The Sino-German intergovernmental consultations, led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Prime Minister Li Qiang, are expected to cover the war in Ukraine, the fight against climate change, and trade relations.

This week, Paris is aiming to send a message to world leaders that the major issues facing the planet such as extreme poverty and climate change have to be tackled now. The "Power Our Planet" concert on June 22 in front of the Eiffel Tower is being organised by the NGO Global Citizen, an organisation that has already raised over $40 billion worldwide to fight poverty.

Torrential rains have caused flash floods and landslides in parts of India, causing death and destruction. The heavy rain comes after an unbearable heat wave.

Drought is forcing thousands of rural Iraqis migrate to cities for work, bringing with them their own cultural ideas. This has caused community conflicts, sometimes even violence, in big cities like Baghdad and Basra.

The hot spells in parts of Europe and the US would not have occurred without human-made global warming, researchers say. This month is likely the hottest the Earth has seen in about 120,000 years, according to some.

The West African country of Niger is in the grip of a severe heat wave. Scientists say temperatures in Niger are rising one and a half times faster than in the rest of the world. Heat waves in the country are becoming more frequent and intense.

The Nigerien junta has warned its West African neighbors from carrying out a military intervention in the country. Meanwhile, coup supporters attacked the French Embassy amid unrest in Niamey.

Following a coup in Niger, the West African economic bloc has again resorted to sanctions against a member state. In the past, these have often proved ineffective, revealing the alliance’s weakness.

West African leaders have agreed to keep all options, including military force, open to restore civilian rule in Niger. At a crisis ECOWAS summit in neighboring Nigeria, they ordered the deployment of a standby force. However, there are no signs Niger's junta will hand back power.

Frequent heat waves, droughts and forest fires are ravaging Mediterranean countries this summer. There will be consequences for the future of tourism.

Young environmental activists sued the US state for allowing fossil fuel development which they argue harms their physical and mental health. The trial is believed to be the first of its kind in the US.

Defense chiefs from members of the ECOWAS regional bloc meet in Accra to discuss the crisis in Niger. Last week the body activated a "standby force" potentially to intervene in Niger.