Indonesian soldiers, tiger toenails and wildfires: photos of the day
Palestinians receive medical care at the al-Awda hospital in the Nuseirat refugee camp following an Israeli strike Photograph: Eyad Baba/AFP/Getty Images
A destroyed airplane lies on the tarmac at Sana'a international airport in the aftermath of an Israeli military strike. It was the last remaining plane at rebel-held Yemen's international airport Photograph: Mohammed Huwais/AFP/Getty Images
UK foreign secretary David Lammy with Norway's foreign minister, Espen Barth Eide, at SvalSat, a satellite ground station that monitors the climate Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA
Preparations for the upcoming Hajj season include installing cooling systems, rest areas and mobile phone charging stations, all aimed at enhancing pilgrims' comfort and safety Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images
A sculpture at the Bitcoin 2025 conference, an event for cryptocurrency and blockchain enthusiasts held in Las Vegas Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images
A Ukrainian soldier from the 2nd rifle battalion of the 24th mechanised brigade firing a 120mm mortar amid the ongoing Russian invasion Photograph: Ukrainian 24th mechanised brigade/EPA
Indonesian soldiers take part in a welcome ceremony for France's president, Emmanuel Macron, at the military academy in Magelang, central Java Photograph: Jeanne Accorsini/AFP/Getty Images
Smoke rises from a wildfire northwest of Fort McMurray Photograph: Alberta Wildfire/Reuters
A market where sheep are sold ahead of Eid al-Adha, the Muslim feast of sacrifice Photograph: Issouf Sanogo/AFP/Getty Images
A campground near the Everglades Photograph: Rebecca Blackwell/AP
A boy plays with a football on the banks of the river Ganges at Scindia Ghat on a hot summer's day Photograph: AFP/Getty Images
Feral honey bees interact at the edge of their hive behind a fruit processing barn near Elkton in rural southwestern Oregon Photograph: Robin Loznak/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock
Firefighters and military officers work at the scene of crashed navy plane, an incident in which four crew were killed Photograph: AP
Cole Palmer of Chelsea lifts the Conference League trophy after his team's victory over Real Betis Photograph:People protest outside the Varick ICE facility in New York amid an immigration crackdown
Photograph: Olga Fedorova/EPA
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald Scotland
31 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Starmer to hold emergency talks on Gaza with France and Germany
It comes as aid groups warn of starvation in the Gaza Strip and the US said it was cutting short ceasefire talks. Sir Keir is also under increasing pressure to fulfil Labour's promise to recognise Palestine as a state. French President Emmanuel Macron, Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (Ben Stansall/PA) The Prime Minister said: 'The suffering and starvation unfolding in Gaza is unspeakable and indefensible. 'While the situation has been grave for some time, it has reached new depths and continues to worsen. We are witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe. 'I will hold an emergency call with E3 partners tomorrow, where we will discuss what we can do urgently to stop the killing and get people the food they desperately need, while pulling together all the steps necessary to build a lasting peace. 'We all agree on the pressing need for Israel to change course and allow the aid that is desperately needed to enter Gaza without delay.' He said it is 'hard to see a hopeful future in such dark times' but called again for all sides to engage 'in good faith, and at pace' on a ceasefire and the release of all hostages. 'We strongly support the efforts of the US, Qatar and Egypt to secure this,' he said. Weeks of talks in Qatar to try to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas have yielded no major breakthroughs. Steve Witkoff, the Trump administration's special envoy, said on Thursday the US was cutting short Gaza ceasefire talks and sending home its negotiating team after the latest response from Hamas 'shows a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza'. The deal under discussion is expected to include a 60-day ceasefire in which Hamas would release 10 living hostages and the remains of 18 others in phases in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Aid supplies would be ramped up and the two sides would hold negotiations on a lasting truce. Sir Keir said on Thursday that a ceasefire would provide a pathway to recognising a Palestinian state, as he faces calls to do so immediately. 'We are clear that statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people. 'A ceasefire will put us on a path to the recognition of a Palestinian state and a two-state solution which guarantees peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis,' he said. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said earlier that the Government was 'deeply committed' to recognition but that such a move would need to be 'meaningful'. Smoke billows from an explosion in the northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday (Ohad Zwigenberg/AP) Mr Reynolds told LBC Radio: 'Now, at the minute, there is not a Palestinian state there. There is no political agreement between the two principal Palestinian territories in the West Bank and Gaza.' He pointed to steps the UK has taken to ramp up pressure on Israel, including sanctioning two Israeli cabinet ministers and ending trade talks with Israel. 'And we do want to see Palestine recognised. I want that to be meaningful. I want that to be working with partners, other countries around the world.' French President Emmanuel Macron pressed for recognition of Palestinian statehood in a recent address to the UK's Parliament, saying it was the 'only path to peace'. Labour's London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has piled pressure on Sir Keir to 'immediately recognise Palestinian statehood' and said the UK 'must do far more to pressure the Israeli government to stop this horrific senseless killing'. The UK must immediately recognise Palestinian statehood. There can be no two state solution if there is no viable state left to call Palestine. — Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) July 23, 2025 The Trades Union Congress also called for formal recognition of Palestine 'not in a year's time or two years' time – but now'. 'Recognition is not a symbolic gesture. It is a necessary and practical step towards a viable two-state solution that delivers equal rights and democracy, this is the only credible path to a just and lasting peace, ending decades of occupation, violence, and displacement,' the TUC said. Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has called for the Royal Air Force to carry out airdrops of aid into Gaza. 'Aid delivered by the air is no substitute for the reopening of supply routes by land,' he said. 'But the extent of the humanitarian catastrophe we are now witnessing requires us to leave no stone unturned in our efforts to get aid to Gazans.' More than 100 organisations, including Doctors Without Borders and Save the Children, have put their names to an open letter in which they said they were watching their own colleagues, as well as the Palestinians they serve, 'waste away'. It comes as the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, described the situation in Gaza as 'a stain on the conscience of the international community'. He said: 'With each passing day in Gaza, the violence, starvation and dehumanisation being inflicted on the civilian population by the government of Israel becomes more depraved and unconscionable.' Hamas-led militants based in Gaza abducted 251 people in the October 7 attack in 2023 that triggered the war and killed about 1,200 people. Fewer than half of the 50 hostages still in Gaza are believed to be alive.
STV News
an hour ago
- STV News
'I have a lifeline scholarship to study in Scotland - but I'm trapped in Gaza'
A Palestinian writer, translator and scholar has who has been offered the chance to undertake a PhD at the University of Edinburgh says she fears losing the lifeline opportunity over government red tape. Shaimaa Abulebda used to have an ordinary life, which, like her old university and neighbourhood, is in ruins. Shaimaa has been given the chance to reclaim some of her old life and continue her work in Scotland. But the opportunity could be taken away over a refusal by the Home Office to issue her a visa until she submits biometric data, including professional photographs and fingerprints. The UK-authorised biometrics registration centre in Gaza closed in October 2023, with travelling to other centres in neighbouring countries now impossible. 'Coming to Edinburgh has been a long-standing dream', Shaimaa told STV News on a video call from a displacement camp. 'It's not just an opportunity to continue my studies, it will also be a way to reclaim my future as a scholar and researcher. 'It's about a c ontinuation of my life's work and my life's research. I think of it as my opportunity to bring more attention to Palestinian literature. 'It would give me space, mentorship, and access to resources within the intellectual community in Edinburgh. It's what I need to grow as a writer, as a researcher, as a scholar. It would be a lifeline.' Shaimaa is one of millions displaced by the conflict between Israel and Hamas since October 7, 2023 – around 90% of the population of Gaza. The writer herself has been displaced 12 times and is now living in a tent on the beach that was once a refuge for her. She describes the situation as 'unbearable,' with little to eat and no nourishment from any food given. 'On a typical day [before the conflict], I used to start with exercises and head to work as a lecturer at the Islamic University of Gaza', she explained. Getty Images 'Usually I taught two classes a day. After work, I used to tend to our garden, take an evening walk, prepare for my lectures, do some freelance content writing work. I used to spend my weekends at the beach. 'Now my life is overturned, everything has changed for me and my family. 'We have been displaced 12 times so far. I've watched my city and university getting bombed, and narrowly escaped being bombed. I've lost mentors, relatives. 'Being in constant displacement suspended my ability to think, be creative, to try and even speak coherently. 'Right now, I'm trying to reclaim my life back. I applied for PhD at Edinburgh, and I rewrote my PhD proposal. I had an interview with a potential supervisor one day before the war. I applied for a scholarship. 'This process gave me some hope, it gave me a sense of focus and being grounded, some agency to reclaim my life amid destruction and loss. 'It feels like I am building something and trying to work through something, something that matters, something that will outlast devastation and give meaning to survival for the life I had and the life I'm trying to rebuild. 'Conditions now remain very extremely difficult. I'm struggling to access clean water and food. Almost everything is unavailable or outrageously expensive. 'My daily routine has been completely upended. Living in a tent is unbearable in both summer and winter, and I've lived through both.' As she waits for news on continuing her work in Scotland, Shaimaa is striving to stay focused by reading, writing, and documenting as much of her experience as she can. She is also working on translating a Palestinian novel from Arabic to English. 'I'm not sitting around waiting for things to change', she added. Getty Images 'Even though I am displaced, we have been living through this war for almost two years. I am still trying to read, write, and document everything. 'Through these pieces, I have documented my trauma and the collective trauma of displaced Palestinians. 'I am trying to challenge dominant narratives, trying to preserve our culture and the memory of Palestinians' The University of Edinburgh believes Shaimaa and others like her will make an 'invaluable' contribution to the institution. Colm Harmon, vice principal students, said: 'We have been actively exploring ways in which the biometric requirement of the visa could be deferred until a student has left Gaza and has reached another country, such as Egypt or Jordan. 'We don't yet know if this will be possible, but we are hoping that restrictions can be adapted to allow this to happen. If they are, it will greatly benefit students like Shaimaa, one of a number of exceptional scholars in Gaza that we hope to welcome to our campus very soon. 'In addition to her own exciting research in the department of English literature, she will play a central role in developing public literary educational activities in Edinburgh and Palestine. She will also be helping to publish two collections of new Palestinian writing that will have a global impact. 'We are excited for the invaluable contribution that she will make to our university and to the wider literary community, but more fundamentally, education is key to how Gaza emerges from conflict, and scholars like Shaimaa are the future foundations of that. 'We are proud to support her and her peers, as part of a strong effort from UK higher education.' Campaigners and local MPs have called on the UK Government to do the same as other countries and let Gazans travel to a safe country to finish their visa applications. The University and College Union (UCU), which represents 125,000 education workers, has called for government intervention. In a letter to Yvette Cooper, UCU general secretary Jo Grady urged the home secretary to 'expedite the process and ensure all these young Palestinians make it to our seminar rooms and lecture halls for the start of the academic year.' As the wait continues for Shaimaa and dozens like her, the fear of the opportunity slipping away grows with the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. More than 59,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. More than half of the dead are women and children. Over 100 charity and human rights groups have said that Israel's blockade and military offensive are pushing Palestinians in the Gaza Strip towards starvation. Meanwhile, experts say Gaza is at risk of famine because of Israel's blockade and the offensive launched in response to Hamas's attack on October 7. Gaza's Health Ministry said 48 Palestinians have died of malnutrition in the past month, adding that 59 Palestinians died of malnutrition so far in 2025, up from 50 in 2024, and four in 2023 when Israel started its war against Hamas. 'Each day feels like a delay, and waiting is really hard on me', Shaimaa adds. 'It feels like the war continues to shape my life, to snatch things that have been longstanding for me. I know that such processes take time. I live in constant fear of another loss, another missile, losing an opportunity that I have worked for for so many years. 'It feels like I have lost the agency I reclaimed in the process of applying, the focus that I had. 'Now I'm just waiting, with nothing left for me to do or achieve. 'I am trying to remain confident that the government will try to find a way and that I will lawfully get my visa and get to campus safely.' STV News approached the Foreign Office for a statement, but did not receive a response. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
South Wales Guardian
an hour ago
- South Wales Guardian
Starmer raises case of Briton detained in India during meeting with Modi
Prime Minister Sir Keir met Narendra Modi on Thursday as the two countries signed a trade deal It is understood that Sir Keir raised the case of Jagtar Singh Johal, a Sikh activist from Dumbarton near Glasgow, who was arrested while in India for his wedding in 2017. Mr Johal's brother Gurpreet had suggested the meeting was a 'golden' chance for the UK Government to seek to secure his release. Thankful to PM Keir Starmer for the warm welcome at Chequers. Our discussions reflect a shared commitment to deepen India-UK ties across sectors.@Keir_Starmer — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 24, 2025 Mr Johan is being held in custody by the Indian authorities, despite having been cleared of one of the cases against him earlier this year. He still faces charges at a federal level, which his supporters, who claim an initial confession he made was as a result of torture, fear could take years to come to a conclusion. Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland on Thursday, Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said the issue was 'complex' but the Government was working to resolve it. 'The Government are doing all we possibly can to get this resolved,' he said. 'There was a recent meeting, just at the start of June, between the Foreign Secretary and his counterpart in India to try and get these issues resolved. 'So it's right at the top of the agenda and we can assure and reassure that we're doing everything we possibly can to get these issues resolved as quickly as possible.' Gurpreet Singh Johal, a Labour councillor in West Dunbartonshire, had earlier told BBC Radio Scotland: 'Raising the case is not enough, it's what we've been saying since day one. 'There's a golden opportunity here for the Prime Minister now, prior to the deal being signed or as the deal is being signed, that he strongly calls for Jagtar to be returned to his family so he can continue his married life.' Mr Murray said: 'The call is for these issues to be resolved and we're all fully on the same page in terms of having to get them resolved as quickly as possible.'
