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Vereinte Nationen (AFP) – The UN Security Council calls for “maximum restraint” to avoid a nuclear disaster in Ukraine that “could be catastrophic to the region and the world,” warns Miroslav Jenca, assistant secretary-general for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas. International agencies have repeatedly warned of the dangers of fighting around nuclear plants following Russia’s full-scale military offensive into Ukraine in February 2022.

Salé (AFP) – In Sale, Morocco, the Shems’y school offers young people training in circus arts to promote their social integration. “It’s better to spend our time here than wasting our time on the streets,” says Mohamed, a 23-year-old circus student.

Kursk (AFP) – Early voting kicks off in gubernatorial elections in Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops launched an offensive in early August, with voters able to cast ballots in polling booths or via house-to-house voting. The voting takes place despite Kyiv’s incursion, which has seen dozens of villages taken over and caused over 133,000 to flee.

Binh Thuan province (AFP) – Floods submerge hundreds of hectares of dragon fruit farms in south Vietnam. Scientists have warned that extreme weather events globally are becoming more intense and frequent due to climate change.

Bath (AFP) – Fuelled by recent shows like Bridgerton and longstanding film franchises like James Bond and Harry Potter, the UK is seeing an influx of ‘set-jetters’: visitors who choose their travel destination after seeing it on screen. In Bath, where Bridgerton — a Netflix hit — has several sets, walking tours scour the picturesque streets and stately homes seen in the show.

Hong Kong (AFP) – Chung Pui-kuen, the former chief editor of Hong Kong’s now shuttered pro-democracy news outlet Stand News, arrives at Wanchai District Court ahead of a ruling in a landmark sedition trial. It’s the first case of its kind since the city came under Chinese rule in 1997. IMAGES

Oita (Japan) (AFP) – One of the strongest typhoons to hit Japan in recent decades dumped torrential rain across southern regions on Thursday, with authorities warning of life-threatening flooding and landslides.

Caracas (AFP) – Venezuela’s opposition leader Maria Corina Machado leads a mass rally in Caracas to press for recognition of the election “victory”, one month after a presidential vote it claims was stolen by incumbent Nicolas Maduro. IMAGES

Beijing (AFP) – China says it is “willing to engage” with the UN Human Rights Office over the northwestern Xinjiang region, but rejects the “politicisation of human rights” and efforts to “suppress or smear” the country. The comments come after the UN warned that “problematic” policies continued in the region, two years after a report citing possible “crimes against humanity” relating to China’s alleged treatment of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities.

Madrid (AFP) – Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti says French forward Kylian Mbappe’s two-week goal drought is not “enough time to worry,” describing the 25-year-old as “very satisfied, very happy.”

Sao Paulo (AFP) – Images of the Israelita Albert Einstein Hospital, where Uruguayan football player Juan Manuel Izquierdo died, in Sao Paulo, on August 27. IMAGES

Berlin (AFP) – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announce a planned new treaty between their countries, with Starmer calling it a “once-in-a-generation opportunity”. Speaking in Berlin, Scholz says he is “delighted” that the UK leader will “seek a fresh start in relations with the European Union.”