Some of the stranger stories from around the world

Germany has dispatched thousands of soldiers to help cities and towns cope with flooding from the rain-soaked Danube and other southern rivers, a day after the Bavarian city of Passau saw its worst flooding since 1501.

Prague zoo’s director has become the target of hate mail and phone calls since he ordered the deaths of a number of captive animals as flood waters rose in the Czech capital.

Scores of animals have died at Prague Zoo as keepers struggled to save them from flood waters.