Reliving Britain's strength in adversity — and other news in pictures
SERGEY DOLZHENKO/EPA
Thousands of bikers arrive at Barrow-in-Furness for Dave Day 2, to celebrate the life of the Hairy Bikers presenter Dave Myers. He died from cancer at the age of 66 last year
GREENBURN/ALAMY
A trio of one-month-old hoglets are due to be released after they were accidentally picked up by an excavator before being taken to a rescue charity, Help4hedgehogs, near Hailsham in East Sussex
JON SANTA CRUZ
The Turkish mosaic artist Gulcin Sokucu, who reflects her fascination with sunflowers in her work, stands in a field of them in Gaziantep, southern Turkey
ADSIZ GUNEBAKAN/ANADOLU/GETTY IMAGES
JOHN LAMPARSKI/GETTY IMAGES
SHIRLAINE FORREST/GETTY IMAGES
Robert Springett, the Bishop of Tewkesbury, immerses Laura Raymond in cold water for her baptism in a paddling pool during the heatwave at St James Church in Quedgeley, Gloucestershire
PAUL NICHOLLS PHOTOGRAPHY
The 8th French Lightsaber Open takes place at the Japy gymnasium in Paris
ROMAIN PERROCHEAU/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
Ed Kluz's immersive exhibition 'Between Chaos and Light' will be in place until December 21 inside Fountains Hall at the Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal world heritage site in North Yorkshire, running from the summer solstice to the winter equivalent
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JAMES GLOSSOP
The British rider Chris Froome, of the Israel-Premier Tech cycling team, relaxes in a cable car after competing in the eighth and last stage of the Tour de Suisse, a 10.1km individual time trial from Beckenried to Stockhütte, Switzerland
URS FLUEELER/EPA
The blessing of the River Avon took place at Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, by the Rev Canon Nick Davies, vicar of Tewkesbury Abbey. The blessing of the river is both spiritual and symbolic, calling on people of all faiths and none to unite in environmental stewardship
JACK BOSKETT MEDIA LIMITED
A farmer watches over a flock of sheep at Gèdre, southwest France. Attacks by bears force them to seek safer pastures higher up in the Pyrenees
VALENTINE CHAPUIS/AFP
Revellers dance in the street during Fête De La Musique 2025 as bands and DJs play across the French capital. Launched in 1982 by the French culture ministry with the aim of making all genres of music accessible to everyone, the festival is now celebrated on the summer solstice in 85 countries
KIRAN RIDLEY/GETTY IMAGES
Exercises with Samoyed puppies on International Yoga Day in Bangkok, Thailand
CHALINEE THIRASUPA/REUTERS
People cool off at Crown Fountain in Millennium Park, Chicago, as temperatures climb to more than 35C. Excessive heat is expected in the area for the next few days
KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP
Tourists enjoy a boat ride at Marmaris in southern Turkey
SABRI KESEN/ANADOLU/GETTY IMAGES
Couples kiss during 'The Wedding: New York's Biggest Day', an annual event that allows people to celebrate their love either by getting married for the first time, renewing their vows or simply expressing their love for the city at Lincoln Center in Manhattan
HEATHER KHALIFA/REUTERS
The annual Shandur polo festival takes place at Shandur Pass at an estimated altitude of about 3,700m (12,140ft) in Chitral, northern Pakistan
KHURAM PARVEZ/REUTERS
Sylvain André of France competes in the men's elite first round during the 2025 UCI BMX racing world cup at the Papendal sports centre in Arnhem, Netherlands
RENE NIJHUIS/MB MEDIA/GETTY IMAGES
Dawn at Esthwaite Water, a 280-acre natural lake in the Lake District
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The Guardian
36 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Russian conductor's Italian concert called off after outcry
A concert in Italy by a top Russian conductor with close ties to Vladimir Putin has been cancelled after a widespread outcry. Valery Gergiev, who has repeatedly expressed support for the Russian president, had been scheduled to lead a local orchestra at a music festival on 27 July at Reggia di Caserta, a former Bourbon palace close to Naples. But the management of the Unesco world heritage site said in a brief statement on Monday that his performance had been cancelled. Gergiev's appearance, which would have been his first in Europe since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, had been strongly endorsed by Vincenzo De Luca, the leftwing president of the Campania region. The regional authorities organise and fund the Un'Estate da Re festival – billed as a highlight of the summer season in southern Italy. The cancellation came after more than 16,000 people, including Nobel laureates, Italian and international politicians and activists, signed a letter addressed to De Luca and the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, calling for Gergiev's appearance not to go ahead. Yulia Navalnaya, the wife of Alexei Navalny who died in an Arctic prison last year, wrote in an op-ed published by La Repubblica last week that Gergiev's performance would be 'a gift to the dictator'. She said the 72-year-old was not only a 'dear friend' and supporter of Putin but also a 'promoter' of the Russian president's 'criminal policies'. The concert sparked a clash between De Luca and Italy's culture minister, Alessandro Giuli, who warned that it risked sending the wrong message. 'Art is free and cannot be censored,' Giuli said in comments reported by Ansa. 'Propaganda, however, even if done with talent, is something else.' The event's cancellation was celebrated by critics, with Pina Picierno, vice-president of the European parliament and among the signatories of the letter, writing on social media: 'We explained, we fought and we won!' Riccardo Magi, leader of the small leftwing More Europe party, said Gergiev's performance would have been 'an intolerable humiliation for the victims of Putin's brutal war of aggression against Ukraine'. Gergiev has repeatedly voiced support for Putin, appearing in a 2012 campaign ad, endorsing the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and conducting a patriotic concert in Syria's ancient city of Palmyra in 2016, after Russian forces helped the former dictator, Bashar al-Assad, recapture it. Sign up to The Guide Get our weekly pop culture email, free in your inbox every Friday after newsletter promotion Widely seen as one of Russia's most powerful cultural figures, Gergiev was fired from several European concerts, festivals and theatres, including Milan's La Scala, for refusing to condemn Putin over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The last time he performed in Italy was at La Scala on 23 February 2022, hours after the invasion began. Gergiev's US agent has been approached for comment.
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Blackpool enjoys 'pure celebration' of Indian culture at festival
Hundreds of people braved the rain in Blackpool to cheer on drummers and dancers in what organisers have said was a "scene of pure celebration".Blackpool welcomed performers from the Indian Cultural Festival on the Comedy Carpet in front of Blackpool Tower on Sunday, celebrating the cultures of the states of Gujarat and PunjabThe event, organised by the Fylde Coast Hindu Society, featured traditional and modern dance performances, henna art, music, food and chairman Chirag Khajuria said it was a "truly special" day, despite the rain throughout. He said a special highlight of the day was a dynamic performance by the Bollywood Dance Group of the Fylde Coast Hindu Society, whose colourful costumes "brought Bollywood glamour to Blackpool"."We look forward to growing this into an International Cultural Festival welcoming all communities," he said. There were also Henna artists and people learned to write their names in Gujarati and 25 years ago, the society became a charity in 2016, with a membership of over 75 also attend local cultural events and participate in school religious studies classes. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Nick Cave fans find secret souvenirs in charity shop haul
Musician Nick Cave has donated 2,000 books from his personal collection to an Oxfam charity shop in Hove, East Sussex. The donated books were previously part of an art installation by Cave, which had toured Canada and Denmark. The collection is described as "interesting" and "varied", encompassing philosophy, art, religion, and fiction, with works by authors such as Salman Rushdie and Ian McEwan. Fans have flocked to the shop, discovering personal items – such as plane tickets used by Cave and an old envelope that once held Cave's son's tooth – inside some of the books. Cave's publicist said that the musician would not comment on the donation, expressing a wish for the discoveries to remain "intriguing mysteries". Nick Cave sparks fan frenzy after donating thousands of books to charity shop
