Paris (AFP) – United States basketball fans celebrate after their Olympic men’s team reached the tournament final, beating Serbia in a nail-biting semi-final. US icon Steph Curry scored 36 points as his team came back from a losing position to win by just four points. The victory sets up a gold medal showdown with Olympic hosts France on 10 August.
Moscow (AFP) – Despite being hundreds of miles from the front lines of Russia’s campaign in Ukraine, young people in Moscow are still navigating a minefield: the world of dating. Like other aspects of life, the dating scene has become increasingly defined by the conflict, with opposing political views often standing in the way of connection.
Mian Channu (Pakistan) (AFP) – Supporters and family members of Pakistani athlete Arshad Nadeem celebrate in his home village of Mian Channu after he wins the Olympic men’s javelin title. It is Pakistan’s first individual gold at a Summer Games.
Great Barrier Reef (Australia) (AFP) – For the past decade, water temperatures along Australia’s famed Great Barrier Reef have been the warmest in 400 years, according to a major study in Nature. The science journal says it’s most likely down to human-induced climate change.
Tehama (United States) (AFP) – Firefighters in California battle the state’s largest blaze of 2024, which has prompted thousands of evacuations and burned an area larger than the city of Los Angeles. The Park Fire outside of Chico has been raging since late July.
Dhaka (AFP) – Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus was sworn into office Thursday as Bangladesh’s interim leader, vowing to guide the country back to democracy after a student-led uprising ended the 15-year rule of Sheikh Hasina.
Caracas (AFP) – Venezuelans prepare to hold a vigil in the capital Caracas, calling for political prisoners to be freed in the country. Venezuela’s election authority declared President Nicolas Maduro the winner of the July 28 vote despite not releasing detailed results, sparking protests that have left at least 24 people dead. IMAGES
Brighton (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Images captured in Brighton, southern England, on 7 August show police officers escorting a small number of anti-immigration protesters away from a larger anti-racism demonstration, on an evening in which a wave of anticipated street violence failed to materialise. Around 100 far-right and counter protests were advertised on social media and thousands of specialist police officers were put on standby ahead of potential clashes.
Paris (AFP) – The captains of the French and Spanish men’s Olympic football teams say they are gunning for the gold medal, on the eve of the final. Spain’s Abel Ruiz describes the possibility as a “huge dream”, while Franc’s Alexandre Lacazette says “the fact that we’re here is down to our belief.”
Vienna (AFP) – The Vienna leg of Taylor Swift’s mammoth tour has been cancelled after Austrian police uncovered and disrupted a terror plot targeting one of the three shows set to be held in the city. Authorities say a 19-year-old man, who had sworn allegiance to Islamic State, has been arrested, with police finding chemicals at his home. A second man believed to have contacted the suspect has also been arrested.
