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At least one person was killed and 16 injured after an explosion at a chemical park in the western German city of Leverkusen on Tuesday, the site’s operator said, with four people still missing. “We are deeply saddened by this tragic accident and the death of an employee,” Chempark operator …

Three thousand Ethiopian asylum-seekers crossed into Sudan late Monday, according to a government report seen by AFP, hailing from the Amhara region which borders the conflict-hit Tigray region. The two regions, which both border Sudan, are locked in a decades-old land dispute that has become central to an eight-month-old war …

A wall of sand over 100 meters high swallowed a city on the fringes of the Gobi desert in northwestern China, in scenes reminiscent of a disaster film. For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app. Dunhuang, a tourist draw with a colorful history …

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday reiterated calls for a “negotiated settlement” with the Taliban in Afghanistan, admitting the country faced a “deeply challenging” security situation as foreign troops leave. “The security situation in Afghanistan remains deeply challenging, and requires a negotiated settlement. NATO will continue to support Afghanistan, including …

At least 57 people drowned on Monday after a boat capsized off the Libyan coast near Khums, the latest tragedy in the central Mediterranean, the U.N.’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) said. “According to survivors brought to shore by fishermen and the coast guard, at least 20 women and two …

India will miss a target to administer over a half-billion COVID-19 vaccine doses by the end of the month as Bharat Biotech — maker of its only approved homegrown shot — struggles to boost output, an analysis of government data showed on Monday. India has undertaken one of the world’s …

Pakistan on Monday reopened a major southwestern border crossing with Afghanistan that is currently under Taliban control on the Afghan side, Pakistani customs officials said, allowing over 100 trucks carrying goods to cross into Afghanistan. The Chaman-Spin Boldak crossing, a key port for landlocked Afghanistan, had been closed by Pakistan …

A sandstorm caused a huge 22-vehicle pileup on a Utah highway that left eight people dead, including children, authorities said. The Sunday afternoon crashes on Interstate 15 near the town of Kanosh came at the end of a holiday weekend for the state that often leads to increased highway traffic. …

The ruling party of Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan has won a majority of seats in Pakistan-administered Kashmir’s regional assembly, the head of the election commission announced on Monday. Analysts say polarisation in Pakistan’s politics pushed the main national parties to focus on the polls in the semi-autonomous region, tightening …

New legislation extends the use of health certificates in daily life, introduces mandatory vaccinations for healthcare workers. France’s parliament has approved legislation to make COVID passes a key part of daily life and vaccinations mandatory for health workers amid a surge in infections across the country. Monday’s move means people …

Officials have already issued five flood warnings across southern England and 19 flood alerts, including parts of Wales. A major incident has been declared at two London hospitals, Whipps Cross Hospital and Newham Hospital, as officials urged people to seek care at other health facilities after the region was hit …

Equatorial Guinea will close its diplomatic mission in London, the country’s foreign minister said on Monday, after Britain last week sanctioned the son of its president for misappropriating millions of dollars.

Wildfires burned in regions across southern Europe on Monday, fuelled by hot weather and strong winds, as some northern countries cleaned up after a weekend of torrential rain and flooding. In Greece, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said firefighters had battled around 50 fires during the past 24 hours and it …

Russia rejected what it called a hostile Japanese diplomatic protest following a visit by the Russian prime minister to a disputed island chain on Monday, saying he could go wherever on Russian territory he wanted. A top Japanese government spokesman said earlier on Monday that Tokyo was lodging an official …

Three former Lebanese prime ministers have endorsed Najib Mikati to become Lebanon’s next premier, more than a week after Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned as a result of a nine-month political deadlock. According to Press TV, Mikati, himself a two-time former premier, received endorsements from Hariri, Fuad Siniora and Tammam …

Doctors are warning that increasing numbers of young people infected with the coronavirus are being admitted to hospital in the UK, including to intensive care wards. After the majority of Covid restrictions were lifted, pictures were released of crowded nightclubs, filled with people not wearing masks or social distancing. According …

Beijing has urged Washington to put aside its “misguided mindset and dangerous policy” of viewing China as an “imaginary enemy,” which has led to a stalemate in relations between the world’s two largest economies. In a high-level meeting on Monday, China’s Deputy Foreign Minister Xie Feng warned visiting US Deputy …

Thousands of US firefighters are battling a blaze in California that has grown so big it is generating its own weather system, with authorities warning conditions could worsen on Monday. The flames have grown so large that they have created clouds that can cause lightning and high winds, which in …

At least 430 people died in at least 915 shootings that took place across the United States last week, according to ABC News and the Gun Violence Archive. Also, 1,007 people were wounded in the shootings that occurred between Saturday, July 17, and Friday, July 23, according to ABC. The stunning …

Lebanon’s businessman Najib Mikati has secured enough votes in parliamentary consultations to be nominated as the country’s new prime minister-designate, ending a months-long political deadlock over the matter. According to media reports, Mikati secured 73 votes out of 118 members of the parliament during consultations that followed his meeting with …