Beirut (Lebanon) (AFP) – Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty calls for an ‘immediate’ ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, during a press conference in Beirut following a meeting with parliament speaker Nabih Berri.
Urziceni (Romania) (AFP) – Crushing a lump of dry soil in her hand, Iulia Blagu illustrates the impact of one of Romania’s worst droughts in years. Subjected to blazing heat and a lack of water, the farmer’s cornfields have been devastated and she has been forced to take out a bank loan to pay her workers. Blagu isn’t alone in a country that, according to the Environment Ministry, is losing 1,000 hectares of arable land per year due to climate change.
Mpenda (DR Congo) (AFP) – The Democratic Republic of Congo says an mpox outbreak has killed 548 people there this year, as the first case outside Africa of the virus’s more dangerous variant was recorded in a traveller in Sweden. Pakistan has also recorded a case but it’s not clear which strain of the virus it is.
Mpenda (DR Congo) (AFP) – The Democratic Republic of Congo says an mpox outbreak has killed 548 people there this year, as the first case outside Africa of the virus’s more dangerous variant was recorded in a traveller in Sweden. Pakistan has also recorded a case but it’s not clear which strain of the virus it is.
Unknown (AFP) – Australian breakdancer Raygun speaks out against the “pretty devastating” hatred unleashed online since her widely lampooned Paris Olympics performance.
Rotherham (United Kingdom) (AFP) – With police tape blocking its entrance, the Rotherham Holiday Inn Express remains a crime scene ten days on from anti-immigration riots. The hotel houses asylum seekers and was targeted in a wave of far-right protests that swept across England following the murder of three young girls in Southport on 29 July, and the spread of misinformation that falsely claimed the attacker was a recent migrant. Many in Rotherham look back on the violence in disgust, but some are still sympathetic to the grievances of those involved.
Berlin (AFP) – Baby pygmy hippopotamus Toni makes her first public appearance at the Zoological Garden in Berlin. She was born on 3 June and, according to the zoo, was named after German footballer Antonio ‘Toni’ Rudiger, who is also the hippo’s honorary sponsor. The species is endangered in the wild, where it is found in the forests and swamps of West Africa.
Tokyo (AFP) – Japan has lifted a week-old “megaquake” warning, put in place after a magnitude 7.1 quake struck on 8 August, injuring 15 people and triggering fears of a second tremor and potential tsunami. The alert prompted thousands of Japanese to cancel holidays and stock up on essentials, emptying shelves in some stores.
Warsaw (AFP) – Kylian Mbappe’s new Real Madrid teammates and manager heap praise on the French forward, who scored on his debut for the club in a 2-0 win over Italian side Atalanta in the European Supercup final. Mbappe’s first appearance for Madrid comes after a years-long transfer saga. “He’s come to pull the whole team up,” says midfielder Federico Valverde.
Dhaka (AFP) – Blindfolded, handcuffed and bundled out of his secret prison for the first time in eight years, Bangladeshi barrister Ahmad Bin Quasem held his breath and listened for the sound of a cocked pistol. Instead he was tossed from a car and into a muddy ditch on Dhaka’s outskirts — alive, at liberty and with no knowledge of the national upheaval that had prompted his abrupt release.
Varnávas (Greece) (AFP) – Drone images show the burnt-out landscape in Varnavas and Penteli in Greece, where recent wildfires destroyed 10,000 hectares of land, forced thousands to flee their homes and claimed one life.
Bangkok (AFP) – Thailand’s Constitutional Court’s decision to sack Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin throws the kingdom into fresh political turmoil. The judges ruled 5-4 that Srettha breached regulations by appointing a cabinet minister with a criminal conviction.
