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Taylor Swift has postponed a concert in Rio de Janeiro due to “extreme temperatures”.

The heat index, which combines temperature and humidity, reached 59.7 degrees Celsius in the Brazilian city on Saturday.

In addition, a fan died before Swift’s show on Friday, leaving her “devastated”.

Ana Clara Benevides, 23, became unwell and later died in hospital. Her cause of death has not been announced but Brazilian daily newspaper Fohla de S Paulo reported she had collapsed at the show and had a cardiac arrest.

Several fans fell ill on Friday, prompting Swift to interrupt her performance and ask the production team to give them water, videos showed.

The concerts are being held at Nilton Santos stadium, far from Rio’s breezy beaches in a hotter northern neighbourhood.

Swift posted the decision to postpone Saturday’s show on Instagram about two hours before it was due to start.

“The safety and well-being of my fans, fellow performers, and crew has to, and always will, come first,” she said.

As news of the postponement spread, many young girls outside the stadium burst into tears.

Swift is also due to perform in Rio on Sunday, ahead of three shows in Sao Paulo next weekend.

Heat exhaustion, which can include dizziness, headaches, shaking and thirst, is not usually serious, provided the person cools down within 30 minutes.

However heat stroke – when the body’s core temperature goes above 40.6 degrees Celsius – is a medical emergency.

Following Ms Benevides’ death, justice minister Flavio Dino said the Brazilian government would issue a directive allowing water bottles to be brought into concerts.

“Companies producing shows with high heat exposure must provide free drinking water in easily accessible ‘hydration islands’,” he said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“The measure is effective immediately.”

A former British Army captain has been forced to pull out of a race after he was mugged at knifepoint in South Africa.

Ultramarathon runner Tom Evans, 31, says he was “attacked” and “beaten up” while training on Friday and had all his possessions stolen.

“Everything that I had with me was taken,” he said in a video posted on Instagram.

“Physically my body’s okay. I’m pretty beaten up, I’m incredibly sore today, but I’ll be ok.”

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Mr Evans said he was “incredibly gutted” not to be taking part in the race, but said safety has to come first.

“Mentally, it’s just trying to get over something like this, doing something that you love and it just seems so unexpected and happens so quickly.”

Once the youngest captain in the British Army, Mr Evans reportedly discovered his passion for endurance running during his time in the military.

He had been due to take part in the Ultra-trail Cape Town event next weekend, which features distances ranging up to 100 miles.

“For those in Cape Town, look after yourself and those around you and please stay safe,” he said.

“It’s been an awesome year and I won’t let two criminals spoil my year on the trails.”

United States President Joe Biden has delivered two different messages on the Israel-Hamas war to pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel Americans, NBC News has reported, based on copies of official White House correspondence.

While one letter showcased Biden’s support for Israel against Palestinian group Hamas’s “terrorism”, the other spoke about the US administration’s efforts to protect civilians in the Gaza Strip.

According to NBC, the letter sent to pro-Israelis invoked the Holocaust in relation to the October 7 Hamas attack on southern Israel. It also pledged continuous support to Israel and efforts to return the captives taken by Hamas and being held in Gaza.

“The people of Israel lived through a moment of pure evil” that “resurfaced horrible memories” and amounted to the “deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust”, NBC reported Biden’s letter, dated November 1, as saying.

“The United States stands with Israel,” it continued. “We will continue to ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself against terrorism in accordance with international humanitarian law.”

On the other hand, Biden’s letter to pro-Palestinians focused on aid to Palestine and made no mention of the Holocaust or of US support for Israel.

“We mourn the many innocent Palestinians who have been killed,” NBC reported Biden’s second letter saying, dated November 8.

It added that the administration “is working closely with partners to ensure that life-saving assistance – including, food, water, and medicine can urgently reach innocent Palestinians in Gaza” and emphasised that “the United States stands unequivocally for the protection of civilians during conflict”.

While the two letters do not appear to contradict one another, or Biden’s policies, NBC reported that it was not common for the White House to craft different versions of a letter on the same topic that vary so much in their emphasis.

It added that the incident “reflects the political tightrope Biden is trying to navigate as pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian elements of his coalition fray over the war”, and with less than a year to go before elections.

 

In an opinion piece published on Saturday in the Washington Post, Biden wrote that Gaza and the occupied West Bank “should be reunited under a single governance structure” – a revitalised Palestinian Authority.

“Gaza must never again be used as a platform for terrorism. There must be no forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, no reoccupation, no siege or blockade, and no reduction in territory,” he wrote, adding that “after this war is over, the voices of Palestinian people and their aspirations” must be at the centre of “post-crisis governance in Gaza”.

Earlier this week, the US president and two of his cabinet members were being sued for failing to prevent as well as aiding and abetting “genocide” in Gaza.

A federal complaint (PDF), filed on Monday against Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, accused them of “failure to prevent and complicity in the Israeli government’s unfolding genocide”.

The complaint noted that Washington was Israel’s closest ally and strongest supporter, as well as its biggest provider of military assistance – with Israel being the largest cumulative recipient of US foreign assistance since World War II.

Because of this, it said, the US could have a “deterrent effect on Israeli officials now pursuing genocidal acts against the Palestinian people”.

Also this week, police in riot gear clashed with demonstrators calling for a ceasefire outside the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee in Washington, DC.

Wednesday’s protest came a day after many thousands of pro-Israeli protesters gathered on the National Mall, holding placards with words like, “Let Israel finish the job”, “From the river to the sea, Israel is all you’ll see” and “No ceasefire”.

At least 12,000 people, including 5,000 children, have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7, according to Palestinian officials. In Israel, the official death toll from Hamas’s attacks stands at about 1,200.

Lisbon, famed for its golden sunsets and cobbled streets, stands rich in history and resilience.

It has weathered earthquakes and political and economic turmoil, cultivating a strong spirit.

Currently, the city navigates issues like gentrification, a housing crisis and climate threats.

As Portugal’s capital evolves into a leading tech and remote-working hub, it faces the challenge of evenly distributing financial benefits among its citizens.

Amid Portugal’s political upheaval, including Prime Minister Antonio Costa’s resignation due to corruption inquiries, how might these national events influence Lisbon’s transformation?

The Mayor of Lisbon, Carlos Moedas, talks to Al Jazeera.

Israeli air raids have killed many Palestinians at the al-Fakhoora School, run by the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), in the Jabalia refugee camp and another school in Tal al-Zaatar, also in northern Gaza.

At least 50 people were killed in the attack on the al-Fakhoora School, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said on Saturday. It said the two attacks killed and injured hundreds of people, with a combined estimated death toll of 200.

Several hundred people were believed to have taken shelter at both schools, fleeing the non-stop Israeli attacks. The attack on al-Fakhoora is believed to have taken place in the early hours of the morning, while the attack on Tal al-Zaatar took place later in the day.

The Israeli military had told Palestinians to move from north Gaza for their safety, but deadly air raids continued to hit central and southern areas of the narrow coastal territory.

According to United Nations figures, about 1.6 million people have been displaced inside Gaza in six weeks of fighting. The Israeli army’s relentless air and ground campaign has since killed at least 12,000 people, including 5,000 children, according to Palestinian officials.