Latest news

At least nine killed in pool hall shooting in Ecuador

At least nine people have been shot dead in a pool hall in the city of Playas in western Ecuador, AFP reports. A group of armed men are said to have stormed the venue and opened fire.

Ecuador is experiencing one of its most violent years in modern history, the news agency reports. During the first five months of the year, 4,051 murders occurred, according to official figures. The violence is mainly linked to drug trafficking and cartels. 

At least 14 dead in rain and landslides in South Korea

At least 14 people have died in South Korea after heavy rain led to floods and landslides, the Korea Times reports. Authorities fear the death toll could rise.

Pictures show people wading through deep mud in the tourist town of Gapyeong. Further south, an entire community has been covered in soil and debris, according to the BBC.

Almost 10,000 people have been forced to evacuate. 

Tourist boat capsizes in Vietnam – 38 dead

At least 38 people have died after a tourist boat capsized in Ha Long Bay in Vietnam, writes Reuters.

Five crew members and 48 passengers were on the boat, most of them families who had traveled from other parts of Vietnam. However, the nationalities of the victims are unknown.

The accident occurred at 2 p.m. local time after a strong storm moved in.

Europe's heat waves
Third heat wave about to move in over Greece

A warning for high temperatures has been issued by Greek weather authorities, writes AFP.

The heat wave is expected to move in on Monday and reach its peak of around 43 degrees on Tuesday. It is expected to subside next weekend.

Greece has already had two heat waves in June and early July.

The situation in Afghanistan
Kabul risks drying out: "Where will we go then?"

Kabul is on the verge of drying up. If it does, it will be the first modern capital to face that fate, according to a report from the organization Mercy Corps that CNN draws attention to.

Groundwater levels are dangerously low. Many of the water reserves are already drying up due to rapid population growth, climate change and overuse.

To top it all off, 80 percent of the city's groundwater is unusable due to sewage and industrial discharges.

At current rates, groundwater could run out by 2030. This is causing great concern in the city.

Raheela, a 42-year-old mother of four, is one of those who is worried. Already today, her family pays for every drop of water, which goes beyond their food budget.