Cali (Colombia) (AFP) – Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro welcomes Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in the Colombian city of Cali, to discuss security and integration issues, prior to the Latin American and Caribbean Conference on Drugs. IMAGES
Washington (AFP) – In the US capital Washington, deer overpopulation threatens the future of parks such as Rock Creek Park which stretches across 1,754 acres, offering residents the opportunity to find refuge from the daily bustle. White-tailed deer have consumed native species essential to local biodiversity, and prevented seedlings from growing into the next generation of trees. In response to the threat, National Parks Service biologists now conduct annual deer culls.
Riyadh (AFP) – NBA superstar LeBron James attends a basketball clinic with young Saudi players while on a visit to Riyadh.
Washington (AFP) – Putting failure front and center, an exhibition has opened in Washington D.C that showcases products and inventions from around the world that have flopped. The Museum of Failure puts more than 150 products on display, including flavoured water for cats, pens marketed at women and a whole range of merchandise released by a pre-presidential Donald Trump. “We learn a lot from failure” says the exhibition’s organizer.
New Delhi (AFP) – European Council president Charles Michel says Russian attacks on Ukrainian ports “must stop”. Speaking to reporters in New Delhi ahead of the G20 summit, Michel says that “over 250 million people face acute food insecurity worldwide” and by threatening the movement of grain, “the Kremlin is depriving them of the food they desperately need.”
New York (AFP) – People in New York are divided in their opinions on a new law implemented by the city that bans short-term rentals, targeting hosting platforms like Airbnb. The new rules prohibit rental periods of less than 30 days unless the host lives in the property and is present throughout the stay. “It’s probably necessary” says one resident, while a business traveler questions the decision: “it really makes no sense”. The new law is, in part, aimed at easing the strain on housing supply in a city where rents average at $5,000 per month.
United Nations (United States) (AFP) – “Children are now migrating within Latin America and the Caribbean at an unprecedented rate” says Garry Conille, UNICEF’s Regional Director for the region. The first half of 2023 saw 40,000 children cross the Darien Gap, a dangerous jungle route taken by migrants travelling from Colombia into Panama. This figure matches the number from the entire year of 2022, which was itself a record, Conille explains.
Farkadóna (Greece) (AFP) – Firemen use boats to rescue elderly residents of the village of Farkadona in central Greece as flood water levels continued to rise in the streets of the village. Fierce storms have battered Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria, following a period of extreme heat and devastating wildfires. In Greece, the death toll from Storm Daniel has risen to seven, while wildfires razed at least 150,000 hectares of land over the summer killing at least 26 people.
New Delhi (AFP) – British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife, Akshata Murty, arrive in India for the G20 summit which starts on 9 September. In 2022, India surpassed the United Kingdom as the world’s fifth-largest economy. Sunak, who is of Indian heritage, is on his first visit to the country since becoming prime minister. Sunak’s wife, Akshata Murty, is the daughter of one of India’s wealthiest men.
Hong Kong (AFP) – Hong Kong is experiencing its heaviest rainfall in almost 140 years, with cars submerged in flood water and landslides hitting parts of the city. The latest torrential rains come just days after Typhoon Haikui shut the megacity down as the region suffers from storm conditions. Experts say climate change has increased the intensity of such storms, with more rain and stronger winds becoming the norm.
