Russia is storing military equipment and conducting attacks from the Zaporizhya nuclear power plant, effectively using it as a nuclear shield, according to drone footage.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for international inspectors to be given access to Ukraine’s Zaporizhia nuclear power plant following the second attack in consecutive days.

France’s worst drought on record has left parched villages relying on water deliveries by truck, farmers warning of a milk shortage and energy utility EDF cutting nuclear power output.

Graphics show birthdays and anniversaries for each day of the week. This week features the creation of the Muslim state of Pakistan, the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, the life of Elvis Presley and the Berlin Wall.

Embed “Today in History” into your website and engage visitors every day with a responsive, auto-updating graphic featuring an image and fact box on international anniversaries and events from the past.

Beijing fired several ballistic missiles into waters around Taiwan as part of its biggest-ever military exercises in the region, following U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the island.

Moscow is ready to discuss a prisoner swap with Washington involving convicted arms trafficker Viktor Bout for detained U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner and former U.S. marine Paul Whelan.

A volcano has begun to erupt close to Reykjavik, with lava flowing from a fissure on the side of the Fagradalsfjall mountain that in 2021 saw an eruption lasting six months, attracting thousands of visitors.

The IAEA has appealed for access to the Zaporizhia plant – now under Russian control but operated by Ukrainian technicians – to allow experts to stabilize the complex and avoid a nuclear accident

Missiles that killed Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri – while he stood on a balcony in the Afghan capital Kabul – caused minor collateral damage, suggesting they were Hellfire R9X variants.

China is to conduct large-scale military drills and missile tests in a defiant show of force after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi became the highest-ranking U.S. politician to visit the island in 25 years.

China spends more than any country except the U.S. on defence and could draw on a huge range of capabilities, including naval power, missiles and aircraft, in any military confrontation with Taiwan.

The killing of Ayman al-Zawahiri is unlikely to change the “far enemy” strategy of Al-Qaeda and its affiliates -- attacking the U.S. and its Western allies, which it sees as the cause of all Middle East problems.

A rebound in bookings as pandemic travel restrictions ease has overwhelmed airlines that laid off tens of thousands of pilots, flight crew, baggage handlers and security staff.

Taiwan is bracing for a potential show of force from China as the U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visits the island. The U.S. has said that it would not be intimidated by Chinese “sabre rattling.”

The United States has killed top al-Qaeda leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, in a drone strike in Afghanistan. Al-Zawahiri was believed to be a co-planner of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the U.S.

Power struggles between Iraq’s nationalistic Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and the Iran-backed Coordination Framework mean the nation has gone nearly ten months without a government.

A ship loaded with grain has left the Ukrainian port of Odesa under a deal brokered by the UN and Turkey, the first departure since Russia’s invasion blocked shipping through the Black Sea in February.

Independence from British colonial rule in 1947 split the subcontinent into the separate nations of India and Pakistan, but led to unprecedented carnage on both sides of the hastily created border.

Inflation is at its highest level in decades, due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine hiking the cost of energy and food around the world. Banks are reacting by raising interest rates, choking everyday incomes.

The Russian navy has taken delivery of the world’s largest submarine. The Belgorod has been designed to carry the Poseidon, a giant nuclear torpedo capable of wiping out a coastal city.

Ultra-right leader Giorgia Meloni could become Italy’s first female prime minister, leading a coalition of her Brothers of Italy, Matteo Salvini’s League and Silvio Berlusconi-led Forza Italia.

Nestlé is the latest multinational food giant to pass on soaring costs to consumers amid the worst inflation in decades, caused by the war in Ukraine, rising fuel and energy bills and supply chain problems.

Scientists believe climate change is to blame for multiple wildfires that are causing widespread destruction around the world. Once relatively rare, these blazes are becoming increasingly frequent events.

Academics from Yale university say Western sanctions on Russia are weighing heavily on its economy and that the country’s sinking GDP makes full economic recovery difficult to imagine.

Following its invasion of Ukraine, Russia now has more than three times as many sanctions imposed against it than nearest neighbour Iran, with penalties targeting individuals, companies, yachts and aircraft.

Russia supplies 70 percent of all Europe’s thermal coal imports – which is burnt in power stations to generate electricity – but the EU is set to ban Russian coal imports from mid-August.

Soaring food inflation and chronic shortages of cooking gas and petrol are making daily life a battle for millions amid Sri Lanka’s worst economic crisis since independence from Britain in 1948.

Events in August include the resumption of large-scale military drills by South Korea and the U.S., presidential elections in Kenya, the inauguration of Colombia’s first leftist head of state, and the Edinburgh International Festival.

Tunisian President Kais Saied has secured a new constitution that gives him more power in what critics fear is a march to one-man rule over a country where the first “Arab Spring” protests began in 2010.

Blaming inflation and higher running costs, Amazon is raising prices for its European Prime subscription service, with France seeing the highest annual increase – a rise of 43% from €49 to €69.90.

Fears of a European gas crisis are mounting as Russia cuts supplies through Nord Stream 1 – its main pipeline to Germany – to a fifth of capacity, threatening to leave the continent short of supplies ahead of winter.

The ESTCube-2 ultra-small spacecraft, built at the University of Tartu in Estonia, will test a “plasma brake” that can remove a satellite from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at the end of its mission.

The 2022 tournament marks the first time that the showpiece has been held in the Middle East. A total of 64 matches will be played at eight venues over four weeks, with the final taking place on December 18.

Qatar becomes the first Middle Eastern country to host the World Cup, with a vast budget reportedly around $200 billion. The eight stadia, plus training sites and football pitches, cost some $6.5bn alone.

Eight separate nations have lifted the World Cup since it began in 1930, all from the football powerhouses of Europe and South America. France are reigning champions, having beat Croatia in the 2018 final

In 2018, Harry Kane of England claimed the award after netting six times during the tournament, while Just Fontaine of France holds the record for most goals in a single World Cup, with 13 goals in 1958.

UEFA Champions League qualification, fierce rivalries, title glory or relegation are all set to be decided over 380 enthralling matches, which includes a mid-season hiatus for the FIFA World Cup in November

Follow all the action with a complete interactive fixture table, and matchday coverage showing team head-to-heads, match stats, tactics and a live tracker with key events for all 380 matches.

Ten-time reigning Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich begin their title defence against Eintracht Frankfurt without Robert Lewandowski, as Germany’s premier football competition restarts

Eight clashes between the “Big Six” teams feature in the first 10 matchdays, including the London derby between Chelsea and Tottenham on August 15, and the Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium in October

Real Madrid begin the defence of their title at newly promoted Almería, while Barcelona -- with exciting new acquisition Robert Lewandowski -- host Rayo Vallecano at Camp Nou

AC Milan begin their title defence against Udinese, while perennial favourites Juventus face Sassuolo. Starting this season, the title will be decided by a playoff should the top two teams finish level on points

The 77th edition of the Vuelta a España, cycling’s final Grand Tour of the year, will feature more than three weeks of racing and 21 stages, covering a distance of 3,280km .

The third UEFA Nations League tournament gets underway, with six matchdays taking place between June and September. UEFA Euro 2020 champions Italy face tough opposition against Germany and England.