Djerba (Tunisia) (AFP) – UNESCO has added the Tunisian resort island of Djerba to its list of World Heritage Sites. Covering an area of 514 square kilometres, Djerba is the largest island off North Africa. It is most known for its religious diversity, boasting churches, synagogues and fortified mosques from the Ibadi school of Islam, some of which are underground. Djerba remains a top tourist destination in Tunisia.
Motilla del Palancar (Spain) (AFP) – Heavy flooding hit the streets of the Spanish municipality Motilla del Palancar, after a storm struck parts of the region of Castilla-La Mancha on 19 September, causing damage to buildings and infrastructure. According to Spain’s State Meteorological Agency, up to 33 millimetres of rain fell in certain cities.
Armenia (Armenia) (AFP) – Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan says it is “absurd” that his country’s army is mentioned in a ceasefire agreement between Baku and Stepanakert, the capital of the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region. Pashinyan insists that Armenian troops have not been present on the disputed territory since August 2021.
Tripoli (AFP) – Young scouts in Tripoli are collecting toys and writing letters to send the children of Derna, the Libyan city devastated by flooding. “We will rebuild it together” says one of those taking part, reading a passage he’s written. Derna, in northeast Libya, was struck by flash flooding on September 10 after storm rains caused two dams to burst. International aid groups say some 10,000 people are still missing as bodies continue to wash ashore. The official death toll stands at more than 3,300, but is expected to rise.
Kryvyi Rig (Ukraine) (AFP) – Built around a civilian excavator, Vitaliy’s homemade demining machine undergoes testing on a site in central Ukraine. He hopes his creation will help speed up the clearing of a country of which one third of territory is thought to contain unexploded ordnance, without putting personnel at risk.
Linköping (Sweden) (AFP) – Modelled on the “average female”, SET 50F is the world’s first crash test dummy designed to make sure women are better protected in cars. “The aim is to make better seats both for women and men” says Tommy Pettersson, a research engineer. Previously, carmakers used scaled-down dummies — still based on male proportions — to represent women and children. SET 50F is already being used by certain carmakers, including Volvo in Sweden.
Imi-n- Isli (Morocco) (AFP) – A video published by the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service on September 18 shows firefighters rescuing a donkey after six days under the rubble in the village of Imni-n-Isli, on the outskirts of Marrakesh. Many similar settlements remain inaccessible by road nearly a week after Morocco’s deadliest earthquake in generations, which has so far killed over 2,900 people.
Boynton Beach (United States) (AFP) – They are big, heavy, and divers adore them: The goliath grouper, a colossus of a fish, lives off the coast of Boynton Beach in Florida, though scientists warn their numbers are down since the US state allowed fishing of the giants to resume. A decline of goliath grouper could impact the ecosystem and devastate local diving businesses.
Pyongyang (AFP) – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un receives a lavish welcome home after wrapping up a week-long Russia tour. During his tour of Russia’s Far East, Kim attended a summit with Russian president Vladimir Putin, and inspected everything from Russian space rockets to submarines. Kim’s visit sparked Western fears that isolated, nuclear-armed Pyongyang could provide Moscow with weapons for its drawn-out invasion of Ukraine.
Saint Petersburg (AFP) – Russian President Vladimir Putin meets China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi for talks in Saint Petersburg. Wang is on a four-day visit to Russia, the latest of a series of high-level contacts between Moscow and Beijing. Since the start of its offensive in Ukraine, Moscow has been increasingly isolated and has sought to deepen ties with China. While offering Moscow a vital diplomatic and financial lifeline, Beijing has maintained a neutral position in the Ukraine conflict.
