A man leapt from his surfboard on to a shark that was attacking his wife, repeatedly punching the animal until it let go, Australian media report. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-53792016

Coronavirus digest: Spain, Italy shut nightclubs to stem infections. The two countries have tightened their coronavirus measures to prevent crowds of revelers from passing on the virus during nights out. - https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-digest-spain-italy-shut-nightclubs-to-stem-infections/a-54589088

2020 may set EU record for cocaine seizures. Despite the global pandemic, it's shaping up to be a record year for cocaine smuggling in the European Union. Authorities in Berlin say they're struggling to tackle "coke taxis" delivering drugs to people's doorsteps. - https://www.dw.com/en/2020-may-set-eu-record-for-cocaine-seizures/a-54585695

A Japanese bulk carrier that ran aground on a reef in Mauritius last month threatening a marine ecological disaster around the Indian Ocean island has broken apart, authorities said on Saturday.
The condition of the MV Wakashio was worsening early on Saturday and it split by the afternoon, the Mauritius National Crisis Committee said. - https://www.france24.com/en/20200815-japanese-ship-leaking-tons-of-oil-off-mauritius-has-broken-in-two

The MV Wakashio just broke into two pieces off the coast of Mauritius and now the front part is being towed and will be sunk "at least 1,000 kilometers" off the island. - Slideshow, check it out. https://www.instagram.com/p/CD6qQJSJLYw/

In South Africa, which is five months into one of the world’s longest and strictest lockdowns, those restrictions finally were bringing signs of progress.
With the number of new cases declining and other indicators showing that South Africa has passed its first peak, the country on Tuesday will resume sales of liquor and cigarettes, and allow bars, restaurants, gyms, places of worship and other venues to reopen, all with distancing requirements. Schools are set to reopen gradually beginning next week. https://apnews.com/5301598bd1bd569d5e4b72d937eddca5

Telegram rocks!! We use it since the WApp got purchased by Facebook. To circumvent the shutdown, many Belarusians turned to free anonymizing tools and virtual private networks like Telegram and Psiphon, which has topped the downloads at the Google app store in the days since the vote. Psiphon saw its regular daily users in Belarus skyrocket in just one day — from 10,000 ahead of the election to more than a million. - https://www.dw.com/en/in-belarus-privacy-apps-help-resist-internet-shutdown/a-54560843

Face masks will need to be worn "systematically" in workplaces starting in September to contain an alarming rise in Covid-19 infections, the French government announced on Tuesday.
When people return to work in September after the summer holidays, the use of masks will be made "systematic" in all indoor work spaces, including meeting rooms, corridors and open-plan offices, Labour Minister Élisabeth Borne said - https://www.france24.com/en/20200818-france-mulls-mandatory-masks-at-work-to-contain-spike-in-infections

Mauritian authorities on Tuesday arrested the Indian captain of a Japanese-owned ship wrecked off the island nation's coast, spewing tonnes of oil into pristine waters, police said.
The MV Wakashio ran aground on a coral reef on July 25 and began oozing oil more than a week later, spilling more than 1,000 tonnes into blue waters popular among honeymooners and tourists. - https://www.france24.com/en/20200818-mauritius-arrests-captain-of-ship-that-caused-major-oil-spill-after-running-aground

CDC on Tuesday said the number of deaths due to the new coronavirus had risen by 520 to 169,870 and reported 5,422,242 cases, an increase of 40,117 cases from its previous count

John Kerry: ‘Donald Trump inherited a growing economy and a more peaceful world and, like everything he inherited, he bankrupted it’ - https://twitter.com/nowthisnews/status/1295915902077210625

A doctor checking comatose COVID-19 patients for signs of a stroke instead stumbled onto a new clue about how the virus may harm the lungs — thanks to a test that used tiny air bubbles and a robot. - https://www.apnews.com/586d95c9d56afa220a7905cc00b63b0b

Germany has logged its highest number of new cases since May, the latest in a sustained increase of figures. There were 1,510 new cases in the past 24 hours, reported the country's public health body, the Robert Koch Institute. The number was last higher on May 1, with over 1,600 new infections.
Chancellor Angela Merkel has blamed the rise on increased mobility, including summer travel, and more contact between people. She called on Germans to stick to regulations to stop figures rising.
So far, the country has logged at total of over 228,000 cases and 9,246 deaths. - https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-digest-germany-cases-at-highest-level-in-months/a-54618997

Heavy seasonal rains wreaked havoc along the Yangtze river and across China, according to reports on Wednesday.
Some 100,000 people have been evacuated from the cities of Leshan and Ya'an, in worst-hit Sichuan province, as water levels rose and concerns grew over safety.
Flood waters also threatened UNESCO world heritage site, the Leshan Buddha – a 71-meter (233-foot) -tall statue carved into the side of a mountain that overlooks three converging rivers. - https://www.dw.com/en/china-floods-sichuan-buddha/a-54622058

Trump on Wednesday discouraged Americans from purchasing Goodyear tires after it was reported that company employees in Kansas were told not to wear “Make America Great Again” attire or other politically-affiliated gear. - https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/512690-trump-urges-boycott-of-goodyear-tires-after-maga-attire-report

Germany: Dogs must be walked twice a day under new rule
"Pets are not cuddly toys," German Agricultural Minister Julia Klöckner said. The new rules, if passed, would also limit the number of dogs owned by breeders and introduce maximum temperature for pets' living quarters. - https://www.dw.com/en/germany-dogs-must-be-walked-twice-a-day-under-new-rule/a-54627195

France has reported a sharp rise in the number of coronavirus cases - 4,771 - up a thousand on Wednesday's figure. It is the first time more than 4,000 daily cases have been seen since May.
Meanwhile Spain, Germany and Italy have also recorded their highest numbers of cases since late April or May. - https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53856609

A plane with German specialists and equipment necessary to transfer Navalny landed at Omsk airport on Friday morning, prepared to take the politician to a top clinic in Berlin. But doctors at the Siberian hospital said his condition was too unstable to transport him. - https://apnews.com/82f110b286b9ed01d2fecda3dcb25c70

Coronavirus cases linked to the Sturgis motorcycle rally in South Dakota last week have now reached across state lines to Nebraska, public health officials said.
At least seven Covid-19 cases in Nebraska's Panhandle region have been tied to the rally - https://edition.cnn.com/2020/08/21/us/sturgis-motorcyle-rally-sd-covid-nebraska-trnd/index.html

"Helpless Means You Can't Do Anything. There's a Lot We Can Do."
In an interview with DER SPIEGEL, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Donald Trump's pandemic adviser, discusses the anger of his opponents, his relationship with the president, mistakes made in the effort to contain the spread of COVID-19 and his cautious optimism that a vaccine will be available soon. - https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/anthony-fauci-helpless-means-you-can-t-do-anyting-there-s-a-lot-we-can-do-a-211cdaf5-d0b1-41f4-b62c-25b76f4d8828