
-
Trump says Putin summit could fail, promises Ukraine say
-
Lyles v Thompson in re-run of Olympic 100m final in Silesia
-
LA 2028 to sell venue name rights in Olympic first
-
Solomon Islands says China not influencing diplomatic decisions
-
Flood kills 37 in Indian Kashmir mountain village
-
US stocks drop as producer inflation surges
-
Greenpeace stages Anish Kapoor art protest on UK gas platform
-
US producer inflation highest in three years in July
-
Greek firefighters beat back wildfires
-
Serbia's political crisis escalates into clashes
-
Australia recall O'Connor to face champions South Africa
-
Kremlin says Putin, Trump to hold 'one-on-one' talks in Alaska
-
Stocks diverge as bitcoin hits record high
-
Spain suffers third wildfire death, Greece beats back flames
-
Liverpool 'agree deal' for Parma prospect Leoni
-
Foreign NGOs say new Israeli rules keep them from delivering Gaza aid
-
Japan's grand tea master Sen Genshitsu dies at 102: reports
-
Water shortages plague Beirut as low rainfall compounds woes
-
Germany's Thyssenkrupp cuts targets as US tariffs weigh
-
Brady didn't understand football, says Rooney after 'work ethic' jibe
-
Greek firefighters make progress against wildfires
-
UK economy slows less than feared after tariffs
-
Markets mixed as bitcoin hits new high
-
PSG begin French title defence as Pogba returns home and Paris FC step up
-
At least 40 dead in Sudan's worst cholera outbreak in years: MSF
-
Zelensky in London to meet PM ahead of US-Russia summit
-
French dictionary gets bad rap over Congolese banana leaf dish
-
Alaska: a source of Russian imperial nostalgia
-
Last chance saloon for global plastic pollution treaty
-
India to bid for Commonwealth Games as part of Olympic push
-
North Korea denies removing border loudspeakers
-
Despite risks, residents fight to protect Russian national park
-
Asian markets mixed as bitcoin surges to new high
-
War-weary Ukrainians find solace by frontline lake
-
Okinawa a reluctant host for US troops 80 years after WWII
-
Alonso's Real Madrid start La Liga with fresh energy
-
Liverpool splash out to secure status as Premier League's top dogs
-
Hong Kong court postpones closing arguments in Jimmy Lai trial
-
Top Japanese fighter retires to support comatose boxer brother
-
Boars, Butterflies or Bees? Public to name Papua New Guinea's NRL team
-
Defending champions Sinner, Sabalenka reach Cincinnati quarters
-
Bolivia presidential hopefuls make last push for votes
-
Trump orders space regulations eased in win for Musk
-
From Snoop Dogg to Tom Brady, stars flock to English second-tier clubs
-
Inside Trump's 'Alligator Alcatraz': detainees allege abuse in a legal black hole
-
Scientists find surprising sex reversal in Australian birds
-
Taylor Swift sets October release for new album
-
Oh carp: UK's Lammy on the hook after fishing with Vance without licence
-
ANITA & ZAHA Introduces Exclusive "Made in France" Natural Cosmetics
-
Sinner shrugs off rain to dispatch Mannarino in Cincinnati
CMSC | -0.13% | 23.141 | $ | |
RBGPF | 0% | 73.08 | $ | |
RYCEF | -0.95% | 14.8 | $ | |
NGG | 1.37% | 71.51 | $ | |
SCS | -0.86% | 16.22 | $ | |
RIO | -2.14% | 62.24 | $ | |
CMSD | -0.26% | 23.648 | $ | |
BCC | -3.44% | 85.22 | $ | |
GSK | -0.49% | 38.94 | $ | |
VOD | -0.34% | 11.61 | $ | |
RELX | 0.18% | 47.855 | $ | |
BCE | 0.48% | 25.23 | $ | |
JRI | 0.33% | 13.445 | $ | |
BTI | 0.4% | 57.34 | $ | |
AZN | 0.4% | 78.255 | $ | |
BP | -0.03% | 34.3 | $ |

Winter drought grips southern Europe, northern Africa
Drought plaguing the Mediterranean has failed to recede over winter months that brought below-average rainfall, the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service has reported, prompting water restrictions and state of emergency declarations.
Just over 45 percent of southern Europe suffered from soil drought, with 2.8 percent reaching the highest "alert" level, over the first 10 days of February, according to the latest data from the European Drought Observatory (EDO) analysed by AFP.
Meanwhile a quarter of all Europe and northern Africa is under drought conditions, according to Copernicus, with 19.3 percent of the region's soil at a "warning" level, meaning a moisture deficit is underway.
An alert level is impacting 2.5 percent of the region, meaning vegetation is growing abnormally due to the advanced stage of the drought, according to calculations by AFP.
The situation has worsened since the end of January, but has slightly improved compared with the same period last year that saw 31.3 percent of the territory under drought.
The western Mediterranean region has been particularly hard-hit, including southern Italy, Spain, northern Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.
Warmer than usual seasonal temperatures are the culprit.
Last month was the warmest January on record globally, according to Copernicus, combined with a lack of precipitation that in some regions has lasted months, and even years.
Faced with "its worst drought in a century", according to Catalonia regional president Pere Aragones, a state of emergency was issued including new restrictions on water.
The regions reservoirs had fallen below the level of 16 percent.
Figures by Copernicus relate to soil dryness, visible by satellites, and not groundwater.
In France, the southern Pyrenees-Orientales region to the south faced "very worrying" levels of groundwater, its main reserve for drinking water, according to the organisation that monitors it.
The Italian island of Sicily declared a drought emergency at the beginning of February, while in Sardinia, farmers were slapped with restrictions on water use.
Morocco, where temperatures recently approached 37 degrees Celsius (98 degrees Fahrenheit), is experiencing its sixth consecutive year of drought.
The climate situation may not get any better.
The EDO has forecasted spring 2024 to be warmer than usual for Europe and the Mediterranean, which will compound a shortfall in snow over several mountain ranges that are responsible for recharging rivers over the coming months.
D.Bachmann--VB