24 hours in pictures, 3 August 2026

We bring you a visual snapshot of the day’s news events, featuring circus performers from The Royal Countess Zingara supporting the 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day Secret Scarves Shh… campaign by knitting scarves for nurses at the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital, firefighters battling a fast-moving wildfire on the slopes of Table Mountain in Cape Town, and models showcasing the latest creations by South African designers during Braam Fashion Week 2026 in Johannesburg. These are some of the compelling images from around the world. A Virgin Mary statue remains untouched in front of a burned out residential home in the Balboa neighborhood of Spokane, Washington, on August 2, 2026.

Fast-moving fires left a trail of destruction in the northwestern US city of Spokane on Sunday, with officials reporting hundreds of structures reduced to cinders. Thousands of people were ordered to evacuate their homes Saturday and overnight into Sunday, as three separate fires broke out in and around the city in the east of Washington state. (Photo by Erick Doxey / AFP) Inspired by the Secret Scarves Shh… campaign, a nationwide winter warmth project by 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day, the cast and crew of The Royal Countess Zingara picked up their knitting needles to make warm scarves for nurses at the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital, one of the charities The Royal Countess Zingara proudly supports.

Aerial artist Jenny le Roux poses upside down, 30 July 2026, with some of the scarves, adding a little circus flair. The Royal Countess Zingara is currently at Melrose Arch until December 2026. Picture: Michel Bega/The Citizen Neutral Athlete artistic swimmer Vasilina Khandoshka competes in the women’s solo free artistic swimming final event during the LEN European Aquatics Championships, at the Olympic Aquatics Centre in Saint-Denis, northeastern suburbs of Paris, on August 3, 2026.

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(Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP) A fire rages on the side of Table Mountain in Cape Town on August 2, 2026. Cape Town firefighters are battling a raging blaze that is moving towards the peak of Table Mountain. (Photo by GIANLUIGI GUERCIA / AFP) Vusumuzi “Cat” Matlala, his wife Tsakani Matlala, Musa Kekana, Tiego Floyd Mabusela and Nthabiseng Zandile Nzama appear before the Gauteng Division of the High Court in Johannesburg on 3 August 2026.

The five accused are standing trial on charges relating to the attempted murders of businessman Joe Sibanyoni and five others, media personality Tebogo Thobejane and three others, and musician DJ Vettys and two others. Picture: Lerato Thooe Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Mr David Maynier wave with the overwintering team during a send-off of the SA Agulhas II to Marion Island at V&A Waterfront on August 03, 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa. The overwintering team seeks to advance South Africa’s internationally respected scientific and research work in the Southern Ocean.

(Photo by Gallo Images/Misha Jordaan) A devotee dressed as the Hindu goddess Kali takes part in a procession during the Bonalu Festival at the Sri Ujjaini Mahakali Temple in Secunderabad on August 3, 2026. (Photo by Noah SEELAM / AFP) This aerial view shows a hot-air balloon during the International Cantoya Festival in Patzcuaro, Michoacan State, Mexico on August 1, 2026. (Photo by Enrique Castro / AFP) A man walks along a destroyed road in Uki, Kumamoto prefecture on August 3, 2026, following the July 28 earthquake.

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