World

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it has removed two Belarusian team coaches from the Games, four days after they were involved in trying to send sprinter Krystina Tsimanouskaya back to Belarus. The organisation said it had cancelled and removed the credentials of Artur Shimak and Yury Maisevich. “The two coaches were requested to leave the

A Belarusian sprinter who has flown to Poland after a stand-off with her country’s officials at the Tokyo Olympics said her grandmother had advised her not to return home. Krystina Tsimanouskaya had refused her team’s orders to go back to Belarus early from the Games after she criticised coaches. The 24-year-old’s criticism on social media

Last month was the second hottest July in Europe on record and the third hottest ever globally, EU scientists confirmed today. The only hotter July in Europe was in 2010. Last month tied with July 2020 as the third hottest ever across the world, behind only 2019 and 2016, according to the European Union’s Copernicus

Security forces in Lebanon have fired water cannon and tear gas at anti-government protesters calling for justice on the one-year anniversary of the Beirut explosion. Demonstrators in the city had been throwing stones at the parliament building, with some trying to climb its gate. Earlier, thousands of people gathered to hold a moment of silence

More than 300 people have died after disastrous flooding hit central China, including 14 who perished after getting trapped in a flooded subway line. Chinese authorities in the Henan province announced a total of 302 people had been killed, more than three times the previous toll of 99 reported last week Another 50 people are

The UK has reported a “potential hijack” of a ship off the coast of the United Arab Emirates as a security source said a tanker appears to have been seized. UK Maritime Trade Operations, a part of the Ministry of Defence, described the incident as a “potential hijack”. A group of eight or nine armed

A Belarusian activist who was reported missing has been found dead in a park in Kiev, Ukrainian police have said. Vitaly Shishov led Kiev-based non-profit organisation Belarusian House (BDU) that helps Belarusians fleeing persecution. He was reported missing by his partner on Monday after not returning home from a run. Police have launched a criminal

The ferocity of the fires in Turkey is quite something to behold. We watched, along with the residents of the pretty seaside town of Cokertme on the Aegean coast, as the crackling dry forests around the community were devoured within minutes. The village appeared to be surrounded. We watched as fire engines reversed and screeched

Belarusian Olympic sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya has arrived at the Polish embassy in Tokyo after refusing to board a flight back to Minsk. The 24-year-old was seen entering the building after spending the night at an airport hotel. She said she was seized by officials from her own country on Sunday after she publicly complained about

An Olympic sprinter from Belarus has said she refuses to return to her home country after apparently being taken to the airport against her will for publicly complaining about national coaches. Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, who was due to compete in the women’s 200 metres and the 4×400 metres relay at the Tokyo Olympics next week, can

Tourists staying at the Turkish holiday resort of Bodrum were evacuated and told to wait for rescue boats on Saturday evening as fresh wildfires erupted nearby, according to local media. Panicked holidaymakers reportedly rushed to the seashore following the evacuation of several hotels in the coastal city. Fires across Turkey have been raging since Wednesday,

Police fired tear gas at protesters in Paris amid fierce clashes at demonstrations against COVID vaccine passports. Protesters marched on the French capital to voice their displeasure at the introduction of vaccine passes starting on 9 August. Legislation was passed on Wednesday to require a proof of vaccination, recent recovery from the disease, or a

Tokyo is hot in the summer. That’s why back in the 1964 Olympics they shifted events into October and the athletes enjoyed pretty much perfect temperatures. The average was about 20C (68F). The warmest day was 23.3C (73.9F). Ideal for almost everyone. These Games have been different in so many ways and are on track

A crew member from the UK was among two workers killed in an attack on an oil tanker off Oman, the firm managing the vessel has said. Zodiac Maritime said the incident, which it said was “suspected piracy”, had also resulted in the death of a crew member from Romania. “We are not aware of

Human remains found in the search for a missing British hiker have been confirmed as being hers, a charity says. Esther Dingley, 37, was last seen walking alone in the Pyrenees mountains near the French-Spanish border on 22 November last year. A bone found in the mountain range last week was DNA tested and confirmed

Kenya’s president has told Sky News that vaccine nationalism “has really shown how unequal this world is” – and has vowed to fight “day and night” to ensure that developing countries are treated equally. Uhuru Kenyatta is calling for intellectual property rights relating to coronavirus jabs to be released so his country can manufacture its