest returns to its historic Coney Island location for the first time since the pandemic, with World Champion Joey Chestnut keeping his title but falling short of breaking a record and briefly interrupted by an animal rights activist. Top-ranked female Miki Sudo regained her title after missing the competition last year due to pregnancy. “This is the greatest sporting competition in the history of the world,” says one audience member dressed as a hot dog, celebrating the fact that the event “brings everybody together” for the American National holiday. 

New York (AFP) – Nathan’s Famous 4th of July hot dog eating contest returns to its historic Coney Island location for the first time since the pandemic, with World Champion Joey Chestnut keeping his title but falling short of breaking a record and briefly interrupted by an animal rights activist. 

Liverpool (Australia) (AFP) – Australian firefighters and rescue workers help stranded drivers on a flooded road and evacuate residents in Liverpool, New South Wales. 

Highland Park (United States) (AFP) – Police officers guard the scene of a mass shooting at the Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois. At least six people were killed and 19 injured, according to published reports. IMAGES 

Shanes Park (Australia) (AFP) – Images of flooding in Shanes Park, a suburb in Sydney on Tuesday. The flooding follows torrential east coast rains which have prompted evacuations. DURATION: 01:20

Mecca (Saudi Arabia) (AFP) – Muslim worshippers from across the world flock to the Grand Mosque in Islam’s holiest city of Mecca to perform the Tawaf, or circumambulating the Kaaba, during the first ritual of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, set to start on Wednesday.

Canazei (Italy) (AFP) – Rescuers have warned that hopes of finding survivors are diminishing after an avalanche set off by the collapse of an Italian glacier during a heatwave killed at least seven people. Authorities said they did not know how many climbers were caught when the glacier gave way on Sunday on Marmolada, the highest mountain in the Italian Dolomites.

Moscow (AFP) – Russian President Vladimir Putin orders Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu to press ahead with Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine after troops took control of the entire Lugansk region.

Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – Ivan Sukhanov and his family used to go to the shores of the Black Sea for summer holidays. But this year, they will go no further than the beaches on the banks of the Dnieper, in the heart of Kyiv. The Ukrainian capital has many sandy beaches, usually crowded during the hot summer weather. But on this first weekend of July, despite temperatures close to 30°, there are no crowds, three months after the withdrawal of Russian forces from the region.