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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.
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At least 23 killed in landslide, wall collapse in India monsoon rains
Seventeen bodies had been recovered from the rubble after a falling tree demolished a wall in the eastern suburb of Chembur, burying residents.
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Merkel to visit flood zone as western Europe death toll tops 180
At least 156 people have died since Wednesday in Germany's worst flooding in living memory, police said in an update Sunday morning.
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Why have the floods in Europe been so deadly?
With more than 150 people dead and the toll still climbing, many are asking: How did this happen and why has it been so bad?
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Biden says social media misinformation on COVID 'killing people'
The White House is turning up the pressure on social media companies to weed out what officials say is widely spread misinformation on coronavirus vaccinations.
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Pilgrims arrive in Mecca for second pandemic hajj
The kingdom is allowing only 60,000 fully vaccinated residents to take part, seeking to repeat last year's success that saw no virus outbreak during the five-day ritual.
