World News Hub

In Paris, tourists increasingly choose bikes to explore the city

On the streets of Paris, there are more and more bicycles, and tourists have a lot to do with it: bike tours have boomed in recent years.

Rescuers call for silence around earthquake rubble as window for survival narrows in Colombia

Rescuers in Colombia are racing against time to find survivors after a devastating 7.4-magnitude earthquake hit the country on Monday

‘Birmingham Four’ lawyers hope spycops inquiry will reopen case

Undercover officers working for West Midlands’ ‘special projects team’ planted evidence to convict men, lawyers claimLawyers representing four men convicted of terror offences are increasingly hopeful that revelations from the undercover policing inquiry could boost the chances of their case being reopened.Ten years ago, Khobaib Hussain, Naweed Ali, Mohibur Rahman and Tahir Aziz were arrested and ...

Zambian president Hichilema votes as he seeks second term

Zambian president Hakainde Hichilema has cast his vote in the capital Lusaka, as he bids for a second term.

Presidential pardon for French alleged spy accused of plotting Mali coup

France is yet to comment on Yann Vezilier's pardon and previously called the accusations "unfounded".

UK records hottest day of year as fifth summer heatwave reaches peak

Kew Gardens in London hits 38.1C and 40C-plus recorded in parts of Europe with continent trapped under heat domeEurope heatwave – latest updatesThe UK has recorded its hottest day of the year so far with a provisional temperature of 38.1C in southern England as Europe sweltered under a major heat dome.As temperatures on the continent surpassed 40C at the peak of the summer’s fifth heatwave, the th...

UK records hottest day of the year as fifth summer heatwave reaches peak

Kew Gardens in London hits 38.1C and 40C-plus expected in parts of Europe with continent trapped under heat domeEurope heatwave – latest updatesThe UK has recorded its hottest day of the year so far with a provisional temperature of 38.1C in southern England as Europe sweltered under a major heat dome.As temperatures on the continent approached 40C at the peak of the summer’s fifth heatwave, the t...

Ukraine needs 5% of US Patriot stocks just to get through winter, Zelenskyy says

Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv currently receives only 1% of the interceptor missiles it needs from Washington, as Russian strikes continue to outpace the country's air defences.

Eurovision: Winners involved in 'armed conflict' now ineligible to host contest

The winning country in Eurovision will be ineligible to host the contest the following year if involved in an armed conflict or a "sensitive geopolitical situation" that could impact the safety of the event, organisers said on August 12. The rules for the contest were updated following an annual review by the European Broadcasting Union.

Hundreds of tourists rescued by boat as forest fire threatens northern Greek beaches

A fire service spokesman said the evacuation had to be by sea as the flames were getting close to the beaches.

People evacuated from beach as wildfire tears through popular Greek tourist hotspot

A total of 110 firefighters are taking part in the firefighting operation, along with three teams from the 2nd EMODE Special Forest Operations Unit and 33 fire engines.

One dead, several injured in Rotterdam port blast at Gunvor refinery

The Netherlands is investigating an explosion at the port of Rotterdam that killed one person and injured several others on Thursday, 13 August. The blast happened at about 11:30 a.m. at an oil facility in the Europoort industrial section of Europe’s largest port.

Person fined after using foghorn to wake sleeping polar bear

Under local regulations in the region, "it is forbidden to needlessly disturb, attract or pursue a polar bear".

Danube River reveals Nazi warships hidden underwater for 80 years

Oklahoma man put to death in first of three US executions scheduled on same day

If all executions go ahead, it will be first time in over 15 years there have been over three judicial killings in US in one dayCarlos Cuesta-Rodriguez has been put to death by the state of Oklahoma, in the first of three executions scheduled for Thursday in a rare triple procedure that underlines the renewed appetite in the US for state killings.Cuesta-Rodriguez, 70, was pronounced dead at 10:13a...

Carlos Cuesta-Rodriguez put to death by Oklahoma in first of three executions scheduled on same day

If all executions go ahead, it will be first time in over 15 years there have been over three judicial killings in US in one dayCarlos Cuesta-Rodriguez has been put to death by the state of Oklahoma, in the first of three executions scheduled for Thursday in a rare triple procedure that underlines the renewed appetite in the US for state killings.Cuesta-Rodriguez, 70, was sentenced to death for mu...

Europe heatwave live: UK sees temperatures of 38.1C, the hottest day of 2026; Greece battles gale force winds, sparking fears about wildfires

A former UK government scientific adviser warned amid the ‘shattering’ heat that worse is still to comeMet Office has just offered an update on temperatures across the UK, with several stations already reporting temperatures above 30C – and it’s not even 11am.It’s 30.4C in Wych Cross, 30.3C in Charlwood, 30.2C at Kenly Airfield. Continue reading...

Will all-out war in Yemen reignite as the Houthis escalate attacks?

Analysts say Saudi Arabia is strengthening its position with regional allies as the Houthis increase their attacks.

Hong Kong public rental housing wait edges up to 4.8 years, urban allocations rise

The composite waiting time for general applicants for long- and short-term subsidised public rental housing in Hong Kong has edged up slightly to 4.8 years at the end of June, authorities have said, adding that a higher proportion of coveted homes in urban areas was allocated in the second quarter. Despite an increase in the “composite” figure, which includes temporary flats under the light public...

Long- and short-term public rental housing wait in Hong Kong edges up to 4.8 years

The composite waiting time for general applicants for long- and short-term subsidised public rental housing in Hong Kong has edged up slightly to 4.8 years by the end of June, authorities have said, adding that a higher proportion of coveted homes in urban areas was allocated in the second quarter. Despite an increase in the “composite” figure, which includes temporary flats under the light public...

Long and short-term public rental housing wait in Hong Kong edges up to 4.8 years

The composite waiting time for general applicants for long- and short-term subsidised public rental housing in Hong Kong has edged up slightly to 4.8 years by the end of June, authorities have said, adding that a higher proportion of coveted homes in urban areas was allocated in the second quarter. Despite an increase in the “composite” figure, which includes temporary flats under the light public...

Who is Yalda Moaiery? Iranian photojournalist sentenced to 15 years over images, reporting

‘The colander worked best!’ Guardian readers share their experience of the solar eclipse

Readers recall the breathtaking sight and community spirit of the rare celestial treat – and the handmade contraptions they saw it throughOn Wednesday evening, millions of people in Europe watched a rare solar eclipse. We asked some of them to share their photographs and experiences of this celestial treat. Here are some of their responses. Continue reading...

Gaza's beekeepers are rebuilding their livelihoods amid the ruins of war

Amid the rubble and debris of Gaza's bombed-out landscape, beekeepers are rebuilding their livelihoods, handling swarms and collecting what little honey they can from the colonies that survived the war. Ibrahim al-Dabbeh, head of the Cooperative Association of Beekeepers in the Gaza Strip says "the war destroyed more than 95% of the bee sector". Rebuilding these hives means trying to revive an ind...

Heatwave: European rivers face historic drought

From the Loire to the Danube, via the Rhine and the Po, European rivers are facing exceptionally low water levels. After a start to the summer marked by record temperatures, the drought is threatening river transport, energy production, ecosystems and water supplies.