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.
Geneva (AFP) – The World Health Organization says that the mpox surge in Africa is now a global public health emergency, sounding its highest possible alarm over the worsening situation.
New Delhi (AFP) – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends celebrations at New Delhi’s Red Fort to mark the 77th anniversary of the country’s independence.
London (AFP) – Chatting and laughing, drinks in hand, around 70 young women have gathered in a London pub with one aim: to find the ideal housemates. Most would like to live alone, but this is widely impossible in a city plagued by high rents. Instead they have signed up and paid for an event designed to fast-track a search process that can take months.
Dhaka (AFP) – Gone are the slogans demanding the “killer dictator” quit: if you ask Bangladesh’s youth whether they’re hopeful about the future, the writing literally is on the wall. Students who led the weeks of protests that toppled autocratic premier Sheikh Hasina are back on the streets to give the capital Dhaka a makeover.
Tel Aviv (AFP) – “Until now, Hamas has continued to set terms and refused to reach an agreement,” says Israeli government spokesman David Mencer during an online press briefing, as ceasefire talks are set to resume on August 15.
(AFP) – Ukraine is pressing ahead with its surprise offensive in Russian territory, bombarding the border region of Belgorod, where the governor has declared a state of emergency.
London (AFP) – Elusive street artist Banksy unveiled nine animal-themed murals in nine days. The series started with a goat, followed by two elephants the next day and then monkeys, a wolf, pelicans, a cat, piranhas and a rhinoceros in subsequent days.
Bagram (AFP) – Taliban authorities mark the third anniversary of their return to power in Afghanistan with a military parade in Bagram. Taliban forces seized the capital, Kabul, on August 15, 2021, after the US-backed government collapsed and its leaders fled into exile. The anniversary is marked a day earlier on the Afghan calendar.
Beijing (AFP) – The next generation of Chinese diving champions is being trained at a Beijing swimming pool. Many are inspired by the recent Paris Olympics, where China completed a clean sweep of all eight gold medals in a historic first.
