Work has begun to remove a Soviet-era hammer and sickle emblem on Kyiv’s Motherland monument. It will be replaced by a tryzub (a three-pronged emblem of Ukraine), with the works set to be completed by Ukraine’s Independence Day on 24 August. The BBC’s James Waterhouse visited the scene.

EPA By Kelly Ng BBC News The Taliban have burned musical instruments in Afghanistan, claiming music “causes moral corruption”. Thousands of dollars worth of musical equipment went up in smoke on a bonfire on Saturday in western Herat province. Since taking power in 2021, the Taliban have imposed numerous restrictions, including on playing music in…

Getty Images By Carrie Davies in Islamabad BBC News “Doomsday scenes” unfolded in Pakistan after a suicide bomber targeted a political rally, killing at least 45 people, an eyewitness has told the BBC. People screamed for help as rescuers rushed to the scene in the north-west Bajaur district on Sunday, rally organiser Imran Mahir said.…

A man was rescued by firefighters in Wu’an city in Hebei, China, after he was trapped in his car in a flooded river. The rescue was captured on state television as devastating floods hit the region in the wake of Typhoon Doksuri. Read more on storms in China: Two dead as Beijing is battered by…

Chad presidency By Farouk Chothia BBC News Niger’s ousted president has been seen for the first time since the military detained him after staging a coup last week. Mohamed Bazoum met Chad’s leader Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno in Niger’s capital, Niamey. Mr Déby is spearheading mediation efforts to end the crisis after West African leaders…

By Alexandra Fouché BBC News File picture of Wagner fighters deployed in Rostov-on-Don in Russia in June 2023 Reuters The head of the Wagner mercenary group says it will continue its activities in Africa and Belarus, but that it is not currently recruiting new fighters. The group was deciding on its next objectives, Yevgeny Prigozhin…

Reuters Cardi B became the latest star to be hit by an object from the crowd during a concert, when an audience member threw their drink at the rapper. The 30-year-old reacted by throwing her microphone at the concertgoer from the stage. Although the rapper no longer had a microphone, her voice was still heard…

Family handout A British man freed by a Cyprus court after being sentenced for killing his seriously ill wife said he could not find words to describe his release. David Hunter was convicted of the manslaughter of his wife Janice, 74, in an assisted suicide at their Paphos home in 2021 and jailed for two…

A constable with India’s Railway Protection Force (RPF) has been arrested after he shot dead four people on a train near the city of Mumbai. Police said the accused, Chetan Kumar, killed a senior RPF official and three passengers. They said they are investigating his motive and trying to identify the dead passengers. RPF personnel…

PA MediaCopyright: PA Media Today’s developments come amid tensions within the Conservative Party over its green policies, as questions are raised about the government’s ability to meet its net zero target by 2050. Climate advisers have warned that without much faster action the UK risks falling behind in its efforts to reach net zero, which…