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Anaheim (United States) (AFP) – Thousands of Pokemon fans flock to Anaheim, California, for the World Championships, with players from around 50 countries competing in card and video game battles for more than two million dollars in prizes. “This is my first World Championships, but it’s very fun and a very good experience for our team,” said Minha Cho, a Pokemon video game player from South Korea. “And we now win [won], so I’m very happy.”

Poissy (France) (AFP) – PSG coach, Luis Enrique, says his goal this season is to ‘continue making history’ by winning a second Champions League title, following the club’s first victory in 2025. ‘It’s extremely difficult for a team to win the Champions League twice in a row. It is our goal. We are very ambitious,’ the Spaniard declares during a press conference.

Belgrade (AFP) – Thousands of anti-government protesters clash again with police in Serbia’s capital late on Friday, as days of unrest fuel fears of a worsening crackdown on a months-long push for early elections. After a tense stand-off between right-wing government loyalists and the larger crowd of protesters, fireworks, tear gas and stun grenades erupt among the anti-graft demonstrators.

Cualedro (Spain) (AFP) – Spain fights several ongoing fires in the country, Galicia being one the most affected regions. In some villages, residents battle blazes however they can even before firefighters arrive. The fires have already killed three people in the country. All of Spain is on heatwave alert, while its weather agency warns that much of the country is at “very high to extreme risk” from wildfires.

Anchorage (AFP) – In a press conference following direct talks on the Ukraine conflict with his US counterpart Donald Trump, Russian leader Vladimir Putin praises Trump’s “understanding of Russia’s national interests”, adding that the pair’s “businesslike and trusting relationship” could soon bring an end to the fighting in Ukraine — “the sooner, the better”. The much-hyped talks ended earlier than expected without a deal following a narrow format three-on-three discussion, with negotiations not moving on to delegation level.

Beijing (AFP) – Kicking, sprinting, twirling and even drumming, more than 500 androids take part in the world’s first-ever humanoid robot games. Teams from 16 countries have gathered in Beijing to compete for gold in events ranging from hurdles to five-a-side football. The competition comes as the Chinese government tries to cement the country as an industry leader, with authorities working to raise awareness of the sector across society and pouring funding into robotics and tech.

Trujillo (Peru) (AFP) – At least three people were injured and around a hundred homes were affected by a dynamite attack in the Peruvian city of Trujillo, amid clashes between criminal organizations, authorities have reported. The powerful explosion occurred on August 14 in a residential and commercial area of this northern city, which has been an epicenter of criminal group activity for more than a year. According to police, as cited by the press, the attackers used about 15 sticks of dynamite against the target, a three-story building that was virtually destroyed. IMAGES

On the outskirts of Moscow, the Losiny Ostrov — or ‘Elk Island’ — national park offers a respite from urban life in the Russian capital. But the nature reserve, home to hundreds of species of wildlife including endangered birds, has come under increasing threat from construction work. Those opposing a highway set to carve through the park have found themselves arrested, interrogated and fined, with environmental activists among the dissident voices being silenced amid Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine. “There’s no democracy,” says Dmitry Trunin, an environmental defence lawyer.

Tokyo (AFP) – Tens of thousands pay their respects at a controversial Tokyo shrine on the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II. Yasukuni Shrine honours 2.5 million mostly Japanese soldiers from the late 19th century, but also a number of convicted war criminals. “I came here to look back at what Japan has done,” says one visitor, “including its failures.”

Geneva (AFP) – “It’s very clear that we did not arrive where we wanted to arrive,” says the UN Environment Programme Director after talks aimed at striking a global treaty on plastic pollution fell apart without agreement. Countries at the talks, in Geneva, Switzerland, failed to find a consensus on how the world should tackle the ever-growing scourge. “This work will not stop,” says Inger Anderson, “because plastic pollution will not stop.”

Russia won’t make guesses on the outcome of the summit between presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, says the country’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Speaking while in Anchorage, Alaska, where the meeting is set to take place, Lavrov says “we never make any predictions ahead of time,” adding “our position is clear and unambiguous.”

Santiago (AFP) – Chilean police arrest Alfredo Henriquez, known as “Gordo Alex,” an alleged member of the Tren de Aragua gang, accused of being involved in the kidnapping and murder of former Venezuelan dissident military officer Ronald Ojeda. Ojeda, 32, who was in Chile as a political refugee, was kidnapped in February 2024 by individuals posing as Chilean police officers, who took him from his apartment. Nine days later, his body was found inside a suitcase buried in a slum in Santiago. IMAGES