AFP Video

Rotherham (United Kingdom) (AFP) – With police tape blocking its entrance, the Rotherham Holiday Inn Express remains a crime scene ten days on from anti-immigration riots. The hotel houses asylum seekers and was targeted in a wave of far-right protests that swept across England following the murder of three young girls in Southport on 29 July, and the spread of misinformation that falsely claimed the attacker was a recent migrant. Many in Rotherham look back on the violence in disgust, but some are still sympathetic to the grievances of those involved.

Berlin (AFP) – Baby pygmy hippopotamus Toni makes her first public appearance at the Zoological Garden in Berlin. She was born on 3 June and, according to the zoo, was named after German footballer Antonio ‘Toni’ Rudiger, who is also the hippo’s honorary sponsor. The species is endangered in the wild, where it is found in the forests and swamps of West Africa.

Tokyo (AFP) – Japan has lifted a week-old “megaquake” warning, put in place after a magnitude 7.1 quake struck on 8 August, injuring 15 people and triggering fears of a second tremor and potential tsunami. The alert prompted thousands of Japanese to cancel holidays and stock up on essentials, emptying shelves in some stores.

Warsaw (AFP) – Kylian Mbappe’s new Real Madrid teammates and manager heap praise on the French forward, who scored on his debut for the club in a 2-0 win over Italian side Atalanta in the European Supercup final. Mbappe’s first appearance for Madrid comes after a years-long transfer saga. “He’s come to pull the whole team up,” says midfielder Federico Valverde.

Dhaka (AFP) – Blindfolded, handcuffed and bundled out of his secret prison for the first time in eight years, Bangladeshi barrister Ahmad Bin Quasem held his breath and listened for the sound of a cocked pistol. Instead he was tossed from a car and into a muddy ditch on Dhaka’s outskirts — alive, at liberty and with no knowledge of the national upheaval that had prompted his abrupt release.

Varnávas (Greece) (AFP) – Drone images show the burnt-out landscape in Varnavas and Penteli in Greece, where recent wildfires destroyed 10,000 hectares of land, forced thousands to flee their homes and claimed one life.

Bangkok (AFP) – Thailand’s Constitutional Court’s decision to sack Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin throws the kingdom into fresh political turmoil. The judges ruled 5-4 that Srettha breached regulations by appointing a cabinet minister with a criminal conviction.

Geneva (AFP) – The World Health Organization says that the mpox surge in Africa is now a global public health emergency, sounding its highest possible alarm over the worsening situation.

New Delhi (AFP) – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends celebrations at New Delhi’s Red Fort to mark the 77th anniversary of the country’s independence.

London (AFP) – Chatting and laughing, drinks in hand, around 70 young women have gathered in a London pub with one aim: to find the ideal housemates. Most would like to live alone, but this is widely impossible in a city plagued by high rents. Instead they have signed up and paid for an event designed to fast-track a search process that can take months.