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Sydney (AFP) – “I thought that pretty much sums up Nick Kyrgios,” says Sydney tennis coach Jai Garner, reacting to the news that the Australian star has been provisionally suspended from tennis after testing positive for cocaine. The International Tennis Integrity Agency announced Kyrgios’ suspension on 19 August, the latest episode in a career marked by controversy, injuries and mental health struggles. “Commitment to tennis requires quite a lot out of one person,” says Sabrina Levine, “maybe there comes a time when they just want a break.”

Beijing (AFP) – Baristas, sandwich makers, boxers and even dalmatians, robots of all shapes and sizes go on show at a huge Beijing robotics conference. Hundreds of firms are showcasing their AI-powered machines in the Chinese capital, highlighting the country’s drive to transform its labour market. China has invested heavily in robotics as a strategic industry, giving rise to a thriving and diverse sector. “They are way superior to most robots that we have in the US or in Europe,” says Soumodip Sarkar, the executive president of a science park in Portugal touring Chinese facilities.

Seoul (AFP) – Police officers clear the road for fire engines as people descend into designated shelters, with South Korean authorities holding a civil defence drill simulating a national emergency such as an air raid. The drill comes on the heels of an announcement by Seoul that the joint US-South Korean military exercises – Ulchi Freedom Shield – would end early “at the suggestion of the US side.” President Donald Trump has described the joint drills as “hostile” and “very insulting” to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who Trump says he plans on meeting later in the year. North Korean officials have said they are “completely unaware” of any talks set between Pyongyang and Washington.

El Cerezal (Spain) (AFP) – Spanish firefighters and military emergency crews are battling a new wildfire near Cerezal, in the western Spanish region of Extremadura. The blaze comes just weeks after a wave of fires burned around 27,000 hectares of land to the west of Madrid, the capital, and forced the evacuation of nearly 60,000 people.

Newcastle (United Kingdom) (AFP) – New UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham visits a homelessness charity in Newcastle as he unveils plans to offer those sleeping rough a way off the streets by Christmas. “In this country, I don’t think, in this day and age, anybody should be forced to sleep rough”, says Burnham. The announcement comes a month after Burnham replaced Keir Starmer as prime minister, and builds on his promise on his first day in office to end rough sleeping.

Norrtälje (Sweden) (AFP) – Six wolf pups were captured on wildlife cameras in northern Stockholm County by the County Administrative Board north of Norrtalje. The pups are the offspring of a wolf pair that has been monitored since last winter, coming from Västmanland County. Authorities do not yet know the full extent of the new territory, but a new wolf inventory beginning on 1 October will use DNA samples to map the pack and its range more accurately.

Rawalpindi (Pakistan) (AFP) – Floods hit several residential areas in Rawalpindi on the outskirts of Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, after heavy monsoon rains overnight. Residents were pushed to leave their inundated houses temporarily while children were seen playing in the floodwaters. “Water comes up to four or five feet here, because of which all business has been ruined,” says Faraz Khan, a local resident.

(AFP) – Ukrainian and Russian soldiers get ready to return home after a prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine that sees the countries handing over 103 captured soldiers each. Prisoner exchanges and the repatriation of soldiers’ remains have been among the few areas of cooperation between Russia and Ukraine since Moscow launched its offensive in February 2022.

Granada (Spain) (AFP) – Granada’s treasured Alhambra palace shut on Tuesday with minor damage after a second major earthquake in days sent debris falling and injured three people in the Spanish city, say authorities. The Alhambra complex, a UNESCO-listed jewel of medieval Islamic architecture, welcomed 2.7 million visitors last year. A first inspection found no “significant structural damage” or a “risk of collapse”, said Antonio Sanz, the Andalusia region’s top emergencies official.

In Ukraine (AFP) – Ukraine’s popular ex-defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who was sacked last month, calls for a move towards elections that have been put off because of the Russian invasion. “Democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia… We must find a legal, safe, and realistic mechanism that will allow Ukraine to restore a full democratic process even amidst a prolonged war,” he says in a video posted to YouTube. Fedorov was removed after months of behind-the-scenes clashes with the army command, who he said resisted his calls to change. His dismissal led to widespread anti-government protests in Ukraine.

Beijing (AFP) – Chinese humanoid pioneer Unitree, whose backflipping robots wowed the world earlier this year, made a much-anticipated market debut in Shanghai on Wednesday with a similarly impressive leap in share price of more than 600 percent. OF UNITREE HUMANOID AND QUADRUPED ROBOTS

Kimana (Kenya) (AFP) – A young male elephant lies on the ground, kicking up the dust in Kenya’s Amboseli National Park, unable to stand. Since AFP visited the park a week ago, 11-year-old Genghis Khan has died, succumbing to a mystery ailment that has killed at least 20 elephants in Kenya since June. Early toxicology tests run by the Kenya Wildlife Service have suggested cyanide poisoning from pesticides, but others, including local wildlife experts are not convinced. Patrick Papatiti, head of operations at the Olgulului communal lands, points out that scavengers eating the elephant carcasses don’t seem to end up poisoned themselves.