Outbreaks of looting have hit the coastal state of La Guaira -- neighboring Caracas -- much of which is now a vast mountain of rubble after Wednesday's disaster

US and Iranian forces traded strikes in recent days despite a fragile June 17 memorandum of understanding (MOU) that seeks a comprehensive end of the conflict that began in late February and disrupted shipping through the vital Strait of Hormuz

The Taliban government said the airstrikes hit three eastern provinces, killing 36 civilians and wounding 163

The US and Iran have traded strikes in recent days despite a fragile June 17 memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the conflict that began in late February

A helicopter crash in Saudi Arabia killed 14 Saudi citizens yesterday, the kingdom’s official press agency reported, adding that the aircraft belonged to state oil giant Aramco.

Boos followed Venezuela’s interim leader Delcy Rodriguez during a visit to a Caracas neighborhood pulverized by two massive earthquakes.

A crown was blown off an ancient column in a Unesco-listed site in Lebanon’s port city of Tyre. A pilgrimage site for Muslims and Christians alike was destroyed in another southern town. Israeli strikes pummelled the Mamluk-era market in the city of Nabatieh and troops razed centuries-old Lebanese border towns. I

Ukraine hit two Russian oil refineries in the regions of Krasnodar and Yaroslavl overnight, President Volodymyr Zelensky said yesterday, as Kyiv ramps up pressure on Russia’s fuel supply with its drone fleet.

A civilian aircraft carrying skydivers crashed near the eastern French town of Tomblaine yesterday, killing all 11 people on board, local authorities said, in one of France’s deadliest light aircraft accidents.

Iraqi authorities arrested 47 officials, including members of parliament, yesterday as part of an anti-graft campaign in the corruption-plagued country, state media reported.

Iran’s foreign minister said yesterday the Strait of Hormuz will remain under Iran’s total oversight and management for “the next 30 days”, and warned that any challenge to the country’s control of the strategic waterway would increase tensions.

French health officials said yesterday there had been around 1,000 more deaths than expected during a record-breaking heatwave that has baked much of western Europe for days.

The United Nations on Saturday estimated that the twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela caused $6.7 billion in physical damage, equivalent to six percent of GDP.

Uganda’s leading independent media group said it was under “military siege” yesterday after the army chief ordered the shutdown of its newspapers, TV station and radio outlets.

Iraqi security forces deployed in Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone early yesterday with the raid targeting “several politicians”, a security official told AFP.

Three Pakistani Rangers were killed in a terror attack in the southern megacity Karachi on Saturday evening, the country’s military said, following an explosion and heavy gunfire.

Several people were injured, including one seriously, when lightning struck a tree at an amusement park in southern Sweden yesterday, the park and officials said.

Remarks follow a court ruling clearing the way to revoke deportation protections for migrants from conflict-hit countries

Cause was unknown and an investigation is ongoing

Sunday's operation was launched on direct orders from Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi