World

An American soldier who is believed to be in custody in North Korea was facing disciplinary action by the US military when he crossed into the secretive country, US officials said. The crossing has created a fresh crisis for Washington in its dealings with the nuclear-armed state. The US military has identified the soldier as

The heatwave enveloping southern Europe is set to intensify even further today – with temperatures expected to reach as high as 46C. Spain, Italy and Greece will bake tomorrow and the European Space Agency has warned that France, Germany and Poland will also face extreme heat over the coming days. Sardinia and Sicily – among

Meteorologists are warning temperatures will hit new record highs across southern Europe this week. The latest forecasts show peaks of 44C (111F) on multiple days, with temperatures consistently in the high 30s and low 40s across the region. The European Space Agency has warned countries including Italy, Spain, France, Germany and Poland will face extreme

Two people have been killed following reported explosions on a bridge linking Russia with Crimea. The couple who lost their lives in the unspecified incident were parents, according to officials in Russia’s Krasnodar region, which lies at the eastern end of the bridge. Their daughter, who was a passenger in the car, was wounded and

A 25-year-old British backpacker has been stabbed in the back by a teenager in an Australian beach resort, local media is reporting. Police were called to Noosa on the Queensland coast in the early hours of Sunday. It is thought an argument developed just before 4am on Hastings Street, officers said. The 15-year-old attacker then

In Italy today, the number of cities on red alert for extreme heat has climbed from 10 to 15. The warning points to conditions that threaten the whole population, rather than just the vulnerable. A police unit patrolling the river give a different view of how the heat is impacting Rome. Europe braces for ‘hottest

Benjamin Netanyahu is in hospital, his office has confirmed. The Israeli prime minister, 73, is in a good condition and undergoing assessment in Sheba hospital, in Tel Hashomer, near Tel Aviv, his office added. According to Israeli reports he was feeling unwell, but fully conscious en route to the hospital. Netanyahu was rushed to hospital

At least seven people have died after torrential downpours triggered deadly flash floods and landslides in South Korea. The country has been hit by heavy rainfall since 9 July, which has intensified in the past three days and is expected to continue in some regions until Sunday. Thousands are being evacuated after a dam in

Europe is set to reach even higher temperatures over the weekend, as the Cerberus heatwave continues to grip the south of the continent. Temperatures are expected to continue to swelter in Italy, with a second heatwave expected to rocket 12C (53.6F) above average in some areas on Sunday. Five cities in Sicily, Sardinia and Puglia

Ukrainian forces say they have conducted a “special operation” on a Dnipro island, as dramatic footage shows soldiers using speed boats and drones. Ukrainian special forces are said to have headed towards the Russian-held island, firing weapons as they drew closer, aerial footage posted by the Ukrainian army’s command of the special operations forces shows.

Aspartame, a sweetener commonly found in diet drinks and chewing gum, has been declared a potential cancer risk by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The sweetener has been listed as “possibly carcinogenic to humans”. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the WHO’s cancer research arm, said there was “limited evidence” aspartame caused cancer

The heatwave affecting southern Europe has been building for months. And it’s about to get much worse. Temperatures have been consistently above 40C since mid-April in many areas. Europe heatwave – latest: Continent could have hottest day ever But on the Mediterranean islands of Sicily and Sardinia they’re expected to climb to 48C in the

The search for a missing two-year-old boy in the French Alps has been called off, police have said. The boy, named only as Emile, was last seen walking down the street near his grandparents’ house by two witnesses on Saturday afternoon, according to authorities. They live in a remote mountain village with only two dozen

The UK is not an “Amazon” delivery service for weapons to Ukraine, Britain’s defence secretary has said. Ben Wallace added that Kyiv might be wise to let its supporters “see gratitude”. In a blunt intervention, the minister said his “counsel” to the Ukrainians was to keep in mind that they need to persuade some doubting

The G7 is set to sign a long-term security arrangement with Ukraine, which Rishi Sunak has said will potentially “return peace to Europe”. The accord marks the first time so many countries have agreed a comprehensive, multi-year security arrangement of such a nature with another country, No 10 said. The G7 declaration, which is expected

A giant poster on the road into the host city of this week’s NATO summit in Russia’s backyard reads: “Ukraine deserves NATO membership now.” That is what Lithuania and the other Baltic states would like to see, though it is not going to happen as long as Ukraine is at war with Russia. Even after