BRITAIN surpassed Italy on Tuesday in reporting the highest coronavirus death toll in Europe—now at nearly 30,700 fatalities. Look at the faces of the U.K. church singing a blessing over the country during this pandemic.

More than 260 people have died as heavy rain swept through Kenya, Rwanda, and Somalia in recent weeks. Kenya bore the brunt of the damage, with officials on Wednesday saying floods led to the death of at least 194 people and displaced more than 100,000 others. Rwanda reported 55 deaths, while at least 16 died in Somalia.

SAUDI ARABIA: Thursday marks the start of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month normally characterized by communal prayers and sprawling nighttime meals to break each day’s dawn-to-dusk fast.

A second wave of locusts, up to 20 times the size of the one plaguing East Africa now, is expected to hit several countries in the region in the coming months. The Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Kenya, and South Sudan are battling the worst locust outbreak in 70 years. Favorable breeding conditions in May likely will trigger a new round of swarms during the start of the harvest season in late June and July, the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization said on Wednesday.

ABUJA, Nigeria—As lockdowns began this week to slow the spread of COVID-19 in Nigeria, one megachurch near the capital city donated hospital beds, diagnostic sets, sanitizers, oxygen and regular face masks, and other items to health officials.

IRAN: Ramiel Bet Tamraz is one of seven Christians among 85,000 jailed Iranians temporarily released to halt the spread of the coronavirus.

GLOBAL: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a 30-day restriction on non-essential travel to the European Union, informing leaders in the Group of Seven of the travel ban in a video conference call on Monday—as Europe and the United States become the center of the