Amman (AFP) – The UK’s Development Minister Anneliese Dodds expresses the government’s concern over a possible escalation of conflict in the Middle East. “An escalation of the conflict would be in no one’s interest,” she says during a trip to Jordan, where she is visiting a UN warehouse containing aid for Gaza.
London (AFP) – Thousands of anti-racism demonstrators took to the streets around the UK on 7 August to oppose days of far-right violence that has placed police on high alert and resulted in hundreds of arrests. In cities around the country, including London and Birmingham, demonstrations were organised near migrant support centres after lists of potential locations were shared on social media by right-wing activist groups.
El Bajo (Venezuela) (AFP) – A putrid smell hangs over the black-stained shores of Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela, where an oil slick is emblematic of the steep decline in the country’s once-enviable petroleum industry. N°364M2TN
Rio de Janeiro (AFP) – Images of a fire in the Pavao-Pavaozinho favela in Copacabana, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. IMAGES
Copenhagen (AFP) – A Danish court has handed a four-month prison sentence to a man who punched Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and ordered him deported following the term’s completion. The 39-year-old Polish man, who has lived in Denmark for five years, assaulted Frederiksen in a Copenhagen square in June, following a spate of attacks on politicians across the spectrum ahead of EU Parliament elections.
Balkhash (Kazakhstan) (AFP) – One of the world’s most unique waterways, Kazakhstan’s Lake Balkhash is home to an abundance of rare aquatic species. Increasingly, however, the “pearl of Kazakhstan” is facing the combined threat of climate change and pollution.
Undisclosed (Ukraine) (AFP) – Vitaliy Asinenko keeps a watchful eye on the sky as his team fixes overhead powerlines in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, a constant target for Russian attacks. The head of the regional branch of a power company says his team is always on high alert and ready to jump into action despite the very real dangers of a war zone.
La Estrella (Spain) (AFP) – Working through the night, firefighters in the central Spanish province of Toledo tackle a blaze that regional authorities say has already swept through more than 700 hectares. As of yet, the cause of the fire remains unknown, and several local municipalities have been placed under lockdown, with a high level of alert in place.
Pointe-à-Pitre (AFP) – Crowds pack the streets of Point-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe’s main city, to welcome French judo legend Teddy Riner. who has won his fourth and fifth gold medals at the Paris Olympics. The 35-year-old 11-time world champion, who is the world’s most decorated judoka, claimed individual heavyweight and mixed team gold medals.
Annapolis (United States) (AFP) – US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warns both Iran and Israel to avoid actions that “raise the risk of dangerous outcomes” in the Middle East. Iran has vowed a response after Israel’s suspected killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, an assassination at which US President Joe Biden has hinted at frustration.
