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German Chancellor Angela Merkel says she is concerned about rising Covid-19 infections, with the country joining a number of European nations that have seen cases climb in recent weeks fuelled by the Delta variant, first detected in India.

Kaifeng city, Henan province (China) (AFP) – Firefighters rescue people stranded, including a baby and a pregnant woman, following devastating torrential rains in China that left at least 33 dead. With many streets still flooded, trucks pumped muddy water from underground tunnels as meteorologists issued “red” rain alerts, warning of the threat of fresh landslides and flooding in surrounding areas.

Oslo (AFP) – Norway holds a remembrance ceremony to honour the 77 people killed on July 22, 2011 in twin attacks by right-wing extremist Anders Behring Breivik.

Darjeeling (India) (AFP) – A red panda cub has been born in an Indian zoo as part of a conservation breeding program to increase the population of the endangered animal. With habitats under threat in the Eastern Himalayas and China, red pandas are considered endangered and are highly vulnerable to infectious diseases. Their copper fur, appearance and small size also make them targets for the exotic pet trade.

Athens (AFP) – People demonstrate in Athens against plans to make Covid-19 vaccinations mandatory for all health workers and retirement home employees, with police using tear gas and water cannon to disperse some protesters.

Tokyo (AFP) – The show director for the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony, former comedian Kentaro Kobayashi, has been fired on the eve of the event for making jokes referencing the Holocaust, in the latest blow for organisers of the pandemic-delayed Games. Tokyo 2020 has been plagued by a series of gaffes and missteps by Olympic officials, as well as pandemic restrictions.