Copiapó (AFP) – Northern Chile’s Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on Earth, is blanketed with a riot of colourful wild flowers after unusually heavy rains triggered a rare ‘flowering desert’ event.
Al-Qadarif (AFP) – In Sudan’s breadbasket of Gedaref, farmers are battling both drought and soaring production costs as they try to salvage this year’s harvest. Across the country, farmland that could feed the world’s largest hunger crisis many times over lies fallow. The powerful El Nino climate pattern strengthening in the Pacific Ocean, which impacts winds and rains across the world, has delayed crucial rains and led water levels in the life-giving Nile to drop precipitously.
Nashville (AFP) – Nashville residents pay homage to country music icon Dolly Parton, laying flowers outside the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, after her team confirmed she has died after a “brief battle with cancer”. More than just a singer, Parton wrote some 3,000 songs, starred in major Hollywood films and donated millions to charities in her home state and beyond.
Ottawa (AFP) – Canada says that its counter-tariffs responding to US President Donald Trump’s latest duties will range between 15 percent and 50 percent, as a trade war intensifies between the historically close allies. “Canada will match the United States’ tariffs dollar for dollar, rate for rate,” says Canadian Minister of Finance and National Revenue François-Philippe Champagne during a press conference.
Beijing (AFP) – China says it will safeguard its interests after Washington laid out plans for the “economic asphyxiation” of Beijing’s economic partner Iran. “Cooperation between China and Iran has always been conducted within the framework of international law and should not be interfered with or disrupted,” foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian tells a regular news briefing.
Rome (AFP) – Just a few metres from the Colosseum, Italians try their luck at a temporary curling rink in the scorching summer heat. Three ice-free lanes have been set up near the famous Roman amphitheatre by a group of tutors, who help curious onlookers grasp the basics of the winter sport. “What’s brilliant about doing it here in Rome in the summer is precisely that you can enjoy all this,” says tourist Pietro Valli, pointing at the Colosseum behind him.
Pomas (France) (AFP) – Roofs were torn apart and buildings were damaged after a tornado tore through the village of Pomas, in the south of France, injuring at least 39 people. “Right now, people are in a state of shock,” says Herve Gine, the mayor of Pomas. “Some people have lost everything,” he adds. French authorities had placed large parts of the country’s southwest on an orange weather alert due to severe storms, with numerous areas experiencing power outages and disruptions to transport.
Pflugdorf (Germany) (AFP) – Spectators cheer as grimacing competitors, using just their middle finger, heave a small leather loop with all their might at the German finger wrestling championships in the southern village of Pflugdorf-Stadl. In these contests, which last from a few seconds to nearly a minute, two opponents try to pull each other across the table. This traditional Alpine sport popular in Bavaria and Austria, is now organised with various weight and age categories. “It’s excruciating. The pain in the fingers,” says Ferdinand Seitz.
Deir el-Balah (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – Palestinians inspect damage at a mosque in the city of Deir el-Balah, described as one of the oldest in the Gaza Strip, after an airstrike targeted the building. “This mosque is an ancient monument and is used only for prayer and worship,” says mosque imam Saher Joudah. It comes a day after a strike in the same area killed at least five people, including two children, according to Gaza’s Civil Defence Rescue Service.
Seoul (AFP) – South Korea’s KOSPI Index fell 3% after the US Treasury Secretary announced more sanctions to punish Iran. While late August is typically a slow news period for markets, the US-Iran war, a trade battle between the United States and Canada and results from artificial intelligence bellwether Nvidia are keeping markets engaged. IMAGES
Beihai (China) (AFP) – Clasping her hands together in prayer, four-year-old Huanle tells God she misses her mum, whom she hasn’t seen since Chinese authorities raided their home last year in a crackdown on their unregistered church. Last October, Chinese authorities cracked down on the Zion Church, one of the largest underground churches in China, detaining more than 20 of its members, including 43-year-old Wang, Huanle’s mother.
London (AFP) – Capybaras, monkeys and penguins are just some of the animals stepping onto the scales as London Zoo carries out its annual weigh-in, part of the keepers’ regular checks of the health and well-being of the site’s inhabitants. “It’s a very busy day,” says head keeper Dan Simmonds, who explains that keepers will be weighing and recording data from early in the morning until late in the evening, with “thousands and thousands of animals across nearly 400 species” to get through.
