France COVID-19 knocks down champagne sales by an estimated €1.7 billion Producers in France's eastern Champagne region say they've lost an estimated €1.7 billion in sales for this year due to COVID-19 lockdown measures. 31/07/2020
USA Norwegian flag mix-up sees US B&B wrongly accused of promoting racism The owners of a US bed and breakfast have removed a Norwegian flag from outside their business after being accused of promoting racism from people who thought it was a Confederate flag. 31/07/2020
United Kingdom Record number of migrants intercepted in the English Channel French and UK border forces intercepted 227 migrants in the Channel on Thursday in 21 separate operations with more incidents reported on Friday. 31/07/2020
World COVID-19: EU reserves 300 million doses of vaccines in Sanofi deal Coronavirus: EU says it struck deal with Sanofi for 300 million doses of potential COVID-19 vaccine 31/07/2020
France French family hospitalised after mistaking deadly flower for spinach The family members thought that they were eating Tetragonia, or New Zealand spinach, but were instead ingesting a toxic plant known as Devil's weed. 31/07/2020
Czech Republic Huge hangover as Czech beer sector's revenues drop €179m amid pandemic The Czech beer industry weathered communism and Nazi occupation with scarcely a dent during the last century – but it may prove less bulletproof in the wake of COVID 19 impacts, according to brewers. 31/07/2020
USA Amazon's satellite constellation plan to boost internet reach approved The company plans to create a 3,200-strong satellite constellation to deliver internet to underserved communities. It will compete with Elon Musk's Starlink. 31/07/2020
Postcards The supersized attractions of Downtown Dubai The delights Downtown Dubai, described by many as ‘The Centre of Now’, include supersized attractions such as the world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa; a 10-million litre aquarium and a huge virtual reality park. 31/07/2020
Inspire Middle East Why is Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra Jonas considering learning Arabic? Aged 18, Indian celebrity Priyanka Chopra was crowned Miss World in the 2000 pageant. It was to mark the start of a glittering career which has since seen her act, sing, write and mentor young performers. 31/07/2020
Inspire Middle East How are Sudan’s youth the driving force behind the country’s film revival? The arrival of president Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir in 1989 brought Sudan's film industry to a crashing halt. Cinema doors were closed for thirty years and filmmakers went underground. 31/07/2020
no comment Athletes in Russia test out new device to make them swim faster Invented by Aleksey Lukyanov, the devices resemble a propeller screw with pedals. 31/07/2020
View As it battles COVID-19, Europe is being stalked by a shadow pandemic: domestic violence ǀ View 31/07/2020
Life Irish citizens win case to force government action on climate change It could encourage more people to hold their government to account on environmental policy. 31/07/2020
World Hong Kong postpones September elections due to coronavirus Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam announced on Friday that the government will postpone highly anticipated legislative elections by one year, citing a worsening coronavirus outbreak in the semi-autonomous Chinese city. 31/07/2020
View Nurses are in the COVID-19 pandemic front lines. They should be first in line for a pay rise ǀ View 31/07/2020
France COVID-19: France sees first rise in intensive care cases since April Coronavirus cases are rising in France, with the increase seen "particularly in the 20-30 age group" the French public health agency said. 31/07/2020
