Brussels (AFP) – The organisers of the queer arts festival Q.ARTz are giving Brussels’ notorious Manneken-Pis statue a new costume described as “100% queer”. The “Little Pissing Man” will have the punk-inspired outfit for just one day to pay tribute to the queer movement.
Star City (Russia) (AFP) – Russian actress Yulia Peresild, director Klim Shipenko, and their backup crew train in zero gravity ahead of their space launch to the International Space Station (ISS) on the 5 October, in a race against a parallel US project.
Berlin (AFP) – A free kebab for every newly vaccinated person. Berlin is trying to encourage people to get a Covid-19 jab as vaccination rates wane in the country.
Moscow (AFP) – Russian President Vladimir Putin says that dozens of people in his entourage tested positive for the coronavirus before he went into self-isolation earlier this week.
Guadalajara (Mexico) (AFP) – Mexican cowboys, or “charros” showcase their stunts as they mark their national day. The festival celebrating the art of “charreria” usually spills into the streets with a colourful parade, but for the second consecutive year celebrations have been limited to the arena of the Jalisco Charros Association due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Berlin (AFP) – On a stretch of grass between the Reichstag and the chancellery in central Berlin, six young people have been quietly camping in a cluster of tents since late August — and refusing to eat. For the young activists, their hunger strike is “the last resort to draw attention to the extreme seriousness” of the climate crisis.
Taean (South Korea) (AFP) – South Korea’s ministry of defence releases footage of a successful a submarine ballistic missile launch, making the country the seventh in the world with the advanced technology and raising the prospect of a regional arms race. The test, supervised by President Moon Jae-in, comes hours after nuclear-armed North Korea fired two ballistic missiles into the sea, according to the South’s military, and as China’s foreign minister visited Seoul.
Matagorda (United States) (AFP) – Strong winds and heavy rains lash the town of Matagorda as Hurricane Nicholas slams into the Texas coast, as meteorologists warn of life-threatening flooding. The storm is packing maximum sustained winds of 75 miles (120 kilometers) per hour, and is expected to dump up to 18 inches (around 460 millimeters) of rain in the Houston area, according to weather officials.
Málaga (Spain) (AFP) – A huge fire has ravaged the forests in the Sierra Bermeja mountains in the southern Spanish province of Malaga, forcing mass evacuations, including to a sports centre set up to house evacuees from neighbouring towns.
Kabul (AFP) – A Pakistan International Airlines jet touches down in Kabul, before making a return flight to Islamabad. This is the first international commercial flight to leave Kabul since the Taliban retook power last month, offering some hope to Afghans still desperate to leave the country.
Monza (Italy) (AFP) – The sight of the hefty back tyre of Max Verstappen’s Red Bull Formula One car crashing down towards the helmet of Lewis Hamilton at the Italian Grand Prix made for sickening viewing. The seven-time world champion was beached in his Mercedes, but ultimately saved by his halo, a cockpit head protection system introduced in March 2018.
Glasgow (AFP) – Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon pushes the devolved country’s case for independence, saying Brexit and other hardline policies by the UK government have been a direct hit on Scotland’s economy during the Covid-19 pandemic.
