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Accra (AFP) – A giant fish, shoe or bottle of Fanta probably won’t appear on many undertakers’ coffin catalogues. But in Ghana, particularly in Ga communities, these are just a select few of the eclectic creations set to breathe life into any funeral. Handcrafted to order, often over weeks, ‘fantasy’ coffins offer a loud telling of a person’s story, celebrating their profession or a passion. “Let’s say a fish or a canoe gets to a funeral ground,” says coffin maker Lawrence Odoe Anang, “everybody has the idea that this coffin is for a fisherman.”

Nuwakot (Nepal) (AFP) – Rescue workers in Nepal’s Nuwakot district have installed a 250-metre zipline across the swollen Trishuli river, pulling survivors of last week’s devastating floods to safety. The glacial collapse on 26 August released a tsumani-like wave of water and debris into the valley, wiping away entire settlements and leaving many others cut off, with bridges and roads also destroyed in the disaster. “We don’t have any choice,” says Krris Lama, one of those waiting to climb aboard the precarious lifeline and bring medicine to his mother.

Madrid (AFP) – Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez says his government has received no “solid proof” that the migrant rush into the Ceuta enclave in July was orchestrated by Morocco, following a police report that highlighted multiple failings by Moroccan security forces. Addressing parliament in Madrid, Sanchez says there is no evidence that the North African country “planned or carried out the incident,” which saw more that 70,000 migrants enter Ceuta over two days.

Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – Members of Ukraine’s Azov military corps have adapted Homer’s Odyssey for the stage, finding new resonance in the ancient story of longing, waiting and return in a country where millions have been displaced and tens of thousands remain missing or held captive. “We are not doing Homer, that’s very important. Our Odyssey is about our heroes” says Darya Legeyda, who plays Penelope.

Kangerluarsoruseq (Denmark) (AFP) – Crunching across icy terrain on Greenland’s western coast, some of the first Danish conscripts to set foot on the territory in recent history receive their training. Denmark has sent about 100 conscripts to Greenland, deploying them the Nuuk and Kangerlussuaq as part of a new 11-month military service program announced last year in response to the ongoing war in Ukraine. The deployment also comes amid tensions with the United States, with President Donald Trump repeatedly expressing a desire to acquire mineral-rich Greenland.

Nuwakot (Nepal) (AFP) – Images show a turquoise-coloured house, dubbed the “miracle house”, that survived the deadly floods which swept through Nepal’s Nuwakot district. Viral images showed a family sheltering on the balcony of the house as floodwaters surged around them. The house is one of the few left largely intact after the widespread destruction.

Nuwakot (Nepal) (AFP) – Nepal’s devastating floods have left thousands of people displaced, with women facing additional struggles inside temporary shelters. At a holding center in Nuwakot, women tell AFP they are struggling with a lack of water, clean toilets, privacy and basic supplies, making even routine personal care difficult. Some say the lack of these facilities has made menstruation and other everyday needs particularly difficult to manage. “We have a huge water problem, and we have nothing. They give us sanitary napkins, but we don’t even have undergarments to wear the pads,” 23-year-old Yogita Tamang living in a school turned temporary holding center tells AFP.

Pattaya (Thailand) (AFP) – Around 5,000 US sailors and Marines arrive in Thailand’s resort city of Pattaya after a Middle East deployment that sparked concerns over conditions on board. Dressed in civilian shorts and T-shirts, some US service members are given traditional garlands at a welcoming ceremony at a central hotel. “We’re very, very happy to be here,” commanding officer Captain Dan Keeler tells reporters. “We really look forward to our time here to get a little rest and relaxation,” he adds.

Hollywood superstar George Clooney says the United States will get through an “unfortunate” time in its history under the Trump administration, calling it a government run by the “least qualified”. Speaking at Venice Film Festival, he says he is “ashamed” of the US government’s actions, adding that “we will get through it, and we will come out better on the other side”.

Kūhestak (Iran) (AFP) – The US and Iran exchange fire after claims that shrapnel from a US strike hit a wedding ceremony in southern Iran, killing at least four people. Reciprocal strikes from Iran hit US military targets in the Middle East. The latest strikes are the biggest in the last few weeks of the six-month conflict, and come as peace talks have been largely halted.

Virtual (AFP) – “We must make the overshoot as small and short as possible,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says of rising global temperatures. In a much-anticipated report, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) stated unequivocally that 1.5C would be surpassed. “Now is a time to raise ambition and accelerate action,” urges Guterres.

Oslo (AFP) – Norway’s King Haakon VIII swears an oath before parliament, the first major institutional step of his reign, after he automatically ascended to the throne after the death of his father King Harald V. “I promise and swear that I will govern the Kingdom of Norway in accordance with its Constitution and Laws,” he says.