Russia cements its role as Africa junta protector after helping quell Niger's mutiny
Niger's junta faced a major internal threat when renegade soldiers staged a mutiny over the weekend
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Why NASA's new telescope could revolutionise our understanding of the universe
NASA has successfully launched its newest space telescope from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It reached orbit ten minutes after liftoff. Named after astronomer Nancy Grace Roman, scientists are calling it a discovery machine. It could also shed light on two of physics biggest unsolved mysteries - dark matter and dark energy.
Climate crisis pushes French winemakers to bet on warmer future in Brittany and Normandy
As rising temperatures reshape France's vineyards, winemakers are turning to Normandy and Brittany, regions once known for cider, not grapes. Those fleeing harsher conditions in traditional areas like the Loire Valley see opportunity up north, though some warn the same climate volatility disrupting southern vineyards is starting to follow them there.
Climate crisis: French winemakers bet on warmer future in Brittany and Normandy
As rising temperatures reshape France's vineyards, winemakers are turning to Normandy and Brittany, regions once known for cider, not grapes. Those fleeing harsher conditions in traditional areas like the Loire Valley see opportunity up north, though some warn the same climate volatility disrupting southern vineyards is starting to follow them there.
Climate change pushes French winemaking into Brittany and Normandy
As rising temperatures reshape France's vineyards, winemakers are turning to Normandy and Brittany, regions once known for cider, not grapes. Those fleeing harsher conditions in traditional areas like the Loire Valley see opportunity up north, though some warn the same climate volatility disrupting southern vineyards is starting to follow them there.
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Fifteen missing and dozens evacuated after Grand Canyon is swept by flash floods
In the US, a flash flood in the Grand Canyon National Park over the weekend forced the evacuation of dozens of people and left some 15 people missing. It swept away large boulders, metal structures into the Colorado River and also knocked out a water pipeline serving tourists in the park. On August 30, more than 60 people had been airlifted out of the area with further evacuations scheduled.
Hong Kong emerges as Asia’s top hub for start-up potential, ranks fifth worldwide: study
Hong Kong leads Asia in high-growth start-up potential and ranks fifth globally, showing the city’s growing strength in nurturing scalable ventures and unicorns, according to joint research published by market research firm CB Insights and the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation. The white paper, released on Monday, said Asia operated on a distributed network where distinct markets ...
Desperate rescue attempts continue in Nepal to reach people thought to be trapped | First Thing
Death toll from unprecedented deluge of ice, rock, mud and debris now stands at more than 900. Plus, was it a mistake to take away Pluto’s planet status?Good morning. Rescue teams are working to reach hundreds of people feared trapped in the tunnels and underground areas of half a dozen hydropower projects in Nepal as more than 900 workers were reported missing after the devastating flash floods....
Nepal starts burying its dead as search for over 4,200 missing continues
The combined deaths in Nepal and China surpassed 900, with more than 4,700 people missing. It also includes 933 workers on hydropower projects along the river which the torrent crashed through. With morgues running at full capacity, the country has started to bury unclaimed bodies. FRANCE 244s Shazaib Wahlah tells us more from a grief-stricken Nepal.
What to know about the SCO, the summit billed as a counterweight to US influence
The leaders of China, Russia and India are among the heads of state gathering in Kyrgyzstan for the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The summit is celebrating its 25 years in existence. Although the group is billed as a counterweight to US. global influence, it is not the case for all participating countries. FRANCE 24's Oliver Farry takes a look at what the SCO is, and what will b...
How a tree in Hanoi points to flowering of dissent among Vietnam’s Gen Z
A tree in Hanoi has become a symbol of how Vietnam’s Gen Z views its country – but it is not the enviable growth story sold by the government. Tree 55 on Nguyen Huy Tu Street – now dubbed the “Justice Tree” – was buried under bouquets earlier this month. It was an act of digital-age defiance over the death of a teenager in a road traffic accident in the area that went unpunished. Response to the a...
Spanish vineyard thrives for more than 20 years without irrigation or pesticides, boosting soil organic matter
A Spanish vineyard study revealed significant soil health improvements over two decades. Long-term vegetation cover doubled topsoil organic matter compared to tilled areas. This practice enhanced soil porosity and biological activity in dry conditions. The findings suggest reduced soil disturbance benefits water-limited vineyards. Allowing plants to remain strengthens soil function under chall...
In 1973, Cadbury saved a stripped Seychelles island; today, more than 1M seabirds breed there yearly
Aride Island, once diminished by exploitation, has transformed into an essential haven for seabirds. Thanks to Christopher Cadbury's visionary investment in 1973, it was designated a nature reserve. Continuous efforts in ecological restoration have revitalized the habitat, leading to one million breeding seabirds from ten distinct species. This remarkable revival illustrates the profound significa...
G20 finance chiefs gather in North Carolina with Iran sanctions and tariffs in focus
Finance ministers and central bank governors from the world's largest economies meet in Asheville, North Carolina, on Monday and Tuesday, hosted by a US administration that is simultaneously pressing allies to help isolate Iran financially and imposing tariffs on several of them.
50 arrested in HK$500m building maintenance bid-rigging crackdown
Hong Kong authorities have arrested 50 people, including some with alleged triad backgrounds, in a crackdown on bid-rigging activities involving 27 housing estates and buildings and about HK$500 million in contracts. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), police and antitrust regulator the Competition Commission on Monday revealed details of their joint operation, which was conducte...
Hundreds of workers feared stuck in hydropower tunnels as Nepal flood deaths cross 900
Rescuers are trying to find trapped workers in hydroelectric plant tunnels after catastrophic flooding in Nepal and Tibet killed at least 900 people and left more than 4,700 missing
Morocco not to blame for Ceuta border breach, says Spanish PM
Pedro Sánchez says two countries are cooperating after mass incursion by 70,000 people into north African enclave Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has insisted there was no evidence to suggest the Moroccan government was behind last month’s massive border crossing into Ceuta.As many as 141 people are thought to have died trying to enter the Spanish enclave at the end of July. The influx of a...
The looming failure of Operation Economic Outcast
The latest package of US sanctions on Iran is unlikely to achieve Washington’s objectives.
Britain-Ireland ferry travel is changing as passengers face new passport rules from September
Passengers travelling on several ferry routes between Britain and Ireland will face stricter ID requirements from 28 September, with valid passports replacing other forms of photo identification.
South African airline defends low-altitude aerial stunt over packed stadium
Airlink says the manoeuvre with two planes in close formation involved careful and precise planning.
Nepal tunnel traps hinder flood rescue: How many are dead or missing?
Flash floods on the Nepal-Tibet border have left nearly 5,000 people missing, many trapped in hydropower tunnels.
EU places ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox under strictest digital safety rules
Brussels has classified ChatGPT as a search engine under the Digital Services Act, a first for an AI chatbot, and designated Reddit and Roblox as Very Large Online Platforms. All three have four months to comply.
Italy keeps Schengen suspension with Spain in place for further 15 days over Ceuta tensions
The Interior Ministry has announced a further 15-day suspension of Schengen with Madrid, after Matteo Piantedosi said the situation in Ceuta remains tense and "far from improved".
After the flash flood disaster, here is what Nepal really needs
The country urgently needs to set up early warning systems, monitoring and safe shelters.
Fire breaks out after unidentified explosions at oil refinery in Baghdad
A fire broke out following unidentified explosions at the Al-Dora power plant south of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.
Badenoch to reshuffle shadow cabinet after Patel and Cleverly resignations
Tory leader expected to install Tom Tugendhat as shadow foreign secretary as Cleverly quits to run for London mayorKemi Badenoch is to reshuffle her shadow cabinet on Monday, and is expected to install Tom Tugendhat as shadow foreign secretary to replace Priti Patel.Tugendhat, a former security minister, was a leadership candidate who had previously declined to join the shadow cabinet. Badenoch is...
Badenoch to reshuffle shadow cabinet following Patel and Cleverly resignations
Tory leader expected to install Tom Tugendhat as shadow foreign secretary as Cleverly quits to run for London mayorKemi Badenoch is to reshuffle her shadow cabinet on Monday, and is expected to install Tom Tugendhat as shadow foreign secretary to replace Priti Patel.Tugendhat, a former security minister, was a leadership candidate who had previously declined to join the shadow cabinet. Badenoch is...
Countries must consider reparations for slave trade, UN committee says
A UN committee has said countries are legally obliged to consider reparations for the transatlantic slave trade and take other measures to address the enduring legacy of racial discrimination it says persists today. Guidance published on Monday by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination stated that the obligations arise from a legally binding 1965 convention on racial discrimina...