Source: BBC
Security & Justice
Panic Grips Lebanon Amid Evacuation Call Hoax: Who’s Behind the Fear Campaign?
Lebanon witnessed a wave of panic on Friday as residents across various regions received alarming phone calls from foreign numbers warning of imminent Israeli strikes and urging them to evacuate their homes. These warnings, which extended even to areas far from conflict zones, have raised questions about the credibility of the messages and concerns over potential Israeli access to Lebanon's telecommunications infrastructure.
Sunday, November 24, 2024
With Destruction at Lebanon Border, Israel Could Seek Buffer Zone
Israel appears to be trying to create a buffer zone in south Lebanon to remove the threat from Hezbollah but its effectiveness in preventing cross-border attacks remains to be seen, observers say.
Saturday, November 23, 2024
Opinion
Power Vacuum Enables Speaker Berri’s Unchecked Negotiation Role
Ceasefire negotiations between Hezbollah and Israel, spearheaded by Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, have ignited a storm of controversy among political circles, with critics accusing Berri of overstepping constitutional bounds.
Thursday, November 21, 2024
Lebanon's Economy—Not Battlefield—May Have the Final Word
Time and again during this most recent war in Lebanon, we hear the phrase, “The battlefield has the final word”. It has become the sole and wholly unsatisfactory refrain of Hezbollah and the so-called 'Axis of Resistance'.
Wednesday, November 20, 2024
Sports
Israel Face France in Paris Football Match Under Tight Security
Israel face France in a Nations League football match in Paris on Thursday surrounded by a huge security operation to prevent a repetition of the attacks on Israeli fans in Amsterdam last week.
Thursday, November 14, 2024
Alcaraz Beats Rublev to Open ATP Finals Account
Carlos Alcaraz opened his account at the ATP Finals on Wednesday with an entertaining 6-3, 7-6 (10/8) win over Andrey Rublev which boosted his hopes of reaching the semifinals.
Wednesday, November 13, 2024
Saturday 6 August 2022 11:54:29
France Drought: Parched Towns Left Short of Drinking Water
The French government has set up a crisis team to tackle a historic drought that has left more than 100 municipalities short of drinking water.
Trucks are taking water to those areas, as "there is nothing left in the pipes", Minister for Ecological Transition Christophe Béchu said.
The prime minister's office said it was France's worst recorded drought. Water use is being restricted in 93 regions.
Dry conditions are expected to continue for at least the next two weeks.
The state energy company EDF has had to reduce output at some nuclear power plants, as river temperatures are too high to provide sufficient cooling, AFP news agency reports.
There are fears that the drought - hitting nearly all of mainland France - will reduce crop yields, exacerbating the food crisis caused by the war in Ukraine.
Europeans are already struggling with higher food prices as grain exports from Russia and Ukraine - among the world's top producers - are much lower than normal.
The heatwave that has baked France since June has prompted trees and bushes to shed their leaves early, creating scenes that look autumnal.
In July France had just 9.7mm (0.38 inches) of rain, making it the driest month since March 1961, the national weather service Meteo-France said.
Irrigation has been banned in much of the northwest and southeast of France to conserve water.
The corn harvest, used mainly for animal feed, is expected to be 18.5% lower this year compared with 2021, the agriculture ministry said. The main corn-growing areas are Alsace in the east and western regions, and the harvest is already underway.
Corn exports from France, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria are all expected to be lower this year because of the heatwave, and those lower volumes will push prices up, French BFMTV reported.
Livestock farmers in the Alps are having to descend into the valleys by truck every day to collect water for their animals, which adds several hundred euros to their weekly fuel bills, Broadcaster TF1 reported.
