Migrants in a dinghy sail in the Channel toward the south coast of England after crossing from France. - A record number of at least 430 migrants have illegally crossed the Channel to the UK in a single day. LEHTIKUVA / AFP

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin asked for the EU border agency Frontex's assistance and the closer cooperation of northern European states in stemming the flow of illegal migrants crossing the Channel en route to the United Kingdom.

A woman receives the Sinovac Covid-19 coronavirus vaccine on a mobile vaccine truck in Kuala Lumpur. LEHTIKUVA / AFP

A new study has examined vaccine acceptance and hesitancy rates in ten low and middle-income countries from Asia, Africa, and South America.

The research published in Nature Medicine reveals willingness to get a COVID-19 vaccine was considerably higher in developing countries (80 per cent of respondents) than in the United States (65 per cent) and Russia (30 per cent).

A health worker inoculates a woman with a dose of the Covishield vaccine against the Covid-19 coronavirus during a vaccination drive at a school in Hyderabad on July 12, 2021. LEHTIKUVA / AFP

Mixing and matching COVID-19 vaccines from different manufacturers is a "dangerous trend" and could lead to chaos as there is limited data on it on practice, World Health Organisation (WHO) chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said on Monday.

Photo from the G20 Environment meeting in Naples, Italy on July 23rd.

UN chief Antonio Guterres on Sunday called for leadership of the Group of Twenty (G20) countries on the issue of climate action, adding that he sees no pathway to reach Paris Agreement's 1.5 degrees Celsius goal without the G20 nations.

Working from home is primarily an option in metropolitan areas. In cities such as Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, or Stuttgart, more than 57 percent of all employees could work mainly or entirely from home, finds an analysis conducted by the infas Institute for Applied Social Sciences and the ifo Institute. This is the first time that the authors, led by ifo researcher Jean-Victor Alipour and Robert Follmer (infas), have been able to present findings on the geographical distribution of the potential for working from home and its prevalence.

LEHTIKUVA / AFP

A 90-year-old Belgian woman, who was infected with both the Alpha and Beta variants of coronavirus at the same time died due to a double variant infection, the medical researchers confirmed on Saturday.

The woman was taken to the OLV hospital in the city of Aalst on March 3 and tested positive for coronavirus during her stay.

Kalle Rovanperä (C R) and co-driver Jonne Halttunen (C L) celebrate their victory during the podium ceremony of the WRC Rally Estonia/Lehtikuva

Finnish rally driver Kalle Rovanperä made history this week when he became the youngest-ever winner of a World Rally Championship (WRC) event.

The 20-year-old, who drives for Toyota, beat Hyundai’s Irish driver Craig Breen by 59.9 seconds at the rally, which was held in Estonia on Sunday. Rovanperä’s father is also a former WRC rally winner.

World Health Organisation (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Thursday warned the world about the 'early stages' of COVID-19 third wave amid Delta surge.

"Unfortunately...we are now in the early stages of a third wave", he said.

Beachside scenes during a recent hot day in Northern Finland (Image: Lehtikuva)

THE FINNISH WEATHER was a surprise point of focus in the world press this week, following a Nordic heatwave that has shattered records and brought previously unthinkable temperatures the northernmost reaches of Lapland.

Millions of children risk being pushed into a downward spiral of malnutrition as more and more people are going to bed hungry, worsening the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic and prolonging the recovery. LEHTIKUVA / AFP

Families across the globe are increasingly unable to access and afford a diet needed for a healthy life due to loss of income, price increases and disruption in food and health care systems. In many populous low- and middle-income countries, the COVID-19 pandemic and its socio-economic effects are projected to cause a devastating increase in child malnutrition. Tragically, an already difficult situation is likely to get worse without urgent action.

European employers can ban people from wearing any visible sign of their political, philosophical or religious beliefs, including headscarves in order to present a neutral image and to prevent social conflicts, the European Union's top court ruled on Thursday.

LEHTIKUVA / AFP

The world passed the "tragic milestone" of four million recorded COVID-19 deaths, said World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, adding that the world is at a perilous point in this pandemic.

Speaking at the media briefing on COVID-19 on Wednesday, Tedros said, "The world is at a perilous point in this pandemic. We have just passed the tragic milestone of 4 million recorded COVID-19 deaths, which likely underestimates the overall toll."

A customer pays for a drink at the bar of a pub in central London on July 19, 2021 as coronavirus restrictions are lifted. - England lifts virtually all of its coronavirus restrictions today, setting it at odds with the three other nations of the United Kingdom and sparking concern among scientists. LEHTIKUVA / AFP

England on Monday lifted almost all the remaining COVID-19 restrictions in the country after more than a year of lockdowns and announced 'freedom day' from the pandemic life, even though COVID-19 cases in the country have been rising.

A picture taken on July 15, 2021 shows cars piled up by the water at a roundabout in the Belgian city of Verviers, after heavy rains and floods lashed western Europe, killing at least two people in Belgium. (Photo by Francois WALSCHAERTS / AFP) - LEHTIKUVA / AFP

Over 60 people have died and hundreds are missing in western German states after heavy rains and violent storms in several parts of Europe.

The New York Times reported quoting German authorities that after confirming dozens of deaths, they were unable to account for at least 1,300 people.

The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) has estimated that the cost of gender-based violence across the EU is €366 billion a year. Violence against women makes up 79 % of this cost, amounting to €289 billion.

"Human life, pain and suffering do not have a price.