Orangutans, a wildfire and a church on the move: photos of the day
A Galapagos tortoise has its weight checked during the annual weigh-in at ZSL London Zoo Photograph: Yui Mok/PA
An honour guard prepares to welcome King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan to the city's presidential palace. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images
A child swims in floodwaters from the Yamuna River Photograph: Rajat Gupta/EPA
A woman washes clothes at a camp hosting more than 12,000 refugees from the war in neighbouring Sudan Photograph: Adlai Coleman/AP
Relatives of people killed in an Israeli mourn outside al-Shifa hospital Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images
Residents battle a fire advancing towards the village of Rebordondo in north-west Spain Photograph: Pablo Garcia/AP
Fans dressed as Star Wars characters take over the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich Photograph: Ben Whitley/PA
People run towards airdropped aid packages as they land Photograph: Ramadan Abed/Reuters
A woman takes a photo at a rally of the Christian Democratic party after its candidate advanced to the presidential election runoff vote in October Photograph: Claudia Morales/Reuters
Orangutans play at the Woodland Park zoo Photograph: ZUMA Press/Alamy
Women wear traditional Xunpu floral headdresses, which are believed to bring health and prosperity
Photograph: Xinhua/Shutterstock
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The Independent
25 minutes ago
- The Independent
Residents of a remote island disputed by Colombia hope their Peruvian government won't forget them
A remote island on the Amazon river — now the subject of a territorial dispute between Peru and Colombia — has a single paved road for a main street, which is home to more nightclubs and evangelical churches than any other businesses. Named after a 16th-century saint, Santa Rosa has no running water or sewage system for its 3,000 residents, who build their one-story homes on stilts to prevent them from flooding every year. People are Peruvian, but they cross the river to neighboring cities in Colombia or Brazil to see a doctor for routine care or an emergency that the rusting local health center cannot handle. 'Our island suffers from many needs,' said Marcos Mera, the owner of a restaurant and dance hall in Santa Rosa, as he wiped sweat from his forehead and set up tables. While the struggles of Mera and his neighbors are not new, their hometown has suddenly become the center of attention for the Peruvian government. The surge in interest even garnered a presidential visit after Colombian President Gustavo Petro disavowed Peruvian jurisdiction over Santa Rosa earlier this month. Peru maintains it owns Santa Rosa Island based on treaties about a century old, but Colombia disputes that ownership because the island had not yet emerged from the Amazon river at the time. Residents see themselves as proud Peruvians even though they rely on other countries for basic needs. Now, they hope their government will not forget them again, a sentiment that President Dina Boluarte acknowledged during a recent visit. 'It's true that, for too long, our border populations have not received the attention they deserve,' Boluarte said Friday during her first-ever visit to the island. Recent tensions between Peru and Colombia have escalated into a series of incidents, including the arrest of three Colombian men who were on the island doing land surveying work. The arrests, described by Petro as 'kidnapping,' prompted a dispute over the workers' rights to be in Santa Rosa. They marked the third binational incident in the area since Petro denied Peru's jurisdiction over Santa Rosa Island in early August. 'We are Peruvians, and if necessary, we will defend our island with pride,' said José Morales outside his currency-exchange house where he trades Peruvian soles, Colombian pesos and U.S. dollars. Residents often carry all three currencies, plus Brazilian reals, at once. Most residents of Santa Rosa collect rainwater, which they filter through a white cloth and then boil, often using wood-burning stoves. Reaching the island takes a two-hour flight from Colombia's capital, Bogota, followed by a five-minute boat ride. In contrast, the trip from Peru's capital, Lima, involves a two-hour flight followed by a 15-hour boat journey. The parents, children and grandchildren of many Santa Rosa residents live in Leticia, Colombia, or Tabatinga, Brazil. Some have also buried their loved ones in those cities, too, as Santa Rosa does not have a cemetery. Several residents said they have a cordial relationship with people in Colombia and Brazil. 'We live peacefully, sharing culture, gastronomy and good ideas,' Mera said before criticizing Colombian politicians saying he thinks they "have made a mistake.' Some, however, are going as far as thanking Colombia's president for drawing interest to Santa Rosa. 'I have to thank Petro for speaking out like that,' nurse Rudy Ahuanari said. 'In all these blessed years, no minister had ever shown interest in us, but now he has. We were truly forgotten — not even God remembered.' ____ Follow AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at
BreakingNews.ie
26 minutes ago
- BreakingNews.ie
India's Modi meets China's top diplomat as Asian powers rebuild ties
Indian prime minister Narendra Modi met China's top diplomat on Tuesday and hailed the 'steady progress' made in improving the bilateral relationship after a years-long stand-off between the nuclear-armed Asian powers. Mr Modi also noted 'respect for each other's interests and sensitiveness' in a statement on social media after meeting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Advertisement China's foreign ministry said the countries have entered a 'steady development track' and the countries should 'trust and support' each other. Mr Wang arrived in India on Monday and has met with foreign affairs minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar as well as national security adviser Ajit Doval about the countries' disputed border in the Himalayan mountains. India's foreign ministry said Mr Wang's meeting with Mr Doval discussed 'de-escalation, delimitation and boundary affairs'. Narendra Modi and Chinese president Xi Jinping (Manish Swarup/AP) Relations plummeted in 2020 after security forces clashed along the border. The violence, the worst in decades, left 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese soldiers dead, freezing high-level political engagements. Advertisement 'The setbacks we experienced in the past few years were not in the interest of the people of our two countries. We are heartened to see the stability that is now restored in the borders,' Mr Wang said. Mr Modi emphasised the importance of maintaining peace and tranquillity on the border and reiterated India's commitment to a 'fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable resolution of the boundary question', his office said in a statement. The rebuilding of India-China ties coincides with friction between New Delhi and Washington after US president Donald Trump imposed steep tariffs on India, a long-time ally seen as a counterbalance against China's influence in Asia. India is part of the Quad security alliance with the US, along with Australia and Japan. Advertisement The chill in relations after the deadly clash in 2020 between troops in the Ladakh region affected trade, diplomacy and air travel, as both sides deployed tens of thousands of security forces in border areas. Some progress has been made since then. Last year, India and China agreed to a pact on border patrols and withdrew additional forces along some border areas. Both countries continue to fortify their border by building roads and rail networks. In recent months, the countries have increased official visits and discussed easing some trade restrictions, movement of citizens and visas for businesspeople. Advertisement In June, Beijing allowed pilgrims from India to visit holy sites in Tibet. Both sides are working to restore direct flights. Last week, the spokesman for India's foreign ministry, Randhir Jaiswal, said India and China were in discussions to restart trade through three points along their 2,167-mile border. 'Settling the boundary issue between the two countries requires political compromise at the highest political level,' said Manoj Joshi, a fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, a New Delhi-based think tank. He also served as a member of the advisory board for India's National Security Council. Advertisement The thaw between Beijing and New Delhi began last October when Mr Modi and Chinese president Xi Jinping met at a summit of emerging economies in Russia. It was the first time the leaders had spoken in person since 2019. Mr Modi is set to meet Mr Xi when he travels to China late this month — his first visit in seven years — to attend the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, a regional grouping formed by China, Russia and others to counter US influence in Asia. Earlier this year, Mr Xi called for India and China's relations to take the form of a 'dragon-elephant tango' — a dance between the emblematic animals of the countries. Last month, India's external affairs minister visited Beijing in his first trip to China since 2020.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Trump now declares he has ended seven wars after saying it was six yesterday
Donald Trump has claimed that he has ended seven wars during his second presidency, despite stating it was six on Monday (18 August). Speaking on Fox and Friends on Tuesday (19 August), the US president said that since returning to the White House, he has 'solved seven wars', citing ending the India and Pakistan confict as a 'big one'. Discussing the Ukraine War, he said: 'I thought this would be one of the easiest ones but it's been the toughest.' Yesterday, whilst speaking with Zelensky in the Oval Office, Trump said that he ended or prevented 'six wars in six months'. In a list sent to The Independent, the White House appeared to suggest that Trump was referring to conflicts that have occurred in both his first and second term. The list is as follows: Israel and Iran, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, Cambodia and Thailand, India and Pakistan, Serbia and Kosovo, and Egypt and Ethiopia. Many of the conflicts have not been entirely resolved.
