New Orleans (AFP) – On a long ribbon of land between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, industrial pollution puts the area’s mostly African-American residents at nearly 50 times the risk of cancer than the United States average.
Hanoi (AFP) – Vice President Kamala Harris says the US will find new ways to “raise the pressure on Beijing”, accusing China of bullying in the hotly disputed Asian waters for the second time in two days. China claims almost all of the resource-rich South China Sea, through which trillions of dollars in shipping trade passes annually, with competing claims from four Southeast Asian states including Vietnam. Harris made the comments on a visit to Vietnam to stress US commitment to Asia, a trip critics have slammed as tone-deaf given the parallels with the superpower’s evacuations from Saigon and Kabul.
Sankt Corona (Austria) (AFP) – A village in the Austrian Alps known for its family-friendly ski resort has been forced to adapt to waning snow due to climate change, turning to a new downhill sport — mountain biking. Bikers as young as three ride over landscaped jumps and curved forest trails, breathing new life into Sankt Corona am Wechsel, around an hour’s drive from Vienna, and offering a model for other struggling resorts.
Berlin (AFP) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel says that the fact that the Taliban are back in power in Afghanistan is “bitter but we have to deal with it,” and that the international community must safeguard the gains made over the last 20 years.
Mordovia Region (Russia) (AFP) – Russia’s central regions are battling “extreme” wildfires fuelled by an unusual heatwave that comes after forest fires linked to climate change ravaged Siberia for most of the summer.
Sanaa (AFP) – Dozens of Yemeni cyclists hit the road with a shared goal: to spread peace in a country that has been embroiled in conflict for more than seven years. In the capital Sanaa, the cyclists prepared for their 320-kilometre (200-mile) journey to the northern province of Saada, one of the areas devastated by the ongoing war between the government and the Huthi rebels.
Tokyo (AFP) – As the Paralympic Games begin, Japan’s efforts to improve accessibility and inclusion are in the spotlight, with many arguing there is still plenty of work to do. Some 4,400 athletes with impairments will compete in Tokyo at the world’s biggest parasports tournament.
Chaman (Pakistan) (AFP) – Around two hundred Afghan refugees who fled their country before the Taliban took control gather at the Pakistan border with Afghanistan as they wait to follow the required procedures to be allowed to cross. “We emigrated from Afghanistan during bombing and hardships, when Muslims were in trouble,” says Molavi Shaib. “Now, praise be to Allah, the situation is normal, so we are returning.”
Abu Dhabi (AFP) – French ministers Florence Parly (Defence) and Jean-Yves Le Drian (Foreign Affairs) arrive at Al-Dhafra Air Base 104 in the United Arab Emirates, where the French Air Force has set up an air bridge to Kabul. They are due to meet with military personnel, diplomats and all the staff who are organising evacuations from Afghanistan.
New Delhi (AFP) – Around 300 Afghan refugees in New Delhi shout slogans demanding human rights and resettlement by UN Agencies. The refugees say most of them have not received any help from the UN agencies in India. “We have nothing, no future, no education,” says a 14-year-old Afghan refugee in India.
Singapore (AFP) – US Vice President Kamala Harris accuses Beijing of coercion and intimidation in the disputed South China Sea during a speech in Singapore. Harris’ comments come as she seeks to rally Asian allies against China and shore up US credibility in the wake of the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Ankara (AFP) – The rotting dinosaur toys outside the abandoned “Wonderland Eurasia” theme park tell the tale of grand ambition, waste and troubles facing the long-ruling party of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
