Authorities confirm worst toll in more than 20 years, as extreme temperatures in Europe force early closure of Eiffel Tower

Nearly 100 people, the largest proportion of whom were young men, died by drowning in Germany last month, authorities have said, as extreme temperatures in western Europe that have been blamed for hundreds of excess deaths geared up again.

In Germany’s worst death toll from drowning for more than two decades, 99 people died in June, according to official figures, after temperatures rose as high as 41.7C (107.1F) in some areas.

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Exclusive: Many aged care residents in Australia are charged for services they can’t use or understand, prompting an investigation from the regulator

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Jeff Gilling was surprised when he looked at the contract for the aged care home his mother, Dorothy, was about to enter.

Contained within it was a $52 daily fee for Foxtel, outings, newspapers and a choice of wines.

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Digital customs declaration to be phased in at all international airports and seaports after successful Qantas trial

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The days of filling out paper arrival cards are to end for millions of travellers arriving in Australia on international flights.

The Albanese government has announced it will roll out digital passenger cards to all Australian international airports and seaports after <a hre

Data shows the rightwing party faces an obstacle in the form of urban seats – and the effect of preference flows is harder to predict

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One Nation’s spectacular rise from a distant 6% of the vote in the last election to first or second in some recent polls has upended Australian politics. It has also made it a lot harder to predict what exactly will happen at the next election.

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President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine’s prime minister, Yuliia Svyrydenko, would step down amid a broader shake-up in Ukraine’s senior leadership.

Jannik Sinner, the world No. 1 tennis player and four-time Grand Slam champion, credits much of his drive to his parents, Johann and Siglinde Sinner. The couple worked for years at a ski lodge in the Italian Dolomites before the family established their own guest house. Johann occasionally joins Sinner on tour as a personal chef, while Siglinde is known to struggle watching her son's matches live due to nerves. Both were present at Wimbledon 2025 when Sinner defended his title.

Vital maritime corridor closes after 90 vessels – including shadow fleet oil tankers – are attacked in under a week

Russia has been forced to suspend shipping in the Sea of Azov after 90 vessels were targeted by Ukrainian drones in less than a week.

Ukraine’s drone forces chief, Robert Brovdi, said on Sunday that his units had hit 10 tankers and four ferries overnight, as well as a major oil refinery in the city of Syzran. There had been several strikes on electricity substations in occupied Crimea, he added.

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The United States Central Command said the strait “remains an international waterway. U.S. forces are positioned and prepared to keep it that way”

The Winnipeg Jets’ star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck has been linked to the Buffalo Sabres heavily in the last few weeks before the deal reportedly fell through, a few days ago. While he has since been speculated to join a number of rival teams, nothing has been confirmed yet. Amid this, the Utah Mammoth and the San Jose Sharks have emerged as top landing spots.

The Embassy added that, along with the Consulate teams and the Vietnamese authorities, it remains committed to facilitating the earliest repatriation

A newly emerged image of a PLA J-16 multirole fighter jet in a rare, heavy air‑superiority “extreme loadout” configuration points to an extension of long-range tactical capabilities, according to a Chinese military magazine. In an analysis published this month, Ordnance Science and Technology said the photo of a J‑16 carrying multiple long‑range missiles circulating in May showed that China’s air force had developed more offensive tactical capabilities. “This J-16 sortie used 10 external-weapon...

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Syria’s transitional parliament began its first session on Sunday, tasked with drafting the country’s new constitution and laying the groundwork for democracy after decades of authoritarian rule. Syria’s new authorities dissolved the country’s rubber-stamp legislature after toppling long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, and adopted a temporary constitutional declaration to cover a five-year transition period. In October last year, and in a process criticised as undemocratic, local...

The unnamed pair were found semi-conscious with 40% burns after being trapped by the blazes raging through Almeria province, local media reports.

Northeast India faces severe monsoon floods and landslides, affecting nearly 50,000 people in Assam. Rising waters have submerged villages and damaged agricultural land, impacting livelihoods. Across the region, homes and infrastructure have suffered extensive damage from heavy rainfall. Thousands have been displaced and are seeking refuge in the relief camps.

Earlier in the week, seven Rohingya children and one of their teachers died on July 8 in the worst single incident of landslips this year in the world’s largest refugee camp in southeastern Cox’s Bazar

A 28-year-old man was detained on Saturday in connection with the death of Ann Widdecombe, a former Parliament member, the police said. Another man arrested on Friday was later released.

A traveler’s recent receipt shows how companies are passing higher labor costs onto customers.

Hong Kong’s dog-friendly restaurant scheme has sparked a fierce online debate over public hygiene and pet behaviour, while a cafe chain branch opted out of the initiative just one day after it began. While more than 940 restaurants opened their doors to owners and their dogs on Thursday, clips showing pets licking plates and sitting on dining tables and chairs have gone viral online. But other internet users also made the case that many canine diners had been well-behaved. The debate raged as a...

Strong winds and heavy rain are expected to impact many eastern and northeastern Chinese cities on Sunday (July 12) and Monday (July 13), China's National Meteorological Centre said

Foreign ministers from Asean were ⁠told on Sunday by their Myanmar counterpart ⁠that detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi is in good health and would be looked after, ASEAN’s special envoy to Myanmar said. Maria Theresa Lazaro, the Philippine foreign minister, has been seeking access to Suu Kyi, 81, who has been detained since her elected government ‌was ousted in a 2021 military coup. “My recollection of the statement of the Myanmar foreign minister on Aung San Suu Kyi is that she’s in good...

There are many obstacles as EU governments seek to reduce their dependence on the US. DW looks at the European Unions's attempts to develop counterparts to Patriot and Tomahawk missiles, F-35 jets, and Starlink internet.

Europeans are reconsidering who their countries should partner with in an increasingly uncertain world. A June survey of 24 European Union countries by Public First on whether to have closer ties with the United States or China found opinion divided. Eight leaned towards China, nine favoured the US and seven were split. This is not just a question of economics or geopolitics. It is about reputation as well. China has sought to portray itself as a more stable and reliable long-term partner as...

Higher education chiefs, academics and students to give evidence this week at royal commission

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Australian universities will be required to adopt definitions on antisemitism, Islamophobia and racism towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from next year, under a legally enforceable standard designed to stamp out discrimination on campuses.

Details of the anti-racism standard wi

Companies backed by the state and provincial governments in China have announced new funds to focus on the semiconductor industry, which requires a large amount of time and resources to grow, at a time when the country is in need of more “patient capital”. China Life Insurance, the country’s largest life insurer, backed by the State Council, said it would establish a partnership with total capital of 5 billion yuan (US$737 million) that “principally invests in companies operating in the...

Legendary inventor Nikola Tesla’s dream of transmitting electricity wirelessly never became a reality on Earth. But more than a century later, Chinese scientists believe the concept could find its first practical application on the moon. Their proposal focuses on the moon’s south pole, where crater rims receive near-continuous sunlight while permanently shadowed regions nearby – believed to contain valuable “water ice”, or frozen water trapped on or beneath the lunar surface – remain in...

As weight-loss drug adoption nearly quadruples, new data finds that workplace dynamics are shifting.

The incident occurred on July 11, 2026, as the boat carrying 32 Indian tourists, three Vietnamese crew members and a tour guide overturned in rough seas off May Rut Ngoai islet, state media said

With much of their leadership killed in the war, Iran’s conservatives have sought to fill the void and intensify the fight against the United States.

In Madhya Pradesh, a supportive initiative offers housing assistance to Scheduled Tribe students who are studying away from their homes. Monthly financial aid is provided to eligible students based on the educational institution's location. To qualify, students must be natives of Scheduled Tribes, have completed Class 12, and be enrolled in higher education.

Scientists worry that current eradication efforts won’t be able to contain parasitic infestation pushing into US

When conservationists set up cameras in remote regions of Central American forests, they wanted to monitor illegal cattle movement, which can lead to deforestation. But in recent months, they discovered another alarming development: wildlife rapidly infected with the new world screwworm.

It’s a warning sign of how the fly could spread in the US – and it signals new difficulties in pushing it back south, a process that will probably take years, experts say.

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American burger chain Five Guys will debut its first Beijing store next month, the company said last week, joining a group of US fast-food brands newly entering or accelerating their expansion in China. Chains including Wendy’s, Chili’s, Texas Chicken and Popeyes are hoping to grab a slice of the world’s second-largest consumer market as they face saturation at home, analysts said. Five Guys opened its first China outlet in Shanghai in 2021 and drew large crowds. It plans to open three locations...

In the first of a five-part Health Matters wellness series on ageing in Hong Kong, Fiona Sun examines rising social isolation among the elderly, its serious health risks and how activities and community support are helping seniors stay socially engaged. Chow Kam-shim, 92, and her husband Lau Moon-wing, 100, still face off against opponents every day on the boccia court at their residential home for the elderly in Hong Kong’s Po Lam. Focused and steady, the couple send coloured leather balls...

New York Fed President John Williams says AI-driven demand is now one of the inflation risks he is watching most closely. The stakes are high for small-business owners.

Turning down a life-changing offer wasn’t easy, but the Box co-founder says one factor made the decision clear.

Hong Kong’s Observatory has warned of heavy showers and squally thunderstorms over the city in the coming week, but said it remains uncertain whether the low-pressure trough driving the storms will develop into a tropical cyclone. A spokesman for the Hong Kong Observatory said on Sunday that convective clouds associated with a broad trough of low pressure had been affecting the central South China Sea and were expected to bring heavy rain and thunderstorms to the city on Tuesday and...

We found lots of math-filled and science-rich toys for tiny nerds to assemble, bake, squish—or even tear apart and rebuild.

Apple has announced several new Child Safety features coming soon to iPhones and other devices. Here’s what’s changing.

The escalation happened days after President Donald Trump said that the deal with Iran is over

Hong Kong police have arrested 65 people in a crackdown on a criminal syndicate accused of running unlicensed nightclubs and gambling dens, where suspects allegedly supplied illicit drugs and hired illegal workers as hostesses. Superintendent Billy Ching Chi-yan said on Sunday that the force’s intelligence indicated a criminal syndicate was running illegal nightclubs inside industrial buildings in Hung Hom, as well as gambling dens in other areas of Kowloon West, prompting the operation. “Over...