Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to hold bilateral talks with French President Emmanuel Macron during his two-day state visit to France from August 22 with an aim to strengthen cooperation in the fields of defence, maritime security, counter-terrorism, and civil nuclear energy along with robust trade and investment relations. From France, the prime minister will leave for a bilateral visit to UAE and Bahrain and will return to Biarritz city in France to attend the G7 summit.

PM Modi to embark on tri-nation tour to France, UAE & Bahrain

The Indian Ambassador to France Vinay Mohan Kwatra on Thursday highlighted that the partnership between India and France is not only good for the two respective countries but is also important for the larger regional and global good.

The Ambassador made the comments to ANI as <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-to-meet-macron-attend-g7-as-he-begins-three-nation-tour-france-uae-and-bahrain-244742">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</a> embarked for a three-nation visit to France, UAE and Bahrain from New Delhi on Thursday.

During his first stop in Paris, the PM is slated to hold a bilateral with the French President Emmanuel Macron, amongst other official engagement.

"The India-France strategic partnership is one of the most comprehensive engagements we have in the world, across pretty much all domains of cooperation, be it defence, security, trade, innovation, science and technology, research and development," the diplomat told ANI.

"You take any aspect of human endeavour, you'll find a substantial amount of India-France engagement. The partnership between the two countries is not just good for the two counties or societies but also important for the larger regional and global good. Especially in terms of global challenges, whether you talk about climate change or counter-terrorism, both are the areas that India and France work very closely," he added.

"In the changing international perspective also, our partnership gives it a kind of a shape which is beneficial for both of us and also to the world at large," the Ambassador lastly added.

This is the PM's first visit to France after being re-elected for a second term.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The Indian Ambassador to France Vinay Mohan Kwatra on Thursday highlighted that the partnership between India and France is not only good for the two respective countries but is also important for the larger regional and global good.

The Indian Ambassador to France Vinay Mohan Kwatra on Thursday highlighted that the partnership between India and France is not only good for the two respective countries but is also important for the larger regional and global good. The Ambassador made the comments to ANI as Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked for a three-nation visit to France, UAE and Bahrain from New Delhi on Thursday. During his first stop in Paris, the PM is slated to hold a bilateral with the French President Emmanuel Macron, amongst other official engagement. "The India-France strategic partnership is one of the most comprehensive engagements we have in the world, across pretty much all domains of cooperation, be it defence, security, trade, innovation, science and technology, research and development," the diplomat told ANI. "You take any aspect of human endeavour, you'll find a substantial amount of India-France engagement. The partnership between the two countries is not just good for the two counties or societies but also important for the larger regional and global good. Especially in terms of global challenges, whether you talk about climate change or counter-terrorism, both are the areas that India and France work very closely," he added. "In the changing international perspective also, our partnership gives it a kind of a shape which is beneficial for both of us and also to the world at large," the Ambassador lastly added. This is the PM's first visit to France after being re-elected for a second term.

New Delhi-Paris partnership important for global good: Indian envoy to France

The United Kingdom and France have called Kashmir a bilateral issue and urged a resolution of the issue through dialogue. In a conversation between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and British PM Boris Johnson on Tuesday afternoon, both sides discussed the ongoing India-Pakistan tensions, with the latter urging dialogue to resolve the issue.

The United Kingdom and France have called Kashmir a bilateral issue and urged a resolution of the issue through dialogue. In a conversation between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and British PM Boris Johnson on Tuesday afternoon, both sides discussed the ongoing India-Pakistan tensions, with the latter urging dialogue to resolve the issue. A UK government readout said,"The Prime Minister and Prime Minister Modi discussed the current situation in Kashmir. The Prime Minister made clear that the UK views the issue of Kashmir is one for India and Pakistan to resolve bilaterally. He underlined the importance of resolving issues through dialogue." Both the leaders will be present at the G7 summit in France over the weekend and "ahead of the G7, the Prime Minister and Prime Minister Modi agreed on the importance of working together to tackle climate change and other threats to biodiversity", the UK readout added. Meanwhile, the Pakistani foreign minister SM Qureshi spoke to French Foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian during which France reiterated its position on Kashmir that its a bilateral issue. "It is up to the two countries, under the framework of their bilateral political dialogue, to resolve this dispute so as to establish lasting peace", French readout on Le Drian-Qureshi talks said. Paris also urged both parties for "restraint, de-escalation, and easing the situation" in Jammu and Kashmir. Indian Prime Minister will be in France on Thursday for a state visit where he will meet French President Emmanuel Macron and later participate in at the 45th G7 summit where he is expected to meet his British PM Johnson and US President Donald Trump.

UK, France say Kashmir is a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/issues-relating-to-article-370-internal-matter-of-india-rajnath-singh-to-us-secretary-of-defence-esper-244461">Defence Minister Rajnath Singh</a> and IAF Chief <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/iaf-cautious-and-alert-says-air-chief-bs-dhanoa-amid-indo-pak-tensions-244360">Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa</a> are scheduled to receive the first <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/government-using-offset-money-of-rafale-deal-to-train-people-nirmala-sitharaman-236224">Rafale fighter jet</a> manufactured by French firm Dassault Aviation for India on September 20.

"As per plans, a large Indian contingent led by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is being sent by the Central government to accept the Rafale plane in the third week of September," Defence officials told ANI.

India has signed a deal with France for the acquisition of 36 Rafale combat jets from France, which will start arriving India from May next year.

Defence Minister Singh and the IAF Chief will receive the first aircraft from the French authorities near the plane manufacturing plant in Bordeaux.

The officials said the Indian Rafale is far more advanced than the ones operating with the French Air Force and that is why the plane would continue to be used for training Indian pilots till May next year.

The Indian planes have been equipped with a lot of India specific enhancements, which have been fitted at a cost of around one billion euros.

Though small batches of Indian pilots have already trained on the French Air Force planes, the Indian Air Force would train 24 pilots in three different batches till next year May for flying the Indian Rafales.

The Indian Air Force will deploy one each squadron of the Rafale combat aircraft at its airbases in Ambala in Haryana and Hashimara in Bengal.

In September 2016, India signed a deal with the French government and Dassault Aviation to acquire 36 Rafale fighter jets for over Euro 7.8 billion to arrest the fall of combat squadrons and meet urgent requirements on the eastern and western fronts.

The plan to deploy one squadron of the planes at the Saraswat air base in Uttar Pradesh did not work out due to land acquisition issues.

Ambala base has been housing Jaguar aircraft squadrons mainly looking after the Pakistan front but due to rapid deployment capabilities, the planes can be utilised on both the fronts in case of requirement.&nbsp;

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa are scheduled to receive the first Rafale fighter jet manufactured by French firm Dassault Aviation for India on September 20.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa are scheduled to receive the first Rafale fighter jet manufactured by French firm Dassault Aviation for India on September 20. "As per plans, a large Indian contingent led by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is being sent by the Central government to accept the Rafale plane in the third week of September," Defence officials told ANI. India has signed a deal with France for the acquisition of 36 Rafale combat jets from France, which will start arriving India from May next year. Defence Minister Singh and the IAF Chief will receive the first aircraft from the French authorities near the plane manufacturing plant in Bordeaux. The officials said the Indian Rafale is far more advanced than the ones operating with the French Air Force and that is why the plane would continue to be used for training Indian pilots till May next year. The Indian planes have been equipped with a lot of India specific enhancements, which have been fitted at a cost of around one billion euros. Though small batches of Indian pilots have already trained on the French Air Force planes, the Indian Air Force would train 24 pilots in three different batches till next year May for flying the Indian Rafales. The Indian Air Force will deploy one each squadron of the Rafale combat aircraft at its airbases in Ambala in Haryana and Hashimara in Bengal. In September 2016, India signed a deal with the French government and Dassault Aviation to acquire 36 Rafale fighter jets for over Euro 7.8 billion to arrest the fall of combat squadrons and meet urgent requirements on the eastern and western fronts. The plan to deploy one squadron of the planes at the Saraswat air base in Uttar Pradesh did not work out due to land acquisition issues. Ambala base has been housing Jaguar aircraft squadrons mainly looking after the Pakistan front but due to rapid deployment capabilities, the planes can be utilised on both the fronts in case of requirement.

Rajnath Singh, IAF chief to visit France to receive first Indian Rafale fighter plane

France&nbsp;called on Friday for an&nbsp;immediate&nbsp;end&nbsp;to&nbsp;fighting&nbsp;in the&nbsp;Syrian&nbsp;city&nbsp;of<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/syria-regime-gains-ground-in-deadly-idlib-push-monitor-242164">&nbsp;Idlib</a>, and the French foreign ministry added that it condemned in particular air strikes on refugee camps.

Over the past week, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/clashes-kill-70-combatants-in-northwest-syria-report-242094">Syrian&nbsp;army</a> has advanced towards the town of Khan Sheikhoun in&nbsp;Idlib&nbsp;in a pincer movement that could encircle the southern part of the rebel enclave.

The United Nations and aid agencies have warned of a new humanitarian catastrophe in northwest Syria.&nbsp;Syrian&nbsp;President Bashar al-Assad has managed to retake most of the country, crushing rebel enclaves in all the major cities and driving them from the south.

France called on Friday for an immediate end to fighting in the Syrian city of Idlib, and the French foreign ministry added that it condemned in particular air strikes on refugee camps.

France called on Friday for an immediate end to fighting in the Syrian city of Idlib, and the French foreign ministry added that it condemned in particular air strikes on refugee camps. Over the past week, the Syrian army has advanced towards the town of Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib in a pincer movement that could encircle the southern part of the rebel enclave. The United Nations and aid agencies have warned of a new humanitarian catastrophe in northwest Syria. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has managed to retake most of the country, crushing rebel enclaves in all the major cities and driving them from the south.

France calls for immediate end to fighting in Syrian city of Idlib

French President Emmanuel Macron hosts his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Monday for a rare visit, with Paris hoping to nudge Moscow towards steps to help end the conflict in the east of Ukraine.

French President Emmanuel Macron hosts his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Monday for a rare visit, with Paris hoping to nudge Moscow towards steps to help end the conflict in the east of Ukraine. Putin is seldom invited by major Western powers for visits at a time of growing tensions, but France believes the arrival of Volodymyr Zelensky as Ukraine's new president could give a new impulse to halting the fighting. Macron will welcome Putin at 5:30 pm (1530 GMT) at his official holiday residence in Bregancon in southern France, days before he hosts other world leaders including US President Donald Trump for the August 24-26 Group of Seven (G7) summit in Biarritz. Russia was slung out of what was the G8 in 2014 after it seized Ukraine's Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, an annexation the international community has deemed illegal. And since 2014, an estimated 13,000 people have been killed in the war between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists over Ukraine's eastern Donbas provinces of Donetsk and Lugansk. Room to manoeuvre Zelensky has pledged to end the five-year-old conflict and shown signs of greater willingness to be flexible than his predecessor Petro Poroshenko, though he has not signalled any major concession. "President Zelensky has made offers to which it seems to us President Putin should respond encouragingly," said a French official, who asked not to be named. "We will intensify our efforts on the question of Ukraine, notably within the Normandy format" that groups Russia, Ukraine, France, and Germany. "The election of President Zelensky gives us some room to manoeuvre," the official added. Macron has taken a keen interest in brokering an end to the conflict in eastern Ukraine, hosting Zelensky for talks in June, one of the former comedian's first foreign trips as president. It would be a major feather in the cap for Macron, who since coming to office in 2017 has sought to magnify France's international role. 'Chance of progress' Zelensky has offered to meet Putin for face-to-face talks, saying "let's do it", and spoke to him by phone last week when four Ukrainian soldiers were killed in a grenade attack. "I called him urgently. I told him that this brings us no closer to peace," Zelensky said. Alexander Baunov, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Moscow Center, said Macron would be looking for ways to resuscitate the 2015 Minsk ceasefire deal. "The main public issue will be reviving the Minsk accords. The main promise of the Ukrainian president is ending the war," Baunov told AFP. He said he believed Putin would be prepared to make a move if the Donbas region, which has a large ethnic Russian population, received a special status within Ukraine. "There is a real chance of progress. Moscow will only go in that direction if its main conditions are respected," Baunov said, adding that these consisted of a transition period and local elections in which the main Ukrainian parties would not take part. Treading carefully Iran will also feature high on the agenda of talks between Macron and Putin, with Paris keen for Moscow to use its close ties with Tehran to prevent a further escalation of conflicts in the Middle East. Tensions have shot up since Washington's unilateral pullout from a 2015 deal to rein in Iran's nuclear ambitions, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JPCOA). Macron will also press Putin to use his influence on the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to stop an offensive in the northern region of Idlib and ward off new refugee flows towards Turkey. On Russia's domestic front, France has repeatedly rebuked Moscow over its crackdown on protesters angered by a refusal to register opposition candidates for elections later this year. But it remains to be seen if Macron will dare spoil the mood of such sensitive talks by raising that issue in public. "Making a point to Putin on this would be seen as interference in Russian internal affairs, but if Macron decides to do this Putin will know what to say," Baunov said. "What is said behind closed doors is another matter."

French president Emmanuel Macron seeks Ukraine progress from Russia's Vladimir Putin in rare pre-G7 talks

Europe heatwave: July 2019 is the hottest ever month, Temperature records tumbled across Europe during late July's heatwave Watch video to know more.

Europe heatwave: July 2019 is the hottest ever month

Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris is still at risk of collapse after being<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/notre-dame-cathedral-was-probably-caused-by-accident-say-french-prosecutors-210901"> gutted by a fire in April</a>, with more stonework falling during the recent heatwave in the French capital, the government said on Wednesday.

France's culture ministry insisted that the urgent need to make the cathedral safe had dictated the pace of the works, following criticism that it had ignored the risks of lead poisoning.

Work to secure the cathedral was suspended on July 25 to allow for decontamination of the lead that had spread during the fire. The work should resume next week.

The culture ministry said that in the aftermath of the fire all work on the cathedral had been aimed at avoiding its collapse, and had not yet involved any kind of restoration.

"There were recently new falls of stones from the nave vaults due to the heatwave," it said.

"It is only the urgency linked to the persistent risk of a collapse that justifies the rhythm of work undertaken" since the fire.

French investigative news site Mediapart published a report this week accusing the ministry of repeatedly ignoring warnings by labour inspectors about the dangers posed by the lead until the works were finally suspended on July 25.

But the ministry rejected Mediapart's allegations that it had failed to pay attention to the risks encountered by workers on the site.

"All the state services involved at the site have made the health of the workers the absolute priority, above all other consideration," it said.

President Emmanuel Macron has set an ambitious target of five years for the restoration to be finished. But the ministry said restoration work would not even begin until next year.

"The first restoration works will not take place -- at the very earliest -- before the first half of 2020," it said.

Hundreds of tonnes of lead in the roof and steeple melted during the April 15 blaze that nearly destroyed the gothic masterpiece, with winds spreading the particles well beyond the church's grounds.

Paris prosecutors said in June that a poorly stubbed-out cigarette or an electrical fault could have started the fire and opened an investigation into criminal negligence, without targeting any individual.

Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris is still at risk of collapse after being gutted by a fire in April, with more stonework falling during the recent heatwave in the French capital, the government said on Wednesday.

Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris is still at risk of collapse after being gutted by a fire in April, with more stonework falling during the recent heatwave in the French capital, the government said on Wednesday. France's culture ministry insisted that the urgent need to make the cathedral safe had dictated the pace of the works, following criticism that it had ignored the risks of lead poisoning. Work to secure the cathedral was suspended on July 25 to allow for decontamination of the lead that had spread during the fire. The work should resume next week. The culture ministry said that in the aftermath of the fire all work on the cathedral had been aimed at avoiding its collapse, and had not yet involved any kind of restoration. "There were recently new falls of stones from the nave vaults due to the heatwave," it said. "It is only the urgency linked to the persistent risk of a collapse that justifies the rhythm of work undertaken" since the fire. French investigative news site Mediapart published a report this week accusing the ministry of repeatedly ignoring warnings by labour inspectors about the dangers posed by the lead until the works were finally suspended on July 25. But the ministry rejected Mediapart's allegations that it had failed to pay attention to the risks encountered by workers on the site. "All the state services involved at the site have made the health of the workers the absolute priority, above all other consideration," it said. President Emmanuel Macron has set an ambitious target of five years for the restoration to be finished. But the ministry said restoration work would not even begin until next year. "The first restoration works will not take place -- at the very earliest -- before the first half of 2020," it said. Hundreds of tonnes of lead in the roof and steeple melted during the April 15 blaze that nearly destroyed the gothic masterpiece, with winds spreading the particles well beyond the church's grounds. Paris prosecutors said in June that a poorly stubbed-out cigarette or an electrical fault could have started the fire and opened an investigation into criminal negligence, without targeting any individual.

Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris 'still at risk of collapse' after fire

A body was found Tuesday in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hundreds-search-in-malaysia-for-missing-teen-despite-the-major-holiday-242248">hunt for a Franco-Irish teen</a> in Malaysia with a charity saying it is likely the missing girl, 10 days after she disappeared from a rainforest resort.

Nora Quoirin, 15, went missing on August 4, a day after checking into the resort with her London-based family.

They suspected she was abducted but Malaysian police classified it as a missing person case.

More than 350 people were deployed to hunt through dense jungle next to the Dusun Resort, not far from Kuala Lumpur, backed by helicopters, drones, sniffer dogs and divers.&nbsp;

Shamans conducted rituals in an effort to locate her while the investigation was assisted by police from Britain, Ireland and France.&nbsp;

Mohamad Mat Yusop, Negeri Sembilan state police chief, told reporters that "the body of a white female" was found just before 2:00 pm (0600 GMT) after authorities received a report from a member of the public.

"It was found two kilometres (1.2 miles) from the Dusun Resort where she was staying. The body is intact," he said.&nbsp;

He said the body had not been identified.&nbsp;

But the Lucie Blackman Trust, a UK charity that supports the families of British people missing overseas, said that it "sadly seems likely" to be the teen.

As news emerged a body had been found, police vehicles raced to an area home to palm oil plantations and fruit trees, and a cordon was put up around the site.

Reward offered&nbsp;

The discovery came a day after her family offered a 50,000 ringgit ($11,900) reward, donated by a Belfast business, for information that could lead to her return.

"Nora is our first child. She has been vulnerable since the day she was born," said a family statement.

"She is so precious to us and our hearts are breaking. We are appealing to anyone who has information about Nora to help us find her."

At one point, her mother Meabh fought back tears as she made an emotional speech thanking the search team, with the girl's French father Sebastien by her side.

Watch:&nbsp;'Nora darling, I know you are there', search for missing Irish teen continues after nearly a week

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/nora-darling-i-know-you-are-there-search-for-missing-irish-teen-continues-after-nearly-a-week-241676/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The 12-acre (five-hectare) resort where the teenager disappeared from is next to a patch of thick jungle and in the foothills of a mountain range.

Her family said it would be extremely unusual for the reserved youngster to have wandered off on her own.

She has a condition called "holoprosencephaly", which means she has a smaller-than-normal brain, and has limited verbal communication and cannot write more than a few words.&nbsp;

She attended a school for young people with learning and communication difficulties.&nbsp;

While officially treating it as a missing person case, police did not rule out other possibilities.

An open window was found in the cottage where the family was staying at the resort.

A body was found Tuesday in the hunt for a Franco-Irish teen in Malaysia with a charity saying it is likely the missing girl, 10 days after she disappeared from a rainforest resort.

A body was found Tuesday in the hunt for a Franco-Irish teen in Malaysia with a charity saying it is likely the missing girl, 10 days after she disappeared from a rainforest resort. Nora Quoirin, 15, went missing on August 4, a day after checking into the resort with her London-based family. They suspected she was abducted but Malaysian police classified it as a missing person case. More than 350 people were deployed to hunt through dense jungle next to the Dusun Resort, not far from Kuala Lumpur, backed by helicopters, drones, sniffer dogs and divers. Shamans conducted rituals in an effort to locate her while the investigation was assisted by police from Britain, Ireland and France. Mohamad Mat Yusop, Negeri Sembilan state police chief, told reporters that "the body of a white female" was found just before 2:00 pm (0600 GMT) after authorities received a report from a member of the public. "It was found two kilometres (1.2 miles) from the Dusun Resort where she was staying. The body is intact," he said. He said the body had not been identified. But the Lucie Blackman Trust, a UK charity that supports the families of British people missing overseas, said that it "sadly seems likely" to be the teen. As news emerged a body had been found, police vehicles raced to an area home to palm oil plantations and fruit trees, and a cordon was put up around the site. Reward offered The discovery came a day after her family offered a 50,000 ringgit ($11,900) reward, donated by a Belfast business, for information that could lead to her return. "Nora is our first child. She has been vulnerable since the day she was born," said a family statement. "She is so precious to us and our hearts are breaking. We are appealing to anyone who has information about Nora to help us find her." At one point, her mother Meabh fought back tears as she made an emotional speech thanking the search team, with the girl's French father Sebastien by her side. Watch: 'Nora darling, I know you are there', search for missing Irish teen continues after nearly a week The 12-acre (five-hectare) resort where the teenager disappeared from is next to a patch of thick jungle and in the foothills of a mountain range. Her family said it would be extremely unusual for the reserved youngster to have wandered off on her own. She has a condition called "holoprosencephaly", which means she has a smaller-than-normal brain, and has limited verbal communication and cannot write more than a few words. She attended a school for young people with learning and communication difficulties. While officially treating it as a missing person case, police did not rule out other possibilities. An open window was found in the cottage where the family was staying at the resort.

Body found in hunt for Franco-Irish teen in Malaysia

Police fired tear gas at protesters in Nantes on August 3 over the death of young concert-goer who drowned in the western French city. Watch this video to know more.

Police and protesters clash in France

The extreme heat waves that enveloped parts of Western Europe last month were made much more likely and intense by human induced climate change, a study has found.

A recent report from the World Weather Attribution group has suggested that the continuous days of extreme heat that hit countries like <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/suicide-of-35-employees-trial-of-france-telecom-bosses-nears-the-end-235117">France</a> and Netherlands would have been a once in a millennium occurrence without the climate change but was made up to 100 times more probable as a result of it.

In the UK and Germany, the event is less rare (with estimated return periods of around 10-30 years in the current climate) and the likelihood is about 10 times higher (at least 3 times) due to climate change, the study added.

Though in all these countries, the temperature would have been 1.5 to 3 degrees celsius lower without climate change.

The said group has analyzed all seven heatwaves in the 21st century in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/will-continue-to-reduce-nuclear-deal-commitments-unless-europe-protects-iran-from-us-sanctions-javad-zarif-239698">Europe</a> (2003, 2010, 2015, 2017, 2018, and June 2019), and found that each one was made more likely and more intense due to human induced climate change.

"The July 2019 heatwave was so extreme over continental Western Europe that the observed magnitudes would have been extremely unlikely without climate change," the report concluded.&nbsp;

The extreme heat waves that enveloped parts of Western Europe last month were made much more likely and intense by human induced climate change, a study has found.

The extreme heat waves that enveloped parts of Western Europe last month were made much more likely and intense by human induced climate change, a study has found. A recent report from the World Weather Attribution group has suggested that the continuous days of extreme heat that hit countries like France and Netherlands would have been a once in a millennium occurrence without the climate change but was made up to 100 times more probable as a result of it. In the UK and Germany, the event is less rare (with estimated return periods of around 10-30 years in the current climate) and the likelihood is about 10 times higher (at least 3 times) due to climate change, the study added. Though in all these countries, the temperature would have been 1.5 to 3 degrees celsius lower without climate change. The said group has analyzed all seven heatwaves in the 21st century in Europe (2003, 2010, 2015, 2017, 2018, and June 2019), and found that each one was made more likely and more intense due to human induced climate change. "The July 2019 heatwave was so extreme over continental Western Europe that the observed magnitudes would have been extremely unlikely without climate change," the report concluded.

European heatwave fueled by human-induced climate change, study finds

Asian countries turning back wealthy world's waste

Sterling hit a two-year low on Monday as Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government said it now assumed there would be a <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/no-deal-brexit-had-become-a-serious-possibility-cbi-chief-carolyn-fairbairn-239206&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwi9xcXFitrjAhVO7mEKHQlcAkYQFjABegQIDxAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw07JQut3Vw9Gy2-8QTnDxFn">no-deal Brexit</a> because a "stubborn" European Union was refusing to renegotiate their divorce.

Many investors say a no-deal Brexit would send shock waves through the world economy, tip Britain's economy into a recession, roil financial markets and weaken London's position as the pre-eminent international financial centre.

The pound, which was trading at $1.50 on the day of the 2016 referendum, dropped 0.4% to $1.2325, the lowest level since March 2017.

Johnson bets that the threat of a no-deal Brexit will persuade the EU's biggest powers - Germany and France - to agree to revise the divorce deal that Theresa May agreed to last November but failed three times to push through the British parliament.

The 27 other EU members, though, say publicly and privately that the divorce settlement - including the Irish border backstop - is not up for barter. Many EU diplomats say an election is highly likely.

"There must be some change from the EU and if the EU is not willing to move at all we must be ready to give the country some finality," <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-should-respect-international-laws-britains-foreign-minister-239218">Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab</a> said, adding that London was "turbo-charging" no-deal preparations.

Raab said the United Kingdom wanted a deal but repeatedly cast the bloc as "stubborn". Asked if he was threatening the EU - whose $15.9 trillion economy is nearly six times that of the United Kingdom's - Raab said: "I am not doing any threatening."

Hedge funds increased their net short sterling positions to the highest level in nearly a year. And in a sign investors are scrambling for protection against currency swings around the time of the October 31 exit, three-month implied volatility surged to a four-month high.

Johnson has told EU leaders he will sit down for Brexit talks when they indicate they are ready to shift on the divorce deal, otherwise Britain will prepare for leaving without a deal, his spokeswoman said on Monday.

Our&nbsp;Union

Differences over Brexit have strained the bonds that tie the United Kingdom. While the country voted 52-48 to leave in 2016, Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to stay in the EU while Wales and England vote to leave.

The question of the unification of Ireland and British-ruled Northern Ireland will inevitably arise if Britain leaves the European Union without a divorce deal on October 31, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said.

Varadkar also suggested that a so-called hard Brexit could undermine Scotland's place in the United Kingdom.

Johnson makes his first visit to Scotland as prime minister on Monday, as his Conservative Party's leader there said she would refuse to support a no-deal Brexit.

"Our Union is the most successful political and economic union in history. We are a global brand and together we are safer, stronger and more prosperous," Johnson said in a statement ahead of the visit.

"So as we prepare for our bright future after Brexit, it's vital we renew the ties that bind our United Kingdom."

Johnson's promise to deliver Brexit, with or without a deal, has put him at odds with some in his party who oppose a "no-deal" exit - including its Scottish leader Ruth Davidson.

Gordon Brown, a Scot and a former prime minister, said this month that Johnson could be the United Kingdom's last prime minister as he could be on a collision course with Scottish nationalists.

Last week, Scotland's nationalist leader Nicola Sturgeon wrote to Johnson telling him his Brexit plans would hurt the Scottish economy and that she would continue preparations for a second independence referendum.

Sterling hit a two-year low on Monday as Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government said it now assumed there would be a no-deal Brexit because a "stubborn" European Union was refusing to renegotiate their divorce.

Sterling hit a two-year low on Monday as Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government said it now assumed there would be a no-deal Brexit because a "stubborn" European Union was refusing to renegotiate their divorce. Many investors say a no-deal Brexit would send shock waves through the world economy, tip Britain's economy into a recession, roil financial markets and weaken London's position as the pre-eminent international financial centre. The pound, which was trading at $1.50 on the day of the 2016 referendum, dropped 0.4% to $1.2325, the lowest level since March 2017. Johnson bets that the threat of a no-deal Brexit will persuade the EU's biggest powers - Germany and France - to agree to revise the divorce deal that Theresa May agreed to last November but failed three times to push through the British parliament. The 27 other EU members, though, say publicly and privately that the divorce settlement - including the Irish border backstop - is not up for barter. Many EU diplomats say an election is highly likely. "There must be some change from the EU and if the EU is not willing to move at all we must be ready to give the country some finality," Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said, adding that London was "turbo-charging" no-deal preparations. Raab said the United Kingdom wanted a deal but repeatedly cast the bloc as "stubborn". Asked if he was threatening the EU - whose $15.9 trillion economy is nearly six times that of the United Kingdom's - Raab said: "I am not doing any threatening." Hedge funds increased their net short sterling positions to the highest level in nearly a year. And in a sign investors are scrambling for protection against currency swings around the time of the October 31 exit, three-month implied volatility surged to a four-month high. Johnson has told EU leaders he will sit down for Brexit talks when they indicate they are ready to shift on the divorce deal, otherwise Britain will prepare for leaving without a deal, his spokeswoman said on Monday. Our Union Differences over Brexit have strained the bonds that tie the United Kingdom. While the country voted 52-48 to leave in 2016, Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to stay in the EU while Wales and England vote to leave. The question of the unification of Ireland and British-ruled Northern Ireland will inevitably arise if Britain leaves the European Union without a divorce deal on October 31, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said. Varadkar also suggested that a so-called hard Brexit could undermine Scotland's place in the United Kingdom. Johnson makes his first visit to Scotland as prime minister on Monday, as his Conservative Party's leader there said she would refuse to support a no-deal Brexit. "Our Union is the most successful political and economic union in history. We are a global brand and together we are safer, stronger and more prosperous," Johnson said in a statement ahead of the visit. "So as we prepare for our bright future after Brexit, it's vital we renew the ties that bind our United Kingdom." Johnson's promise to deliver Brexit, with or without a deal, has put him at odds with some in his party who oppose a "no-deal" exit - including its Scottish leader Ruth Davidson. Gordon Brown, a Scot and a former prime minister, said this month that Johnson could be the United Kingdom's last prime minister as he could be on a collision course with Scottish nationalists. Last week, Scotland's nationalist leader Nicola Sturgeon wrote to Johnson telling him his Brexit plans would hurt the Scottish economy and that she would continue preparations for a second independence referendum.

UK plays hardball with 'stubborn' European Union, pound tumbles to a 28-month low on Brexit woes

This segment of WION brings to you top stories of the morning from across the globe. Watch this video to get updated with the latest information.

WION Speed News: Watch top national and international news of the morning - July 29th, 2019

Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and China met Iran in Vienna on Sunday (July 28) for talks to save the 2015 nuclear deal. The Joint Commission of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the deal's formal name, is chaired by the EU foreign policy service's Secretary General Helga Schmid. U.S. President Donald Trump pulled out of an international agreement on Iran's nuclear programme last year and stepped up sanctions on Tehran. He said the nuclear deal was flawed because it did not include curbs on Iran's development of ballistic missiles or its support for proxies in Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, and Iraq. Iran has ruled out talks with Washington over its military capabilities, particularly the missile programme that it says is defensive. It denies the missiles are capable of being tipped with nuclear warheads and says its nuclear programme is peaceful.

Europeans, China, Russia meet Iran in Vienna to save nuclear deal

WION Speed News: Watch top national and international news of the morning - July 28th, 2019

Flames engulfed trees beside a motorway in France on Friday (July 26), as a heatwave continues to grip Europe. Soaring temperatures broke records in France, Britain and the Netherlands on Thursday (July 25), in what scientists said were becoming more frequent events as the planet heats up. Earlier on Friday farmers were ordered to stop harvesting in France's second-largest grain-producing department Oise after hundreds of hectares of fields caught fire during an intense heatwave. Local authorities put an indefinite suspension on threshing in the whole of the Oise department on Thursday, citing the risk of fires and risk to the local population. More than 500 hectares of land caught fire on Tuesday alone in the department. Several firemen were hurt while trying to put out the fires.

Flames visible from motorway in France, as heatwave grips Europe

France's Emmanuel&nbsp;Macron&nbsp;discussed the need for an <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-slams-macron-over-digital-tax-on-us-tech-giants-threatens-reciprocal-action-against-french-wine-238733">international agreement on taxing digital</a> service companies with US&nbsp;President Donald Trump in a call on Friday, the French president's office said.

The exchange - which partly centred on Iran and the upcoming summit of the G7 group of rich nations in August - came after Trump earlier said he would hit France with "substantial reciprocal action" after Paris announced a tax that will affect US&nbsp;technology companies.

"The president also underlined that the G7 summit would be an important opportunity to move towards universal taxation of digital activities, which is in our common interest, and which we need to keep working on in order to obtain a broad international agreement,"&nbsp;Macron's office said.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump on Friday accused his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron of "foolishness" over a move to tax global tech giants, promising substantial retaliation which he hinted could target French wine.

"France just put a digital tax on our great American technology companies," Trump tweeted about the law passed this month that is set to affect US giants Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon.

France's Emmanuel Macron discussed the need for an international agreement on taxing digital service companies with US President Donald Trump in a call on Friday, the French president's office said.

France's Emmanuel Macron discussed the need for an international agreement on taxing digital service companies with US President Donald Trump in a call on Friday, the French president's office said. The exchange - which partly centred on Iran and the upcoming summit of the G7 group of rich nations in August - came after Trump earlier said he would hit France with "substantial reciprocal action" after Paris announced a tax that will affect US technology companies. "The president also underlined that the G7 summit would be an important opportunity to move towards universal taxation of digital activities, which is in our common interest, and which we need to keep working on in order to obtain a broad international agreement," Macron's office said. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump on Friday accused his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron of "foolishness" over a move to tax global tech giants, promising substantial retaliation which he hinted could target French wine. "France just put a digital tax on our great American technology companies," Trump tweeted about the law passed this month that is set to affect US giants Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon.

France's Macron discussed need for broad digital tax deal with Trump: Elysee Palace

The hot air that smashed European weather records this week, moves towards Greenland and could take the world's second largest ice sheet close to or below the record low seen in 2012, the United Nations said on July 26.

Heatwave threatens Greenland ice sheet

Soaring temperatures broke records in Germany, France, Britain and the Netherlands on Thursday, as a heatwave gripped Europe for the second time in a month in what scientists said were becoming more frequent events as the planet heats up.

As a cauldron of hot air from the Sahara desert moved across the continent, drawn northwards by high pressure, Paris saw its highest temperature since records began and Britain reported its hottest weather for the month of July.

An all-time high was measured in Germany for a second day running, at 41.5 degrees Celsius (106.7 degrees Fahrenheit) in the northwestern town of Lingen - similar temperatures to those in some Gulf Arab capitals on Thursday.

The unusual conditions brought a reduction in French and German nuclear power output, disrupted rail travel in parts of Britain and sent some Europeans, not habitual users of air conditioning in their homes, out to the shops in search of fans.

Health authorities issued warnings to the elderly, especially vulnerable to spikes in temperature. In cities, children splashed about in water fountains to cool off.

"It's very hot at the moment. I saw 42 degrees (Celsius) is forecast for today," said 19-year-old French tourist Ombeline Massot in the capital's Montmartre district, where visitors drank chilled bottles of water and fanned themselves.

The mercury in Paris touched 42.6 C (108.68 F) in mid-afternoon, above the previous Paris record of 40.4 C (104.72 F) recorded in July 1947.

In Britain, the temperature reached its highest for July, hitting 38.1 C (100.58 F), said the Met Office, the national weather service. The temperature, recorded in Cambridge, beat the previously July record of 36.7 C (98.06°F) in 2015.

This was the second-highest temperature recorded in the country. The hottest day, in August 2003, saw 38.5 C (101.3 F).

In the southern Netherlands, the temperature peaked at 40.4 C (104.7 F), topping 40 C (104 F) for the first time on record, Dutch meteorology institute KNMI said. That broke the national record of 39.3 C set the previous day. Before this week, the national heat record of 38.6 C had stood for 75 years.

The heat is expected to persist until Friday.

Global warming

Climate specialists said such heatwaves are becoming more frequent as a result of global warming from greenhouse gas emissions.

Britons faced travel disruption, with trains being forced to slow down to prevent tracks buckling in the heat. Several train operators asked commuters not to travel or set off very early.

A Met Office study found that a heatwave like one that broke records last year was 30 times more likely to occur than in 1750, because of the high amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Since the pre-industrial period the Earth’s surface temperature has risen by 1 degree Celsius.

"There is a 40-50% chance that this will be the warmest July on record. This heatwave is exactly in line with climate change predictions," said Dr Karsten Haustein at the Environmental Change Institute at the University of Oxford.

Peter Inness, senior research fellow at the University of Reading, said: "The fact that so many recent years have had very high summer temperatures both globally and across Europe is very much in line with what we expect from man-made global warming."

In northern Poland, toxic algae in the Baltic sea led to the closure of more than 15 beaches this summer, authorities said.

"The Baltic sea isn't the cleanest and when the temperatures are so high, then these organisms multiply at lightning speed and beaches need to be closed," said Jan Bondar, a spokesman for Poland's Chief Sanitary Inspectorate.

Very high temperatures across Europe coupled with prolonged dry weather has cut French nuclear power generation by around 5.2 gigawatts (GW) or 8%, French power grid operator RTE's data showed.

Electricity output was curtailed at six reactors by 0840 GMT on Thursday, while two other reactors were offline, data showed. High water temperatures and sluggish flows limit the ability to use river water to cool reactors.

In Germany, PreussenElektra, the nuclear unit of utility E.ON, said it would take its Grohnde reactor offline on Friday due to high temperatures in the Weser river.

Soaring temperatures broke records in Germany, France, Britain and the Netherlands on Thursday, as a heatwave gripped Europe for the second time in a month in what scientists said were becoming more frequent events as the planet heats up.

Soaring temperatures broke records in Germany, France, Britain and the Netherlands on Thursday, as a heatwave gripped Europe for the second time in a month in what scientists said were becoming more frequent events as the planet heats up. As a cauldron of hot air from the Sahara desert moved across the continent, drawn northwards by high pressure, Paris saw its highest temperature since records began and Britain reported its hottest weather for the month of July. An all-time high was measured in Germany for a second day running, at 41.5 degrees Celsius (106.7 degrees Fahrenheit) in the northwestern town of Lingen - similar temperatures to those in some Gulf Arab capitals on Thursday. The unusual conditions brought a reduction in French and German nuclear power output, disrupted rail travel in parts of Britain and sent some Europeans, not habitual users of air conditioning in their homes, out to the shops in search of fans. Health authorities issued warnings to the elderly, especially vulnerable to spikes in temperature. In cities, children splashed about in water fountains to cool off. "It's very hot at the moment. I saw 42 degrees (Celsius) is forecast for today," said 19-year-old French tourist Ombeline Massot in the capital's Montmartre district, where visitors drank chilled bottles of water and fanned themselves. The mercury in Paris touched 42.6 C (108.68 F) in mid-afternoon, above the previous Paris record of 40.4 C (104.72 F) recorded in July 1947. In Britain, the temperature reached its highest for July, hitting 38.1 C (100.58 F), said the Met Office, the national weather service. The temperature, recorded in Cambridge, beat the previously July record of 36.7 C (98.06°F) in 2015. This was the second-highest temperature recorded in the country. The hottest day, in August 2003, saw 38.5 C (101.3 F). In the southern Netherlands, the temperature peaked at 40.4 C (104.7 F), topping 40 C (104 F) for the first time on record, Dutch meteorology institute KNMI said. That broke the national record of 39.3 C set the previous day. Before this week, the national heat record of 38.6 C had stood for 75 years. The heat is expected to persist until Friday. Global warming Climate specialists said such heatwaves are becoming more frequent as a result of global warming from greenhouse gas emissions. Britons faced travel disruption, with trains being forced to slow down to prevent tracks buckling in the heat. Several train operators asked commuters not to travel or set off very early. A Met Office study found that a heatwave like one that broke records last year was 30 times more likely to occur than in 1750, because of the high amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Since the pre-industrial period the Earth’s surface temperature has risen by 1 degree Celsius. "There is a 40-50% chance that this will be the warmest July on record. This heatwave is exactly in line with climate change predictions," said Dr Karsten Haustein at the Environmental Change Institute at the University of Oxford. Peter Inness, senior research fellow at the University of Reading, said: "The fact that so many recent years have had very high summer temperatures both globally and across Europe is very much in line with what we expect from man-made global warming." In northern Poland, toxic algae in the Baltic sea led to the closure of more than 15 beaches this summer, authorities said. "The Baltic sea isn't the cleanest and when the temperatures are so high, then these organisms multiply at lightning speed and beaches need to be closed," said Jan Bondar, a spokesman for Poland's Chief Sanitary Inspectorate. Very high temperatures across Europe coupled with prolonged dry weather has cut French nuclear power generation by around 5.2 gigawatts (GW) or 8%, French power grid operator RTE's data showed. Electricity output was curtailed at six reactors by 0840 GMT on Thursday, while two other reactors were offline, data showed. High water temperatures and sluggish flows limit the ability to use river water to cool reactors. In Germany, PreussenElektra, the nuclear unit of utility E.ON, said it would take its Grohnde reactor offline on Friday due to high temperatures in the Weser river.

Climate records fall as Europe bakes in heatwave

Climate change leading to rock faces collapsing. Permafrost is any ground that remains completely frozen. Year-round ice found at high altitude now melting. Mont Blanc is the highest mountain in the Alps. Rockfalls also make it dangerous for mountain climbers. Watch this video to know more.

France: Mont Blanc's rocky glaciers collapsing

A thigh bone is making news today. The thigh bone of a giant dinosaur was found this week by French paleontologists at an excavation site in southwestern France where remains of some of the largest animals that ever lived on land have been dug up since 2010.

140 Million years old thigh bone of a dinosaur unearthed in France

The thigh bone of a giant dinosaur was found this week by <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/frances-macron-invites-british-pm-johnson-to-visit-238559&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiNk-uMwtLjAhUkjOYKHXBmAwIQFjACegQIDhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2j6r1p_4Oxdpf2uKXIJ1qN">French</a> palaeontologists at an excavation site in southwestern France where remains of some of the largest animals that ever lived on land have been dug up since 2010.

The two-meter long femur at the Angeac-Charente site is thought to have belonged to a sauropod, herbivorous dinosaurs with long necks and tails which were widespread in the late Jurassic era, over 140 million years ago.

"This is a major discovery," Ronan Allain, a palaeontologist at the National History Museum of Paris told Reuters. "I was especially amazed by the state of preservation of that femur."

"These are animals that probably weighed 40 to 50 tonnes."

Allain said scientists at the site near the city of Cognac have found more than 7,500 fossils of more than 40 different species since 2010, making it one of the largest such finds in Europe.

The thigh bone of a giant dinosaur was found this week by French palaeontologists at an excavation site in southwestern France where remains of some of the largest animals that ever lived on land have been dug up since 2010.

The thigh bone of a giant dinosaur was found this week by French palaeontologists at an excavation site in southwestern France where remains of some of the largest animals that ever lived on land have been dug up since 2010. The two-meter long femur at the Angeac-Charente site is thought to have belonged to a sauropod, herbivorous dinosaurs with long necks and tails which were widespread in the late Jurassic era, over 140 million years ago. "This is a major discovery," Ronan Allain, a palaeontologist at the National History Museum of Paris told Reuters. "I was especially amazed by the state of preservation of that femur." "These are animals that probably weighed 40 to 50 tonnes." Allain said scientists at the site near the city of Cognac have found more than 7,500 fossils of more than 40 different species since 2010, making it one of the largest such finds in Europe.

Giant dinosaur bone found in southwestern France

Paris has got some relief from heat today. There was almost 10 degree Celsius drop in France capital today. Watch this video to know more.

Rain brings relief to Paris residents, 10 degree Celsius drop in temperature

Oil prices rose on Friday and were on track for a weekly increase as geopolitical tensions over Iran remained unresolved, although flagging prospects for global economic growth amid the <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/trade-war-like-the-one-going-on-between-us-and-china-foolish-thailand-ambassador-at-wion-world-order-238434&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwij9_GHsNLjAhUbHo8KHfTpAw0QFjADegQIDxAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw3q6V_pmXlrHO0FOtaqNfXk">US-China trade war</a> capped gains.

Brent crude futures were up 23 cents at $63.62 per barrel at 0922 GMT, equivalent to a weekly rise of around 1.8%. They fell 6% last week.

US West Texas Intermediate crude was 25 cents higher at $56.27 a barrel, a weekly gain of 1.1%. It fell to 7.5% last week.

Tensions remained high around the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most important oil passageway, as Iran refused to release a British-flagged tanker it seized last week in the Gulf.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington had asked Japan, France, Germany, South Korea, Australia, and other nations to join a maritime security initiative in the Middle East so oil and other products can flow through the strait.

However, oil prices' reaction to the strains in the Gulf has been relatively muted. "It appears that the majority of market participants do not expect a military conflict that would hamper oil shipments," Commerzbank analyst Carsten Fritsch said.

Prices also drew support from a crude inventory draw in the United States, but gains were limited as the fall appeared to have been largely anticipated. The US production in the Gulf of Mexico was still feeling the effects of Hurricane Barry.

WATCH:&nbsp;Iran-UK tanker tensions: Iran releases 9 crew members

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"Several indicators pointing to a slowdown of global oil demand growth appear to have taken over market sentiment," Jefferies analyst Jason Gammel said.

Reuters polls taken July 1-24 showed the growth outlook for nearly 90% of the more than 45 economies surveyed was downgraded or left unchanged. That applied not just to this year but also in 2020.

"Growing challenges in the macroeconomic environment have kept bullish bets in check as risk appetites remain soft over potential weakness in global fuel demand," said Benjamin Lu, commodities analyst at Singapore-based Phillip Futures.

The slowdown in global manufacturing and trade, and the associated hit to oil consumption, largely stems from a US-China trade war that has rumbled on over the last year.

Trade talks between the two countries broke down in May after nearing an agreement. Next week, the top US and Chinese negotiators meet for the first time since then. Any positive outcome of the meeting is expected to boost oil prices.

Oil prices rose on Friday and were on track for a weekly increase as geopolitical tensions over Iran remained unresolved, although flagging prospects for global economic growth amid the US-China trade war capped gains.

Oil prices rose on Friday and were on track for a weekly increase as geopolitical tensions over Iran remained unresolved, although flagging prospects for global economic growth amid the US-China trade war capped gains. Brent crude futures were up 23 cents at $63.62 per barrel at 0922 GMT, equivalent to a weekly rise of around 1.8%. They fell 6% last week. US West Texas Intermediate crude was 25 cents higher at $56.27 a barrel, a weekly gain of 1.1%. It fell to 7.5% last week. Tensions remained high around the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most important oil passageway, as Iran refused to release a British-flagged tanker it seized last week in the Gulf. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington had asked Japan, France, Germany, South Korea, Australia, and other nations to join a maritime security initiative in the Middle East so oil and other products can flow through the strait. However, oil prices' reaction to the strains in the Gulf has been relatively muted. "It appears that the majority of market participants do not expect a military conflict that would hamper oil shipments," Commerzbank analyst Carsten Fritsch said. Prices also drew support from a crude inventory draw in the United States, but gains were limited as the fall appeared to have been largely anticipated. The US production in the Gulf of Mexico was still feeling the effects of Hurricane Barry. WATCH: Iran-UK tanker tensions: Iran releases 9 crew members × "Several indicators pointing to a slowdown of global oil demand growth appear to have taken over market sentiment," Jefferies analyst Jason Gammel said. Reuters polls taken July 1-24 showed the growth outlook for nearly 90% of the more than 45 economies surveyed was downgraded or left unchanged. That applied not just to this year but also in 2020. "Growing challenges in the macroeconomic environment have kept bullish bets in check as risk appetites remain soft over potential weakness in global fuel demand," said Benjamin Lu, commodities analyst at Singapore-based Phillip Futures. The slowdown in global manufacturing and trade, and the associated hit to oil consumption, largely stems from a US-China trade war that has rumbled on over the last year. Trade talks between the two countries broke down in May after nearing an agreement. Next week, the top US and Chinese negotiators meet for the first time since then. Any positive outcome of the meeting is expected to boost oil prices.

Oil prices rise as Iran tensions remain unresolved

A sweltering heatwave is still raging in France, with the highest temperature soaring to 42.6 degrees Celsius in Paris on Thursday, the highest since records began in 1873. This is the second heatwave in France since the beginning of the summer. Since Tuesday afternoon, the French national weather service has issued orange alerts for high temperatures in 80 provinces across the country. By Wednesday afternoon, red alerts had been issued in 20 provinces in northern France, including all of the provinces in the Isle of France, where Paris is located. The record high temperatures forced people to stay away from scenic spots including the Seine River. Instead, people gathered around cooling sprays and street water tap facilities to keep hydrated. Despite the baking weather, some sports enthusiasts continued to play beach volleyball in Paris City Hall's Square.

Paris records all-time highest temperature as France continues to roast in heat wave

Temperature is reaching about 40° celsius in some regions of European Continent. In France 20 administrative areas are on red alert. Watch this video to know more.

European heatwave: 20 administrative areas in France put on red alert

Paris joined the growing list of all-time high temperatures being broken as the second blistering heat wave of the summer gripped a wide swath of Europe.

Paris breaks all-time high temperature

Copa America winners Brazil have leapfrogged World Champions France, climbing to second place in the latest FIFA rankings, released on Thursday.&nbsp;

Brazil beat Peru 3-1 at the Maracana stadium earlier this month to collect their ninth continental title.

Belgium still tops the rankings while France slip to number three.

Algeria is the biggest movers, climbing 28 places to number 40 following their victory over Senegal in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations.

In spite of winning their first continental title in 29 years, the Algerians are only the fourth-ranked team in Africa behind Senegal (20), Tunisia (29) and Nigeria (33), another team they beat in the semi-finals.

Copa America winners Brazil have leapfrogged World Champions France, climbing to second place in the latest FIFA rankings, released on Thursday. Brazil beat Peru 3-1 at the Maracana stadium earlier this month to collect their ninth continental title.

Copa America winners Brazil have leapfrogged World Champions France, climbing to second place in the latest FIFA rankings, released on Thursday. Brazil beat Peru 3-1 at the Maracana stadium earlier this month to collect their ninth continental title. Belgium still tops the rankings while France slip to number three. Algeria is the biggest movers, climbing 28 places to number 40 following their victory over Senegal in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations. In spite of winning their first continental title in 29 years, the Algerians are only the fourth-ranked team in Africa behind Senegal (20), Tunisia (29) and Nigeria (33), another team they beat in the semi-finals.

Copa America winners Brazil climb to second in FIFA rankings, Belgium on top

When Saudi Aramco was on the verge of a deal last year to buy a stake in an Indian oil refinery, its boss quickly boarded a company jet in Paris and flew to New Delhi.

Chief executive Amin Nasser arrived unannounced early on April 11, 2018, finalised the agreement and signed it later that day. Negotiators had just finished hammering out the details.

His last-minute flight, after a business trip to France with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-crown-prince-mohammed-bin-salman-doing-spectacular-job-donald-trump-231336">Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman</a>, underlined the importance of the deal both to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-vetoes-measures-blocking-arms-sales-to-saudi-arabia-uae-238285">Saudi Arabia</a> and its huge state oil firm.

The planned investment in the $44-billion refinery and petrochemical project on India’s west coast is a prime example of how Aramco is trying to squeeze value out of each barrel of oil it produces by snapping up refining capacity, mainly in fast-growing Asia.

But it also underlines the challenge Saudi Arabia faces in reducing its heavy economic reliance on oil. The results of its programme to diversify have been mixed, some projects are moving slowly and others are too ambitious, economic and energy analysts say.

Prince Mohammed's stated goal of being able to "live without oil" by as early as 2020 looks set to be missed.

"Saudi Arabia's oil addiction is as strong as ever...economically, of course, the Saudi economy runs on oil. Oil still dominates GDP, exports and government revenues," said Jim Krane, an energy fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute.

"That said, Saudi Arabia is changing its relationship with oil. The dependence remains. But the kingdom is squeezing more value out of its oil," he said.

The slow progress means the Saudi economy is likely to remain hostage to oil prices for longer than planned. Any delay in implementing change also risks denting Prince Mohammed's image as a reformer.

Securing the future

Announcing his plan three years ago, the Crown Prince said Saudi Arabia must end its "oil addiction" to ensure the world's biggest oil exporter and second-largest producer cannot be "at the mercy of commodity price volatility or external markets."

He spoke after a fall in crude oil prices boosted the Saudi fiscal deficit to about 15 per cent of gross domestic product in 2015, slowing government spending and economic growth.

This year the deficit could hit 7 per cent of GDP, according to the International Monetary Fund, as oil-related growth slows following production cuts led by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.

Aramco is central to the Crown Prince's reform plan in several ways, not least because its planned partial privatisation will generate income for the reforms.

The company has also been involved in most of the kingdom's high-profile deals in the last two years as it increased investment in refining and petrochemicals.

In that time, Aramco has announced at least $50 billion worth of investments in Saudi Arabia, Asia and the United States. It aims to almost triple its chemicals production to 34 million metric tons per year by 2030 and raise its global refining capacity to 8-10 million barrels per day (bpd) from more than 5 million bpd.

In March last year, Aramco finalised a deal to buy a $7billion stake in a refinery and petrochemicals project with Malaysia's Petronas. A month later, Nasser and a consortium of Indian companies signed the initial deal that would give Aramco a stake in the planned 1.2 million bpd refinery in India's western Maharashtra state.

In February of this year, Aramco signed a $10 billion deal for a refining and petrochemical complex in China. Last month it signed 12 deals with South Korea worth billions of dollars, ranging from shipbuilding to an expansion of a refinery owned by Aramco.

"This is what I call the back to basics approach to economic diversification in the Gulf," said Robin Mills, chief executive of energy consultancy Qamar Energy in Dubai. "The energy industry has the assets, capital and skills, so it's the engine of new projects refining, petrochemicals, gas and so on."

&nbsp;

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When Saudi Aramco was on the verge of a deal last year to buy a stake in an Indian oil refinery, its boss quickly boarded a company jet in Paris and flew to New Delhi.

When Saudi Aramco was on the verge of a deal last year to buy a stake in an Indian oil refinery, its boss quickly boarded a company jet in Paris and flew to New Delhi. Chief executive Amin Nasser arrived unannounced early on April 11, 2018, finalised the agreement and signed it later that day. Negotiators had just finished hammering out the details. His last-minute flight, after a business trip to France with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, underlined the importance of the deal both to Saudi Arabia and its huge state oil firm. The planned investment in the $44-billion refinery and petrochemical project on India’s west coast is a prime example of how Aramco is trying to squeeze value out of each barrel of oil it produces by snapping up refining capacity, mainly in fast-growing Asia. But it also underlines the challenge Saudi Arabia faces in reducing its heavy economic reliance on oil. The results of its programme to diversify have been mixed, some projects are moving slowly and others are too ambitious, economic and energy analysts say. Prince Mohammed's stated goal of being able to "live without oil" by as early as 2020 looks set to be missed. "Saudi Arabia's oil addiction is as strong as ever...economically, of course, the Saudi economy runs on oil. Oil still dominates GDP, exports and government revenues," said Jim Krane, an energy fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute. "That said, Saudi Arabia is changing its relationship with oil. The dependence remains. But the kingdom is squeezing more value out of its oil," he said. The slow progress means the Saudi economy is likely to remain hostage to oil prices for longer than planned. Any delay in implementing change also risks denting Prince Mohammed's image as a reformer. Securing the future Announcing his plan three years ago, the Crown Prince said Saudi Arabia must end its "oil addiction" to ensure the world's biggest oil exporter and second-largest producer cannot be "at the mercy of commodity price volatility or external markets." He spoke after a fall in crude oil prices boosted the Saudi fiscal deficit to about 15 per cent of gross domestic product in 2015, slowing government spending and economic growth. This year the deficit could hit 7 per cent of GDP, according to the International Monetary Fund, as oil-related growth slows following production cuts led by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. Aramco is central to the Crown Prince's reform plan in several ways, not least because its planned partial privatisation will generate income for the reforms. The company has also been involved in most of the kingdom's high-profile deals in the last two years as it increased investment in refining and petrochemicals. In that time, Aramco has announced at least $50 billion worth of investments in Saudi Arabia, Asia and the United States. It aims to almost triple its chemicals production to 34 million metric tons per year by 2030 and raise its global refining capacity to 8-10 million barrels per day (bpd) from more than 5 million bpd. In March last year, Aramco finalised a deal to buy a $7billion stake in a refinery and petrochemicals project with Malaysia's Petronas. A month later, Nasser and a consortium of Indian companies signed the initial deal that would give Aramco a stake in the planned 1.2 million bpd refinery in India's western Maharashtra state. In February of this year, Aramco signed a $10 billion deal for a refining and petrochemical complex in China. Last month it signed 12 deals with South Korea worth billions of dollars, ranging from shipbuilding to an expansion of a refinery owned by Aramco. "This is what I call the back to basics approach to economic diversification in the Gulf," said Robin Mills, chief executive of energy consultancy Qamar Energy in Dubai. "The energy industry has the assets, capital and skills, so it's the engine of new projects refining, petrochemicals, gas and so on."

Old habits die hard: Saudi Arabia struggles to end oil addiction

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