Canberra (AFP) – Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison announces one-off payments to many Indigenous Australians living in former Commonwealth territories who were forcibly removed from their homes as children. The federal government redress scheme is part of a Aus$1 billion (US$740 million) plan to reduce the sharp disadvantages faced by Indigenous Australians.
Japan’s Hiromu Inada is watching the Tokyo Olympics hoping to pick up some tips from the athletes before he competes in next year’s Ironman world championship, at the age of 90. Inada, who turns 89 in November, already holds the Guinness World Record for the oldest person to complete an Ironman competition — a gruelling format involving swimming 3.86 kilometres, biking 180.25 kilometres and running a 42.19 kilometre marathon. A three-time winner of the competition in his age group, his commitment to sport is so deep that he records footage of athletes at the Games and watches it to analyse leg movements and posture.
Marseille (AFP) – Several dozen people demonstrate in front of the University Hospital Institute (IHU) in Marseille against the compulsory vaccination of hospital staff. The French Constitutional Council has validated the law introducing the health pass and compulsory vaccination of caregivers, two key measures in President Emmanuel Macron’s anti-Covid strategy which are increasingly being contested in the streets.
Pescara (Italy) (AFP) – Firefighters work to tackle wildfires on Italy’s Adriatic coast and in the Sicily region after more than 800 flare-ups were recorded in the country in one weekend. EU data show this year’s fire season has been significantly more destructive than most, with experts saying that climate change is increasing both the frequency and intensity of such blazes.
New York (AFP) – Hundreds of dogs were adopted during the pandemic, with plenty of New Yorkers working from home able to care for a furry housemate for the first time. But as life returns to some normalcy, puppies and pet parents alike have to adapt to a different reality.
Rockland (United States) (AFP) – Virginia ‘Ginny’ Oliver has been catching lobsters off the coast of Maine since age 7 and is now 101 — and still going strong.
Abuja (AFP) – Four million doses of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine sent by the United States arrive at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport on two British Airways aircraft. Officials from the UN children’s agency UNICEF received the doses at the airport on behalf of Nigeria.
Mina Escondida (Chile) (AFP) – Workers at the world’s biggest copper mine, Chile’s Escondida, have approved a strike after rejecting the final contract offer proposed by multinational owners BHP. The workers are asking for a one-time bonus to recognize their work during the Covid-19 pandemic as well as education benefits for their children. Escondida workers staged a 44-day strike in 2017, the longest in the history of Chilean mining. The strike caused $740 million in losses for the company.
Riga (AFP) – In Latvia’s capital, a pasta order comes in and a robotic arm springs into action at the Roboeatz eatery. Within 5 minutes, a piping hot plate is ready. Roboeatz aims to revolutionise the fast food industry with its innovative use of technology.
Borno (Nigeria) (AFP) – Nigerian authorities enlist the help of traditional hunters to guard farmers in their fields against attacks from the radical Islamist insurgent group Boko Haram.
Sreenagar (Bangladesh) (AFP) – Hundreds of thousands of garment workers race to catch ferries back to the Bangladesh capital Dhaka from their rural homes after the government said export factories could reopen despite a deadly coronavirus wave. With the economy badly hit by the pandemic, the Bangaldeshi government excluded the factories that supply top brands in Europe and North America from a nationwide lockdown order.
Tokyo (AFP) – Hundreds of people wait to have their picture taken with the famous Olympic rings outside the Olympic stadium as Japan extends a state of emergency, a week after the start of the Games.
