Paju (South Korea) (AFP) – Standing near the heavily fortified border between North and South Korea, a monitoring device works around the clock, not to track missiles or soldiers, but mosquitoes that could be carrying malaria across the frontier. South Korea has, despite healthcare advances, been unable to completely eradicate the disease, largely due its proximity to the isolated North, where malaria is prevalent.
Bangkok (AFP) – Unloading trucks of sandbags, workers in the Thai capital Bangkok are setting up defences ahead of potential flooding. In recent days, flash flooding, caused by heavy monsoon rains, has killed at least 22 people, according to officials, who have also warned that 31 provinces in the country’s north and northeast were facing possible flooding until Thursday 29 August.
Tokyo (AFP) – A booming market for retro video games and consoles has taken hold in Japan, a country long-famed for its cutting-edge technology. Some pieces of “vintage” gear can sell for thousands of dollars, with most of the demand coming from foreign collectors seeking a part of video game history.
London (AFP) – The wave of riots that rolled across England “didn’t happen in a vacuum,” says UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who explains that a “deeply unhealthy society… weakened by a decade of division” was behind the disorder. Looking to an October budget, Starmer warns that “things will get worse before they get better.”
Port Sudan (Sudan) (AFP) – At least 132 people have died in war-torn Sudan as a result of flooding and heavy rains in 2024, according to the health ministry. The country has experienced an intense rainy season since July, with intermittent torrential flooding mainly in the country’s north and east.
La Grande-Motte (France) (AFP) – Local residents gather in a rally to support the Jewish community at the Beth Yaacov synagogue in La Grande Motte, near the city of Montpellier in southern France, two days after a fire attack on its synagogue.
Kingri (Pakistan) (AFP) – Separatist militants killed at least 39 people in “coordinated” attacks in southwestern Pakistan that largely targeted ethnic Punjabis, government officials said. Residents and police officials attend a funeral held for shooting victims in Musakhail district, Pakistan.
Caracas (AFP) – Images of Venezuelan Attorney General’s Office as opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia is hit with a fresh summons for failing to appear before prosecutors as part of a probe into his claim of winning last month’s presidential election. IMAGES
Kiev (Ukraine) (AFP) – As air raid sirens echoed through the Ukrainian capital, residents of Kyiv sought refuge in underground passages and subways, bracing for potential Russian attacks. The city, along with 14 other regions, faced a barrage of missile and drone strikes on Monday, the largest assault in weeks. The attacks devastated Ukraine’s power grid, killing at least four people and prompting emergency blackouts across the country.
Liverpool (AFP) – A Liverpool house, whose basement is famous for hosting some of The Beatles’ first gigs and which still features John Lennon’s name scratched into the ceiling and Paul McCartney’s paintwork, has been given a new lease of life, listed on Airbnb.
