Our world in photos: July 8

FRANKFURT — ‘Can you give me a horseback ride?’: Icelandic horses play on the outskirts of Wehrheim near Frankfurt, Germany, as the sun rises on Monday, July 8, 2024. Icelandic horses, which are smaller than other breeds, can adapt to harsher climates. They also have two unique gaits: in addition to the walk, trot and gallop, Icelandic horses have tölt (charging) and flugskeið (flying pace).

There is a registration process for Icelandic horses bred and living in other parts of Europe; for example, WorldFengur maintains a database unveiled to the public at the 2001 World Championships in Austria, according to the WF website. The database connects people and nations worldwide who share an interest in the Icelandic horse.

SPAIN — “Mess with the bull, get the horns” … literally: A ”Recortador” is gored by a bull in the bull ring during the Recortadores festival at the San Fermin fiestas in Pamplona, northern Spain, Sunday, July 7, 2024. Also known as “The Running of the Bulls,” the San Fermin fiestas began with the traditional firing of rockets on July 6, running through July 14 in this region of northern Spain near Navarre. Daredevil riders run the bulls through the city streets. Like the one pictured, some do not get to complete their rides. Other people, running with (or away from) the bulls, often get gored or trampled.

The bull run and festival in Pamplona appears in Ernest Hemingway’s novel “The Sun Also Rises.”

CARACAS — These heels were made for voguing: A reveler performs during a dance battle in a Gay Pride march in Caracas, Venezuela, Sunday, July 7, 2024.  The parade also had a strong political angle, however, as participants adopted the slogan “Equal in dignity and rights” to demand an end to discrimination. This year’s parade, bringing out 50,000 attendees, was more than double the previous year’s attendance. Among the participants were grassroots feminist collectives and human rights and workers’ rights organizations.

During this year’s Pride March, demonstrators demanded gender identity rights, same-sex marriage, parental rights for same-sex couples, the inclusion of the LGBTQI+ community in the government’s social programs and policies, especially healthcare, and an end to hate crimes. Last year, there were 10 murders related to LGBTQ+ hate crimes.

ALBERTA — An American style matador: Edgar Durazo, of Moctezuma, Mexico, is bucked off Church Bells during bull riding rodeo action at the Calgary Stampede in Calgary, Alberta, Canada on Sunday, July 7, 2024, as bull runs have become popular outside of Spain. However, the Calgary Stampede also showcases the cultural identity of the indigenous peoples and includes crafts booths.

The Opening Day march on Friday, July 5, featured actor Owen Crow Shoe, from the Piikani Nation and Blood Tribe of the Blackfoot Confederacy, as Parade Marshall.

BEIJING — Dressed to the nines with matching fans: Children dressed in traditional costumes hold an umbrella and cool themselves with portable electric fans outside the Forbidden City on a sweltering day in Beijing, Monday, July 8, 2024. This seems to be an abandonment of the traditional Chinese handheld fan, which dates back to the Yellow Emperor (2717-2599 B.C.), with uses that extended beyond cooling oneself, according to China Global Television Network’s website. Handfans were made from a variety of materials, with feathers being an early favorite, particularly for men, during the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 B.C.). Women’s handfans, traditionally round, developed during the second century before Christ.

Folding handfans came during the first millennium A.D. The Chinese literati of that era are credited with the ornate designs and calligraphy on them.

KYIV — War without limits erodes the meaning of humanity: Rescuers, medical staff and volunteers clean up the rubble and search for victims after a Russian missile hit the country’s main children’s hospital Okhmadit in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, July 8, 2024. The daytime barrage targeted several Ukrainian cities, according to an Associated Press update released Monday afternoon. More than 40 missiles of different types hit apartment buildings and public infrastructure, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on social media. By Monday afternoon, the death toll had risen to 31, with 112 injured; some of these children were already patients at the hospital.

As the attack broke out, three heart operations were in process, and debris from the explosion contaminated the patients’ open chests. The hospital lost water, light and oxygen in the attack, and the patients were transferred to other hospitals, Ukrainian Health Minister Viktor Liashko told Ukrainian television.

CALIFORNIA — Swimming for Sudan: Ziyad Saleem poses in Berkeley, CA, Tuesday, May 28, 2024. Saleem, a University of California swimmer, is headed to the Paris Olympics to swim for Sudan, his parents’ home country — one that almost all of his relatives have now fled because of war and a massive humanitarian crisis.

Growing up in Milwaukee, young Ziyad Saleem already developed a proclivity for swimming: he would walk through the house pretending to swim backstroke, circling his arms backward, reports the Associated Press.

ISRAEL — 80% of the Gazan population has now been displaced: Israeli soldiers move near the Israeli-Gaza border, as seen from southern Israel, Monday, July 8, 2024. Israeli forces advanced deeper into the Gaza Strip’s largest city in pursuit of militants who had regrouped there, sending thousands of Palestinians fleeing on Monday from an area ravaged during the early weeks of the war, now in its ninth month. Israeli protesters, also marking this solemn milestone, blocked highways across the country, pushing for a cease-fire to bring back scores of hostages and demanding that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu step down from power.

Meanwhile, Hamas has dropped one of its own conditions for bringing about a cease-fire, an option that Netanyahu has rejected, vowing to fight until Israel has destroyed Hamas and its hold on the region.

MUMBAI — Nature’s revenge — historically, monsoons replenish drinking supply, but lately, they’ve been getting out of hand: A boy plays in the flooded water at an entrance door after heavy rains in Mumbai, India, Monday, July 8, 2024. The Times of India reported on Monday afternoon that an offshore trough caused extreme deluges between 2:30-5:30 that morning, dumping more than 12 inches (300 millimeters) over those three hours.

However, across the subcontinent (some 19 hours in distance), Assam State in northeastern India also has dealt with floods and landslides (from heavy rains) that have killed at least 16 people and displaced more than 30,000 from their submerged homes.

FRANCE — Progressives coming through at the 11th hour: People stand in Republique Plaza as they react to the projection of results during the second round of the legislative elections in Paris, France, Sunday, July 7, 2024. Polls have closed in France, and polling projections say a coalition on the left that came together unexpectedly has won the most parliamentary seats in the pivotal runoff elections after a high voter turnout. The banner at the center reads, “France is the fabric of migration.”

Over the past week, voters in several nations have rejected far-right candidates or directions for their country. In Great Britain, the progressive Labour Party won after 14 years, and a new Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, took over 10 Downing St. Iran also elected a reformer, Masoud Pezeshkian, who promises more outreach with the West. Before entering politics, Pezeshkian was a heart surgeon.

VANCOUVER — Nature’s revenge — another year of broken heat records: A runner jogs past a beached boat in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Sunday, July 7, 2024. Ashcroft, B.C., was listed as the hottest place in Canada at 40.3 C, according to CBC Radio-Canada on Monday. Heat warnings have been put in place for the Metro Vancouver area for elevated temperatures. A Heat Warning is issued when the humidex value is expected to reach 40°C (over 100°F) or more or when the temperature is expected to range from 29°C to 40°C or greater.

However, there’s good news for the weekend: according to a forecast from The Weather Channel, by next weekend, daytime high temperatures are expected to dip back into the mid-70s, with 50s overnight. 

URUGUAY — Fans are the heart of soccer: Fans of Uruguay celebrate their team victory over Brazil in a penalty shootout for a Copa America quarterfinal soccer match at a bar in Montevideo, Uruguay, Sunday, July 7, 2024. The particularly rough game, which ended in a 0-0 draw, drew 41 fouls, four shots on target and no goals in open play. Uruguay, which won on penalties, eliminates Brazil from the playoffs in a hard-won game and now advances to the semifinals.

Uruguay is scheduled to play another South American team, Colombia, on Wednesday night in North America. Charlotte, North Carolina, will host the match.