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Experts warn the El Nino climate phenomenon could bring drought, floods and displacement to parts of Africa later this year. Are governments prepared?

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The earthquakes that hit Venezuela in late June have devastated seaside towns where tourism has been a vital economic lifeline for an already struggling population. Also, tanker traffic picks up through the Strait of Hormuz, and Europe seeks to convince the US that it's boosting defence spending.

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A strong El Nino expected later this year could bring drought, floods and displacement to parts of Africa. Experts say the warnings are clear, but question whether governments can act before disaster strikes.

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This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. The Hong Kong Observatory issued a red rainstorm warning on Monday night, following warnings about heavy rain and serious flooding in areas of Wan Chai. The red signal was issued at 9.45pm, after the amber warning was earlier raised at 7.05pm. A red warning means heavy rain has fallen or is...

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Wildfires are raging across several parts of southern Europe. They come on the heels of massive heat waves in much of the region.

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Tour de France organisers ban spectators from stage three as a wildfire hits the Pyrénées-Orientales region.

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Refugees killed in landslides at Rohingya camps in Bangladesh

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A fast-moving wildfire broke out in Greece's second largest city on July 4, forcing residents of three small suburbs north of the city to evacuate. The fire ignited a ravine in a mountainous area and spread quickly, with strong winds hampering efforts to contain the fire. According to the country's public broadcaster, a 76-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of starting the wildfire, as he allegedly ignited the blaze after his vehicle produced sparks.

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As more than ten days have passed since Venezuela was struck by twin earthquakes, the death toll remains uncertain, with an official balance of at least 3,342 people killed. On the northern coastal part of the country, the hardest-hit region, survivors and volunteers from across the country are taking matters into their own hands: treating the injured, finding shelter, searching for the missing. FRANCE 24's Pascale Mariani and Maxime Pluvinet spoke to residents

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A Hong Kong doctor fraudulently issued more than 3,700 Covid-19 vaccination exemption certificates over seven months during the pandemic, allowing some residents to avoid inoculation on the grounds of skin allergies, chest pain and other conditions, a court has heard. Dr Tai Kong-shing, 80, stood trial at the District Court on Monday over allegations that he generated the certificates en masse for personal gain. Prosecutors said the Western medical practitioner failed to make a proper diagnosis...

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Excess heat and wildfires are affecting the Tour de France cycle race. The third stage of the race on July 7 will go near an area where wildfires have broken out in France's southwest. Local authorities and race organisers as a result have asked people not to go to the race route to cheer riders on.

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‍♂️ Official stage start time: 11.10am BST/12.10pm CET ‍♂️ Granollers to Les Angles (195.5km) | Stage two report ‍♂️ You can follow us on TikTok. And also email Andy While we wait for live TV coverage, here is Jeremy Whittle’s report from Barcelona. It was an ominous day: both for UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s show of strength (could be a long Tour for anyone not called Jonas Vingegaard) and the news about the spectator-free third stage finale, with only essential vehicles aloud. Continue reading...

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Floodwater breached a reservoir in southern China and threatened others, as heavy rain pounded the region, leading to the evacuation of hundreds of people in the area. Chinese authorities urged caution and called for rescue and evacuation, with bad weather predicted to continue under the influence of Typhoon Maysak. On Monday, breaches and flooding were spotted at multiple reservoirs in the city of Hengzhou and Binyang county in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, according to a statement from...

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Ten thousand people in southwestern France were forced to evacuate due to a wildfire that is still burning and has already destroyed 4,600 hectares of forest, authorities said on Monday.

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Six people including five children were killed when a building collapsed in Mumbai, officials said on Monday, as monsoon rains pounded India’s financial capital, flooding roads and leading to school closures. A dilapidated residential building collapsed on Sunday in the megacity’s east, trapping residents under the debris, Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde said in a statement. The deaths came as heavy rainfall paralysed parts of the city, with the India Meteorological Department recording more than 200mm...

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Local authorities on Rota, part of the Northern Mariana Islands, say they have received reports of 'major damages'.

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BBC international correspondent Yogita Limayee meets 12-year-old Fabiana, who was trapped in Venezuela's devastating earthquakes.

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A decidedly unremarkable Brazilian team had looked tentative at this tournament. A sixth World Cup title looks a long way off Brazil were 1-0 down. At first, a few yellow jerseys wandered up the aisles and out to the concourse, writing off the small fortunes they had invested in being here, never mind the chances of their nation lifting a sixth World Cup. Then it was a steady stream of Brazil fans heading to the exits. They knew how this was going to end. That Brazil would be eliminated here in the last 16, knocked out at the earliest stage since 1990. That they would have gone six World Cups without lifting the trophy, their longest title drought. Continue reading...

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Tour de France fans are urged not to attend the end of the third stage because of wildfires in the south of France.

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Fabiana was trapped in the rubble of a 10-storey residential building after two earthquakes rocked Venezuela in June.

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Hernan Gil was working his shift as a security guard in the basement of a building in Venezuela on the afternoon of June 24 when he felt the earth shake. The first tremor was short, Gil recounted in an interview from the hospital room where he was recovering after being rescued from the depths of a collapsed building. Gil became a symbol of hope for Venezuela after he survived eight days of being buried alive by the double earthquake that devastated the north of the Caribbean country, leaving...

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The eye of the Category 5 super typhoon passed over the tiny island of Rota Monday morning local time, bringing winds of more than 241 km/h, also hitting the nearby islands of Guam, Tinian and Saipan.

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Heat waves have hit multiple countries, triggering extreme temperatures, wildfires, flooding and widespread emergency responses.

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The death toll from Venezuela's twin earthquakes has risen to 3,342, with 16,740 people injured, National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said Sunday.

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M6.4 earthquake strikes off Japan's Miyakojima Island

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The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched the first clinical trial of experimental treatments targeting the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), marking a major milestone in efforts to contain the country's latest outbreak.

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A sports stadium in La Guaira state has been turned into a makeshift home and logistics centre for thousands of victims.

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Interim President Delcy Rodriguez once again defends her government's handling of the deadly earthquakes on June 24.

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After the June 24 earthquakes, ex-firefighter Jesus Garcia found himself working to save his dad and younger brothers.

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Venezuela’s interim president said on Sunday the country would not descend into social unrest after the twin earthquakes which killed more than 3,000 people and left thousands more missing. One of Latin America’s worst earthquake disasters, the June 24 shocks collapsed scores of buildings, leaving thousands homeless, especially in the coastal La Guaira area north of the capital Caracas. “There will be no social unrest here, what we have here is deep social solidarity,” Delcy Rodriguez said...