Seoul (AFP) – Seoul’s military demands an apology from North Korea, blaming them for a recent explosion in the demilitarised zone that severely injured three South Korean soldiers, a charge Pyongyang denies. “We strongly urge an apology and responsible measures from the North,” says Kang Hyun-woo, chief director of operations of Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Lagos (AFP) – On day seven of his solo dance marathon, Benjamin Daniel Gabriel — popularly known as Ben Dancer — shimmies and shuffles towards a world record in Nigeria, dancing non-stop for 176 hours, 52 minutes and 59 seconds. The current record of 127 hours was set by Indian dancer Srushti Sudhir Jagtap in 2023. Still waiting for the official ratification of his record, Gabriel is already itching to play a bigger cultural ambassador role to promote African culture and dances. “The idea of the Guiness World Record was never for the Guinness World record itself,” he says. “It was to get the global attention for people to look more towards African indigenous dances”.
Gangjin (South Korea) (AFP) – Members of animal welfare group Humane World for Animals Korea rescue dozens of dogs from a dog meat farm in Gangjin County, South Korea, in what the NGO says is its last such operation before the country’s dog meat ban takes effect in February 2027. “We are hoping that across Asia, other countries where the dog and cat meat trade still exists, can really learn a lesson from the fact that South Korea has phased out a really substantial dog meat industry in about three years,” says Wendy Higgins, director of international media at Humane World for Animals.
Lille (France) (AFP) – Hundreds of secondary school students take part in protests across France as part of a national day of action over the country’s public services, demanding more resources for education. “Do you know why these students are mobilising?” says Marie Mesmeur, an MP in Rennes. “Because they’re worried their future is being sacrificed,” she explains. Some students have been protesting for over a week, with around 180 schools affected by the demonstrations, according to the Interior Ministry.
Thoothukudi (India) (AFP) – On a shrinking island off India’s southern coast, workers thread bright green seagrass shoots onto wooden frames before they are planted on the ocean floor. The restoration work unfolding on Kariyachalli island aims to use artificial reefs, transplanted corals and seagrass meadows to boost its natural defences, slow erosion and protect the mainland from surging seas. “If you are not able to provide that resilience, you are absolutely at the mercy of vulnerabilities,” says senior state official Supriya Sahu.
Madrid (AFP) – The Madrid pensioner, whose eviction sparked nationwide protests that have piled pressure on the government to resolve Spain’s housing crisis, can return home, says a spokesperson for the tenants’ union. Speaking to reporters, Valeria Racu says news of the deal between 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal and the property owners is “some of the best news we could have received”. Unaffordable housing has been a running issue for years in Spain, but Abascal’s eviction last week thrust the crisis to the forefront of the political debate.
Nagekeo (Indonesia) (AFP) – Sahria Lelu and her family are still living in a tent outside a mosque six weeks after a powerful earthquake that killed dozens in Indonesia, demonstrating the hard road home for thousands of survivors.
Fairford (United Kingdom) (AFP) – After a potential bomb threat at a UK airbase used by the US in its war against Iran, local residents express their concerns. “People are feeling a bit hyper-vigilant around this at the moment,” says local MP, Roz Savage. “It was a horrendously close shave,” she adds. Five British men were arrested at the scene. They are now being released on bail.
Three migrants — two women and a ten-year-old boy — have died trying to cross the English Channel to reach Britain. “These are not drownings,” says Francois Xavier Lauch, the prefect for the French Pas-de-Calais region, “these are deaths by crushing”. The latest deaths bring the total number of migrants killed this year while trying to cross the Channel to 22, according to an AFP tally based on official British and French sources.
Bangkok (AFP) – Residents navigate through waist-deep floodwaters to buy food in Bangkok’s Bang Kapi district, as Thailand battles flooding for a fourth consecutive day. “This is really severe. Normally it doesn’t flood this much, at most up to ankles or mid-calves, and it drains in a day,” says Ana Solae, a resident of the city.
Debrecen (Hungary) (AFP) – Ireland beat Israel 3-0 amid a tense and sombre atmosphere at a Nations League match in Hungary. The Irish players wore black armbands in a show of solidarity with Gaza, and the two teams refused to shake each other’s hands at the start of the match. “The purpose of the protest is to raise awareness,” says Ireland coach Heimir Hallgrimsson. The situation has drawn criticism for some Israeli fans, who feel that “politics and sports need to be separated”. Despite pressure from within Ireland for the team to boycott the match, the team voted to go ahead with the fixture.
Demonstrators camp in a central Madrid square, vowing to keep up the pressure on Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez over Spain’s housing crisis. The movement was triggered by the police eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from her lifelong Madrid apartment. The images of Abascal being carried from her home on a stretcher after police broke down her door caused widespread outrage and put the housing crisis centre-stage as the country approaches elections next year. “If they don’t give us effective solutions on Tuesday, it’s not going to end”, says Nadinne Fillol, a 38 stand-up comedian.
