Montaña de Izaña (Spain) (AFP) – Firefighters on the Spanish island of Tenerife are still battling a wildfire that has burnt nearly 41,000 hectares so far and caused 12,000 people to flee, according to local authorities. The blaze broke out on 15 August in a mountainous northeastern area, quickly morphing into the Canary Islands’ biggest-ever wildfire. Authorities have said it appears that the fire was started deliberately.
Melbourne (AFP) – New York-based startup Synchron has developed a pioneering technology enabling paralyzed patients to complete simple tasks on a computer thanks to a brain implant that detects neural activity. Rodney Gorham, a Melbourne resident living with ALS, has been integral to the trail. Gorham is now able to pinpoint letters on a screen using his eyes and can “click” on words with his mind. Synchron hopes to get approval next year from health authorities to market a final version of the device.
Belo Horizonte (Brazil) (AFP) – Soapboxes, motorless vehicles, pelt down a steep hill in the Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte as enthusiasts test their creations — and nerves — during the Virada Culture Festival. “The adrenaline, the feeling of freedom, you have to ride it to know” explains Guilherme Mellem, a railway worker taking part in the race.
Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – For the second year in a row, the husks of destroyed Russian military equipment are displayed in central Kyiv ahead of Ukraine’s Independence Day on August 24. Members of the public take photos of the rusty vehicles and peer into their burnt out interiors as the conflict against Russia rages on.
Seoul (AFP) – Outside the presidential palace in Seoul, South Koreans protest the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield drills held by their country and the United States. The exercises are aimed at countering growing threats from nuclear-armed North Korea, but those protesting believe they “could spark a nuclear war at any moment.”
West Kelowna (Canada) (AFP) – Thick smoke fills the sky above parts of western and northwestern Canada as the country experiences a record-breaking wildfire season. Tens of thousands have been forced to flee, leaving some towns almost completely empty. “Our plan is to head west” says Matt Ekman, a resident of West Kelowna, “to try to regroup there and see what happens next”. Official estimates put the area already burned at 14 hectares, roughly the size of Greece, and almost twice the previous record of 7.3 million hectares.
Adelaide (Australia) (AFP) – “From a radiation protection perspective, there is nothing wrong with the Japanese plan” to release treated water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean, says Tony Hooker, associate professor at the University of Adelaide’s Centre for Radiation, Education and Innovation. On Sunday, Japanese premier Fumio Kishida said his government has not yet decided when to begin the process, known as ALPS (Advanced Liquid Processing System).
Death Valley National Park (United States) (AFP) – Muddy water rushes through California’s Death Valley National Park as the site experiences flooding as a result of Tropical Storm Hilary. Death Valley, normally one of the hottest and driest locations in the world, has been closed to the public as much of California suffers from extreme storm conditions, including high winds and torrential rain, with warnings issued for flash floods and even tornadoes.
Namie (Japan) (AFP) – People in the Fukushima coastal area react to the Japanese government’s plans to release treated water from the former nuclear plant.
Yogyakarta (Indonesia) (AFP) – An art installation created by American artist Brian Donnelly, also known as Kaws, creates a striking juxtaposition at the Prambanan Temple in Indonesia’s Java island.
