Kolkata (AFP) – Police in India fire tear gas and water cannon as they clash with thousands of protesters seeking justice for a doctor who was raped and murdered in Kolkata. The demonsrators are calling for the resignation of Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal state.
Buenos Aires (AFP) – Two French international rugby players, accused of raping a woman while on tour in Argentina last month, arrive at the Aeroparque airport in Buenos Aires after leaving Mendoza to be “more at ease,” according to their lawyers. Hugo Auradou and Oscar Jegou have filed a motion to have their case dismissed in order to return to France. IMAGES
Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Oasis fans in Manchester and London welcome the news that the band will reunite for a series of shows next year, ending a 15-year feud between brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher. “It’s great news,” says Michelle Locke, speaking next to a mural of the Gallaghers in their hometown of Manchester, northern England. Oasis formed in 1991 and have been credited with helping create the Britpop era of that decade.
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.
