Floods hit Sydney for the third time this year

Australia’s largest city has received about eight months of rain in just four days. [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( --------------------------------------------------------------- What The World is following Floods hit Sydney for the third time this year [A building is inundated with water on the far side of the Windsor Bridge at Windsor on the outskirts of Sydney, Australia, July 5, 2022.] Credit: Mark Baker/AP Australia Parts of Sydney, Australia's largest city, have received about [eight months of rain]( in just four days. This is the third time that floods have hit Sydney this year, driven by the La Niña weather pattern. With many residences under water, around 50,000 people have had to evacuate their homes. Thousands of others have lost power and many roads have been cut off. Emergency response teams made a hundred rescues overnight of people trapped in cars or stuck in their homes. Days of torrential rains have caused [dams to overflow]( and waterways to break their banks. Uzbekistan At least 18 people have been killed and more than 200 others have been wounded during unrest in Uzbekistan's autonomous province of Karakalpakstan. Uzbek authorities say that it’s the worst bout of violence in the Central Asian nation in nearly two decades. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev dropped plans on Saturday to amend articles of the constitution that have to do with [Karakalpakstan's sovereignty]( and its right to secede, but declared a month-long state of emergency in the northwestern province. Hundreds have been detained, and officials say that protesters marched through the provincial capital of Nukus, trying to seize local government buildings. Karakalpakstan, which enjoys [close ties to Russia](, is home to Karakalpaks, a distinct ethnic minority group whose language is related, but distinct from Uzbek. Italy Rescue teams have sent helicopters and drones to the Italian Dolomites where parts of the country's largest Alpine glacier gave way on Sunday, killing at least seven hikers and injuring eight others. The Marmolada, known as the Queen of the Dolomites, has lost more than 80% of its volume over the last 72 years, retreating with increasing speed over the past decade. Italian scientists have warned that the glacier could [disappear within 15 years]( because of global warming. Thunderstorms have hampered rescue efforts, with hopes of finding any survivors dwindling. Some of the bodies were severed during the collapse, and the recovered remains were placed in a [makeshift morgue]( at a gymnasium. --------------------------------------------------------------- From The World [Cuban dissident artists behind hit protest song 'Patria y Vida' sentenced to prison]( [Otero Alcántara during his performance “La Bandera Es De Todos," a piece where he wore the Cuban flag for 30 days.]( Credit: Artists at Risk Connection Rapper Maykel Castillo “El Osorbo” and visual artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara — who took part in composing and recording the protest hit “Patria y Vida” — have been sentenced to prison. They are leaders of the San Isidro Movement, a group of Cuban artists who have used different [artistic expressions to denounce political repression]( on the island. [The Egyptian govt has begun demolishing Cairo's iconic houseboats]( [Rowers from a local Egyptian club, train past houseboats on the Nile River as the sun sets in Cairo, Sept. 25, 2013. This past week, the Egyptian government began demolishing houseboats along the river.]( Credit: Khalil Hamra/AP The Egyptian government has threatened to remove houseboats along the Nile river for years, claiming they were built illegally and without proper permits. This past week, the fight came to a head after some boathouse owners received eviction notices. Critics say that these are people’s homes and that the houseboats are an important part of [Cairo’s cultural heritage]( that should be preserved. --------------------------------------------------------------- Double take Talk about a long flight! A pigeon has made a trans-Atlanic trip from Guernsey in the Channel Islands near the UK all the way to the United States. 🐦 Owner Alan Todd believes that Bob, as the bird is known, must have landed on a ship on which he crossed the Atlantic. Said to be worth more than $1,000, Bob is currently [being cared for]( by an animal shelter in Monroeville, Alabama. [Screenshot of BBC Breakfast tweet]( Credit: Twitter In case you missed it on The World --------------------------------------------------------------- 4th of July music special --------------------------------------------------------------- Don't forget to subscribe to The World's Latest Edition podcast using your favorite podcast player: [RadioPublic](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Stitcher](, [Soundcloud](, [RSS]( [The World logo]( [The World on Facebook]( [The World's Twitter account]( [Donate]( | [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [View in your browser]( Top of the World is written weekday mornings by the team at [The World](. [The World]( is produced by [PRX]( and [GBH](.