World

Three Taylor Swift concerts have been cancelled after two men were arrested over an alleged terror plot said to be targeting the events. Swift was due to play at Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadium on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. But event organiser Barracuda Music said in an Instagram post on Wednesday that “we have no choice

Temperatures on the Great Barrier Reef have soared to their highest in 400 years, a new study has found. It said the “unprecedented” heat on the sea surface around the natural wonder is driving increasingly frequent mass bleaching events that are putting it in danger. Without stronger and faster action to tackle climate change, our

On the seafront in Beirut, it feels like business as usual – people dining out, many enjoying the sun. But the spectre of war looms large over Lebanon – after a 30-minute drive, we’re suddenly in the heart of Hezbollah, where the reality of that threat feels very heavy. We’re on our way to the

US presidential hopeful Kamala Harris has chosen Minnesota governor Tim Walz as her 2024 vice presidential running mate. The Democratic Party candidate confirmed earlier reports in a post on X, saying: “I am proud to announce that I’ve asked @Tim_Walz to be my running mate. “As a governor, a coach, a teacher, and a veteran,

More than $1m (£782k) of cocaine has washed up on a beach in Florida Keys during the recent Storm Debby.  US Border Patrol said a “good Samaritan” found the packages containing 32 kg (79 lbs) of the drug and contacted authorities. Border Patrol has not revealed the exact location of the package but shared photos

Belgium has pulled out of the Olympic mixed relay triathlon after an athlete who swam in the River Seine fell ill. Claire Michel “is unfortunately ill and will have to withdraw from the competition,” the Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee said on Sunday. Michel, 35, was taken to a clinic in the Olympic Village and

Simone Biles has asked people to stop asking athletes “what’s next?” after they win a medal at the Olympics. The seven-time Olympic gold medallist wrote in a post on the X social media platform: “Let us soak up the moment we’ve worked our whole lives for.” One of her followers jokingly replied: “What is your

Thousands have continued to march and attend protests in Venezuela as an opposition leader emerged from hiding to denounce President Nicolas Maduro’s contested election victory. Venezuela’s electoral authority, which has been criticised for appearing to favour the ruling socialists, proclaimed Mr Maduro the winner in last Sunday’s vote, saying on Monday he obtained 51% compared

Imane Khelif, one of the boxers at the centre of a gender row at the Paris Olympics, is set to win at least a bronze medal following her successful quarter final fight. Khelif secured a second successive victory in the women’s 66kg bout against Hungary’s Anna Luca Hamori. She now advances to the semi-finals where,

The US defence secretary has revoked a plea deal which would have seen the men accused of plotting the 9/11 attacks avoid death sentences. On Wednesday, it was announced that prosecutors had reached a deal for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawsawi to plead guilty to conspiracy charges. Just two days later,

Access to Instagram was blocked in Turkey on Friday, in the latest example of a clampdown on websites in the country. The bar on access was in response to Instagram removing posts from Turkish users expressing condolences over the killing of Hamas’s political leader Ismail Haniyeh, it has been reported. The Information and Communication Technologies

Three Americans freed from Russian prisons under a landmark exchange deal have landed back in the US. Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva and Paul Whelan were part of a deal which saw 24 people released in the biggest prisoner exchange between Russia and the West since the Cold War. They were welcomed on the tarmac at

High-profile people held prisoner in Russia – including British citizen Vladimir Kara-Murza and US reporter Evan Gershkovich – have been freed as part of a massive prisoner swap which has been hailed by President Joe Biden as a “feat of diplomacy”. In the biggest such exchange since the Cold War, a number of individuals have

The son of notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman did not kidnap his father’s former partner, the family’s lawyer has said. Joaquin Guzman Lopez and Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada were arrested last week by US agents after their plane landed at a small airfield in the US state of New Mexico. Zambada co-founded

The body of one of Hezbollah’s most senior commanders has been found in rubble in the southern Beirut suburb attacked by Israel, two Lebanese security sources said, Reuters reports. Hezbollah previously refused to confirm Israel’s claim that it had killed Fuad Shukr, described as ‘the right-hand man’ of their leader Hassan Nasrallah, on Tuesday night.