French Drought: Quarter of Small Waterways Run Dry, 100 Departments Under Water Restrictions

Low rainfall in May followed by three intense heatwaves has left a quarter of France's small waterways dry, with 100 departments now under water-use restrictions. Separately, the UK nationalised its last virgin steel plant, expropriating China's Jingye Group — Beijing reacted angrily to the move. In Central Asia, Spanish scientists are working to refill a long-desertified lake to prevent further CO₂ release.