The civilised world lies on its knees, a sickness wracking its body. The affliction causes a necrotising of tissues so perfectly uniform in distribution that victims take on the appearance of corpses long before death occurs due to organ failure or secondary infections. ...

“Russia's emergencies minister accused local officials on Monday of not doing enough to prevent 171 deaths in weekend floods that raised new doubts about the country's readiness for natural disasters under President Vladimir Putin”. – Andrey Kuzmin via Reuters

A tourist crosses flooded St. Mark's Square in Venice, Italy on November 11, 2012. Flooding is common this time of year and Sunday's level that reached a peak of 58.66 inches was below the 63 inches recorded four years ago in the worst flooding in decades. (Photo by Luigi Costantini/Associated Press)

(L-R) Ozzy Osbourne and son, producer Jack Osbourne visit the Tribeca Film Festival 2011 portrait studio on April 25, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival)

A protester with his face smeared with soot from burning barricades stands in the Musaga neighbourhood of Bujumbura on May 6, 2015. Government and opposition rivals are meeting in Burundi in a bid to end deadly demonstrations against a third term bid by the president, as regional foreign ministers arrived to add pressure. (Photo by Phil Moore/AFP Photo)

Girls ride on a donkey cart with grass for animals on the outside of Nangarhar province, Afghanistan May 19, 2015. (Photo by Reuters/Parwiz)

A man watches as high surf crashes into the wall and spills onto Channel Drive in Montecito, Calif., January 7, 2016. Bacteria levels can increase significantly during and after rainstorms as contaminants in the runoff enter the ocean via storm drains, creeks and rivers. (Photo by Mike Eliason/AP Photo)

Disguised revellers parade on the occasion of the Cortege during the Carnival in Basel, Switzerland, February 17, 2016. (Photo by Georgios Kefalas/EPA)