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'World failing' on COVID-19, WHO chief says at delayed Tokyo Olympics
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said an uneven vaccine rollout risked worsening the crisis, but hoped the Olympics could be a 'message of hope' to a pandemic-weary world.
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'Boring' but 'important': Biden hits six-month mark at White House
On Tuesday, when the 78-year-old Biden brought his cabinet together to mark six months in office, he reiterated some of the key themes of his presidency, which he has been hammering home since January. He said the United States was in a "defining competition" with countries such as China that "believe autocracy is the future."
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World's richest man Jeff Bezos blasts into space
The flawless 10-minute hop from a west Texas base to beyond the Karman line - the internationally recognised boundary marking the start of space - and back again to the surface for a gentle desert landing minted four new astronauts, including the oldest and youngest ever.
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EU slams Erdogan's 'unacceptable' push to open Cyprus ghost town
EU top diplomat Josep Borrell said plans announced by Erdogan and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar to further open the former resort, abandoned since Ankara's 1974 invasion of the island, "constitutes an unacceptable unilateral decision".
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Chinese city battered by storms as subway floods
At least one person died and two more were missing since heavy rain began battering Zhengzhou on Monday, according to the state-run People's Daily, which reported that houses have collapsed.
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Iraq reels as 36 killed in IS suicide blast on eve of Eid festival
The bloody carnage Monday evening, one of the deadliest attacks in years in the war-scarred country, killed mostly women and children on the eve of Eid al-Adha, the Muslim festival of sacrifice.
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COVID-19 UPDATE: The latest figures from the worst-hit nations
The toll of coronavirus infections and deaths worldwide and in the worst-affected countries based on AFP tallies, as of 20 July at 1000 GMT.
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India's COVID-19 deaths 10 times higher than reported: study
The Center for Global Development study's estimate is the highest yet for the carnage in the South Asian nation of 1.3 billion people, which is emerging from a devastating surge partly fuelled by the Delta variant in April and May.
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China denies Microsoft hack, condemns US allies
The United States on Monday accused Beijing of carrying out the cyber attack on Microsoft and charged four Chinese nationals over the 'malicious' hack in March.
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International community calls for 'urgent end' to Taliban offensive
Fighting, meanwhile, continued in Afghanistan, with both the Taliban and government claiming gains in various parts of the country.
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First felon sentenced for Capitol riots gets eight-month term
Paul Hodgkins, 38, illegally entered the Capitol - the citadel of US democracy in Washington - with eye goggles, rope and latex gloves as members of Congress gathered for a vote certifying the victory of president-elect Joe Biden, court documents said.
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Delta surge forces fresh virus restrictions as England embraces 'Freedom Day'
The virus has killed more than four million people since first emerging in China in late 2019, and attempts to halt its spread are being hampered by mutations creating highly contagious variants such as Delta, first seen in India.
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Global markets sink on resurgent virus fears
The spreading Delta virus variant fuelled fears it could undermine economic recovery.
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Barrier Reef outlook poor despite coral 'recovery': scientists
The Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) said the corals were currently in a "recovery window" after a reprieve that followed a decade of harmful heat stress and cyclones. But such opportunities were becoming rarer due to the impact of climate change, the government agency, which has monitored the reef for 35 years, said in its annual report released Monday.
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Melbourne extends lockdown as Australia fails to stop outbreak
About 12 million people are under lockdown in Melbourne and Sydney, where a month of restrictions has failed to quash an outbreak of the Delta variant.
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Merkel visits 'surreal' flood zone as death toll rises
Wearing hiking boots and offering pandemic-safe fist bumps to rescue workers, Merkel walked through the village of Schuld in Rhineland-Palatinate state, one of the two hardest-hit regions in western Germany.
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England lifts COVID-19 curbs as scientists warn of surge in cases
Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is self-isolating after his health minister was infected, urged the public to remain prudent and for any laggards to join the two-thirds of UK adults who are now fully vaccinated.
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South African cases spark cluster scare in Olympic Village
South Africa's rugby sevens coach Neil Powell tested positive and is in isolation in the Japanese town where the squad are training. Players Thabiso Monyane and Kamohelo Mahlatsi and analyst Mario Masha are also in isolation after testing positive, Team South Africa said, adding that the whole delegation had been following anti-coronavirus rules.
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Police fire rubber bullets, tear gas at protesters denouncing Thai PM
The kingdom is currently battling its worst COVID-19 wave, registering daily case records as hospitals buckle under pressure.
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Merkel sees 'surreal' wreckage as Europe flood death toll tops 180
Merkel, who is retiring from politics after September's elections, listened to the accounts of residents where the swollen Ahr river swept away houses and left debris piled high in the streets.
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UK's Boris Johnson to self-isolate after minister's COVID-19 infection
Johnson and finance minister Rishi Sunak were both designated contacts of a COVID positive person but are taking part in a government pilot scheme that enables them to continue working.
