A baby boy hippopotamus was born at the Guadalajara Zoo in Mexico. Weighing at 30 kilos, he spends his day swimming and lounging in the sun with his mother Tami.

A baby Sumatran orangutan clings to its mother Tana at Israel's Ramat Gan Safari Park zoo. The baby was born on the 10th of July, 11 years after its father Rachamim.

Huan Huan, a giant panda on loan to France, gives birth to twin cubs in a zoo. Panda reproduction, both in captivity and the wild, is known for being a difficult task.

Firefighters work to tackle wildfires on Italy's Adriatic coast and in the Sicily region after more than 800 flare-ups were recorded in the country in one weekend. EU data show this year's fire season has been significantly more destructive than most, with experts saying that climate change is increasing both the frequency and intensity of such blazes.

Maria Licciardi, once one of Italy's most-wanted criminals, was stopped by officers as she prepared to fly to Spain from Rome's Ciampino airport. Police believe she effectively was running an influential Camorra clan.

Baby panda Xiao Qi Ji celebrates his first birthday by eating a fruitsicle cake with his mother Mei Xiang at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, DC, in front of delighted visitors.

A baby dolphin is rescued by coast guards on the Italian island of Sardinia after getting trapped in a nylon net.

Sri Lanka's main elephant orphanage recorded a rare twin birth Tuesday as a 25-year-old named Surangi delivered healthy male calves, the first elephant twins born in captivity in the country for 80 years. Official records show there are about 200 domesticated elephants in the island country and an estimated 7,500 in the wild.

Italian oil company Eni announced a huge offshore find of oil and gas resources in Ivory Coast. The discovery comes after a $185 million (€156 million) investment in energy exploration by two foreign firms.

The twin pandas born at France's Beauval zoo, who will turn two months old on October 2, have "opened their eyes recently" and now weigh more than 2.8 kg.

Italy is holding municipal elections on October 3 and 4. Voters in 1,000 constituencies are electing their representatives, including in the city of Naples, where an unusual battle is taking place between two members of the Maradona family. The iconic late Argentinian footballer, who played for Napoli from 1984 to 1991, still has a special place in the hearts of Neapolitans. With a brother and son involved in the campaign but on opposite sides, can Diego Maradona be a kingmaker from beyond the grave? Our correspondents report.

The exiled former Catalan leader has arrived in court in Sassari, Italy. He is wanted on charges of sedition over his role in Catalonia's ill-fated push for independence.