World

Dr Angelique Coetzee is a GP in the South African capital Pretoria, where she has run a family clinic for the past 33 years. But she has never known anything like COVID-19. She said: “If you have never been in such a situation, you can’t imagine what it is like. We’ve been dealing with 30

Parts of China have been hit by “the heaviest rain in 1,000 years” – with footage showing underground train carriages filling with water. More than 20cm of rain fell on the city of Zhengzhou, Henan province, in a single hour on Tuesday. In the recent European floods, the worst-hit areas of Germany saw 18.2cm over

The Tokyo Olympics – due to begin on Friday – could be cancelled at the last minute because of rising coronavirus cases, the Games’ chief has admitted. Toshiro Muto said discussions are continuing because it is impossible to foresee what may happen with COVID-19 infections. With cases rising in the Japanese capital and a state

A teenager in Singapore has been charged with murder after a 13-year-old boy’s body was discovered in a school bathroom, along with an axe. The 16-year-old appeared in court via video link on Tuesday, and he is now being held at a medical centre for psychiatric observation. Monday’s attack caused shock in the city-state, which

Ben & Jerry’s will stop selling its ice cream in the occupied Palestinian territories. The company said sales in the territories are “inconsistent with our values”, adding that the move reflected the concerns of “fans and trusted partners”. The West Bank and east Jerusalem have been under Israeli control since 1967 and there is growing

At least 35 people are dead after a suicide bomber struck a crowded market in the Iraqi capital city of Baghdad. The bombing in the Sadr City area on Monday also injured more than 60 people, with a number of them in critical condition, according to police. It happened on the eve of the Eid

From a bridge in one the most severely flood-hit towns in Germany, we watched as the army moved heavy lifting equipment onto the bypass below. Cars and lorries were visible in the water that covered the road but after a dry, hot day the level had fallen enough for a search and clearance operation to

At least 170 people have now died following “historic” flooding across Germany and Belgium – with fears the death toll could keep rising. The search and rescue operation is continuing as the deadly flood waters recede and debris is cleared. Days of torrential downpours left rivers severely overflowing, leading to waters surging through streets –

Verviers is nicknamed the water capital of its region because the city used the River Meuse to build its wealth in the textile industry. The river flows through the centre of the Belgian town. That’s why there was so much damage when it exploded over its banks a few days ago, turning the streets into

At least 92 people have been killed and dozens are missing after catastrophic flooding across Germany and Belgium, which has left several villages cut off and sparked fears that a dam could burst. Officials have warned that communities in both countries “are still in danger” following Thursday’s catastrophe, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel expecting “many”

A rescue operation is under way to find 14 construction workers trapped by a flood in a tunnel in southern China. Search and rescue crews are pumping out water in a bid to find the workers, who have been missing since the tunnel flooded around 3.30am local time on Thursday. A team of more than

Officials in Australia are describing shark attacks as “interactions” or “negative encounters” as part of a new strategy for helping the animals to be more understood. The change in language is part of an effort to overhaul public perception of the threatened species, with authorities and scientists keen to change their long-standing image as deadly,

Brazil’s president has been admitted to hospital after suffering 10 days of unshakeable hiccups. Jair Bolsonaro, 66, went into a medical facility in Brasilia early on Wednesday and was “feeling well”, according to his office. But hours later, he was transferred to Sao Paulo to be assessed for possible emergency surgery to clear an intestinal

More than 70 people have died and major infrastructure has been damaged after days of rioting and looting in parts of South Africa. The widespread disorder has affected thousands of businesses as people have been filling up their cars and trucks with stolen food and other goods in two of the country’s nine provinces –

The number of soldiers deployed on the streets of South Africa has doubled to 5,000 as the army and police struggle to quell days of looting and violence. President Cyril Ramaphosa is considering boosting troop numbers even more, as at least 72 people have been killed in the worst unrest in the country for years.

More than a quarter of the Amazon basin is now releasing more carbon than it absorbs, according to a comprehensive study. Brazilian researchers flew an aircraft over the rainforest every two weeks for nine years, taking air samples from just above the canopy all the way up to 4.5km. They found that the eastern side

You could have heard a pin drop in Rome’s fan zone as that last penalty was taken. Italy’s goalkeeper saved it and not only did the hundreds staring at the big screen go wild but so did the rest of the Italian capital and the country. People were simply ecstatic, celebrating a win they had

Novak Djokovic has won Wimbledon to match Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal’s record of 20 major titles. The 34-year-old Serbian beat Italian Matteo Berrettini in four sets – meaning he has also completed the third leg towards achieving the Golden Slam of all four slams and an Olympic gold in the same year. Berrettini, who

There are growing calls for the government to reverse its plan to slash foreign aid spending, with Bill and Melinda Gates’s organisation among those announcing it will step in to fill the gap. Labour and the Archbishop of Canterbury intensified their demands for the policy to be changed, saying the move by a consortium of

With all the hype around England it’s easy to forget there’s another team playing in the final – and Italy’s fans are just as passionate about their team winning. They are singing “Football’s coming Rome”, modifying the words of the England supporters’ ubiquitous chant ahead of the Euro 2020 final. “1-0” to Italy, says Andrea,