A Japanese inventor is turning soil into a source of electricity

A Japanese designer has developed a technology that generates tiny amounts of electricity from everyday materials such as soil, water, food and construction waste.

Ricky Gervais’ Netflix Animated Comedy ‘Alley Cats’ Is Surprisingly Bittersweet: TV Review

To kick off the third episode of the Netflix animated comedy “Alley Cats,” protagonist Gus — an overweight orange tabby voiced by writer, creator and frequent director Ricky Gervais (think Garfield with a distinctly working class British accent) — describes his plan for the

Meet Nicolaas Schmidt, the German Filmmaker Who Thinks “Plain Banality Is Stimulating as F***”

Ahead of the Locarno premiere of his debut feature 'September Afternoon,' the young creative who loves "dead time" discusses his unique film language and resisting uniformity.

As many Europeans jet off for the summer, how many citizens can't afford a holiday away?

The number of EU citizens who can afford a week off varies across the bloc, with the rising costs of accommodation, transport, and food cited as reasons for holiday poverty.

Netflix Just Quietly Released the Best Steven Spielberg Sci-Fi Thriller That Spielberg Never Made

The Last House from director Louis Leterrier is a must-watch that perfectly executes Steven Spielberg's signature blend of the mundane and miraculous.

‘The Last House’ Review: Wagner Moura and Greta Lee Bring Conviction to a Suitably Stifling Stay-at-Home Thriller

A decade or so ago, the premise of apocalyptic thriller “The Last House” might have sounded a little more out there than it does now: A middle-class Seattle family wakes up one morning to find themselves sealed inside their house with no means of escape, a mysterious enforced

Watch Role Model Debut Reflective Song ‘Harmony’ on ‘Fallon’

The musician's third album, Chuck Timely & the Hourglass , is out today

Africa: Africa CDC and WHO Call for Urgent, Community-Led Action to Contain Ebola in the DR Congo

[WHO] The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have called for an urgent scale-up of the community-led Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), with stronger early detection, contact follow

Africa: Cameroon Set Up Quarter-Final Clash With Nigeria After Cape Verde Stalemate

[CAF] Cameroon secured top spot in Group D after playing out a 1-1 draw with Cape Verde in their final TotalEnergies CAF Women's Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026 group-stage match in Casablanca on Thursday.

Former South African hunting reserve reopens as luxury safari retreat

All of the tented suites at Sandringham Private Game Reserve in South Africa have private pools from which you can enjoy views of the wildlife by the Timbavati River.

Africa: All of Africa Today - August 7, 2026

[allAfrica]

Africa: Why Do Most African Countries Stay with the ICC?

[DW] A new wave of African withdrawals has swept through the International Criminal Court. Chad turned its back on the court after three junta-led states in the Sahel exited. But most African countries still trust The Hague.

One in six people use tobacco or related products daily

In 2025, 16.5% of people 16 years or older in the EU used tobacco and related products (e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches or heated tobacco products) daily, indicating a slight decrease from the 17.5% registered in 2022. Most people (77.5%) do not use such products or had not used

Moment earthquake shakes hospital operating room in Japan

Security camera footage shows doctors shielding a patient on the operating table as last month's magnitude 6.8 quake shook Kumamoto General Hospital.

90,000 rubber ducks race down Chicago River for charity

Rubber ducks race down Chicago River in the annual Ducky Derby, raising funds for Special Olympics Illinois and its athletes.

Thai police say gunman killed grandparents before deadly school shooting, 26 rounds fired

At least seven people were killed before the gunman fatally shot himself.

3 arrested in Malaysian checkpoint for creating fake immigration movement records

The suspects, aged between 33 and 41, were arrested during an operation on Aug 6.

‘La Koreana,’ a Banner New Talent Title From Spain, Brought to Market at Locarno by Producers Lazona Zinema and Estibaliz Urresola’s Sirimiri (EXCLUSIVE)

Sirimiri Films, founded by Estibaliz Urresola, director of Berlinale winner “20,000 Species of Bees,” is teaming with Lazona Zinema, the Basque division of Lazona (“Spanish Affair,” “Gigantes,” “No Rest for the Wicked”) to produce “La Koreana,” one of Spain’s banner new talent

Hear Madonna and Kylie Minogue Team Up for ‘Love Sensation (Afterhours Mix)’

The pop duo teased the track during a live performance in Amsterdam earlier this month

Camels find unlikely home in outback Australia

Far from their origins in the Arabian desert, hundreds of thousands of camels roam outback Australia, where they are used for wild races, an alternative milk source and even to make beer.

Europe’s dry riverbeds and scorched earth – in pictures

Europe continues to struggle with the effects of extreme hot weather that has caused wildfires and droughts across the continent Continue reading...

South Korean satellite captures before and after views of SpaceX rocket's moon crash

A South Korean satellite has captured the first pictures of the moon's fresh crash scene caused by a stray SpaceX rocket.

EU receives €1.4 billion in revenue from immobilized Russian assets to be used for supporting Ukraine

On 3 August, the European Union received €1.4 billion in windfall profits generated by the interest on the cash balances originating from immobilized assets of the Central Bank of Russia (CBR) held by Central Securities Depositories (CSDs). The receipt of this amount marks the

South Korea recovers landmines believed to have washed from North by monsoon floods

The Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), splitting the Koreas since their 1950-53 war ended with an armistice, is one of the most heavily mined places on Earth.

Locarno’s Alliance 4 Development Welcomes Queer Musical, Eco Body Horror and Bruce LaBruce’s Melodrama with Monica Bellucci and Béatrice Dalle

Alliance 4 Development, Locarno’s co-development platform for film projects from Austria, France, Germany and Switzerland, has presented this year’s projects. The line-up includes Bruce LaBruce’s first French-led feature, “Third Take.” It’s a “female melodrama” starring Monica

‘The Traitors’ India Season 2 Unveils Trailer With Karan Johar and 21-Celebrity Cast (EXCLUSIVE)

Prime Video India has unveiled the trailer for the second season of “The Traitors,” the unscripted celebrity competition series hosted by Karan Johar, set to debut exclusively on the platform on Aug. 13. New episodes will drop every Thursday. Filmed against the backdrop of

Malaysian court postpones graft proceedings against former PM Ismail Sabri to Aug 27 due to health reasons

The 66-year-old had reportedly been scheduled to be charged at 9am on Friday (Aug 7) at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act.

Famed South Korean army stew franchise files for court rehabilitation

The filing comes after years of weak financial performance.

‘Waste colonialism’ – the Turkish city carrying the weight of Britain’s pollution problem

In this week’s newsletter: a Guardian investigation reveals that the UK exported 139,000 tonnes of rubbish to poor districts in Adana, where farmers are left to cope with microplastics, toxic smoke, and debris • Don’t get Down to Earth delivered to your inbox? Sign up here A

Australia grants citizenship to two Iranian women footballers who sought asylum

The Refugee Council of Australia, a nonprofit umbrella organisation representing asylum-seekers, said refugees usually must live in Australia on a valid visa for four years before they can apply for citizenship.

Belgian zoo offers safe haven for threatened bird species

A Belgian zoo is doing its bit to help save a bird species threatened with extinction. Once a familiar sight in Belgian meadows and fields, the Northern Lapwing has experienced a significant decline in recent decades. Between 2007 and 2018, the lapwing population declined by

Aymar Esse, Director of Locarno Open Doors World Premiere ‘My Father’s Kora,’ Explores the Challenges of Queer Identity in Senegal

“My Father’s Kora” (“La Kora de Mon Père”), a Benin-Switzerland-Germany production, will have its world premiere Aug. 9 at Locarno’s Open Doors section, which has focused on 42 countries of the African continent since 2025. The film follows Souleymane Everston Adowo

Political struggle of far-right ally Smotrich shows faultline in Netanyahu coalition

By Emily Rose BEIT EL, West Bank, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich faces a fight for political survival in elections in October after angering his fellow West Bank settlers by voting not to punish ultra-Orthodox Jews who refuse to serve in

Indonesia traps monkey to end rampage that wounded 18 people

A town official urged residents to remain cautious as the monkey might have been part of a gang.

Admission fees for South Korea’s royal palaces and Joseon tombs to rise from Jan 2027

Admission fees for the palaces and royal tombs have remained unchanged since 2005.

Pacific nations fail to agree on statement condemning China missile test

Drones: Playing an 'ever more important role in Europe’s economy and security'

Drone technologies are evolving quickly and that future EU action should prioritize its ability to detect, prevent and respond to malicious activities in the European airspace. That is the key message in an opinion adopted by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)

South Korea recovers landmines washed from North by floods

Some 800,000 landmines are estimated to be buried around the Demilitarised Zone.

North Koreans urged to beat heat with dog-meat soup

SEOUL, Aug 7 - As the Korean Peninsula swelters through a heat wave, North Korean state media has touted everything from dog-meat soup to chicken broth as ways to cope, while portraying Kim Jong Un as a leader who endures harsh conditions alongside his people.

Sam Neill will reportedly star in the forthcoming The Legend of Zelda film

It'll be among the late actor's final screen performances.

More than 160 styles and a tasting for all the senses: Beer's Old and New Worlds

On International Beer Day, this age-old drink increasingly asserts itself as a complex, diverse universe, with over 160 styles and sensory richness that goes far beyond casual drinking.

The beetle that hears fire: why it is so valuable to science

The black pine jewel beetle is drawn to forest fires. This seeming paradox actually aids woodland recovery and inspires new early wildfire detection tech.

The beetle that hears fire: why it is so valuable for science

The black pine jewel beetle flies deliberately towards forest fires. What sounds paradoxical at first helps the ecosystem recover and inspires new technologies for early fire detection.

Africa: FIFA Executives Rally Behind Infantino Despite Commercial Plan Fiasco

[RFI] Gianni Infantino's position as world football's most powerful administrator appeared more secure on Thursday after senior Fifa executives backed him to remain president despite his failed attempt to overhaul the commercial operations behind competitions including the

US and ASEAN chair reiterate call for Myanmar to release Aung San Suu Kyi

The Philippines is the chair of the 11-member ASEAN in 2026.

Troops deployed in Sri Lanka to contain prison unrest

Officials have attributed the growing unrest to overcrowding in Sri Lanka’s prisons.

Africa: First mRNA Flu Shot Approved By FDA Bodes Well for Improving Drugs of the Future - Though a Few Hurdles Remain Before mNRA Can Move Beyond Vaccines

[The Conversation Africa] Vaccines have been reliably and affordably protecting people from diseases worldwide for centuries. Until the COVID-19 pandemic, however, vaccine development was still a long and idiosyncratic process. Traditionally, researchers had to tailor

How Europe’s drought exposes ‘weakness of fossil fuels’ as Poland forced to shut down coal plants

Poland has been forced to reduce output on its coal-fired power plants following critically low water levels in the Vistula River.