13.08.2026 09:54

When the Lake Has to Supply Drinking Water: Gerardmer Turns to Lac de Gerardmer Once Again

Of all places, in the water-rich Vosges, it has become clear just how serious the persistent drought has now become. Since August 12, 2026, water from Lac de Gerardmer has been flowing into the town's drinking water supply. The move is not considered a precautionary measure, but a necessary response to declining groundwater reserves. The groundwater level at the Goutte du Chat spring has continued to fall despite water-saving measures introduced as early as the beginning of July. According to the responsible water authority, current water production is no longer sufficient to meet the population's daily needs. The lake water extraction facility has therefore been put back into operation. However, the water from Lac de Gerardmer does not enter the pipes unfiltered. It undergoes special treatment and is subject to continuous monitoring by the regional health authority before being used as drinking water. For many residents, this step may seem unusual. In fact, Gerardmer has decades of experience with this process. The relevant facility was built in the 1970s and serves as a reserve for exceptional periods of drought. In recent years, it has had to be put into operation increasingly often. The town already turned to the lake during the hot summers of 2003, 2015 and 2020. The year 2022 was particularly memorable. At that time, extraction lasted from early August well into October - an exceptionally long period that was already seen as a warning sign for the...

Artikel des Tages Read 13.08.2026 09:46

Major fire in Pas-de-Calais: 1,200 campers temporarily evacuated

Pas-de-Calais - 13.08.2026: A large-scale vegetation fire abruptly interrupted a camping holiday for around 1,200 people in the northern French department of Pas-de-Calais. According to Franceinfo, guests had to leave the site as a precaution and were only able to return after several hours. The fire broke out during a period of intense heat and drought.According to the report, around 180 hectares of land were engulfed by the flames. More than 100 firefighters were deployed to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading to the campsite and other inhabited areas. For the department, known primarily for its coastline, dune landscapes and summer holiday traffic,...

Aktuell Read 13.08.2026 09:46

Eleven French nationals remanded in custody in Thailand over suspected drug smuggling

Eleven French nationals are currently being held in pre-trial detention in Thailand. They are accused of international drug smuggling after being arrested at several airports in the country between mid-June and the start of summer. According to Thai authorities, they allegedly attempted to take several kilograms of cannabis out of the country in their luggage. According to their families, the young adults, aged between 18 and 26, insist that they fell victim to an elaborate scam. Based on the findings so far, they are said to have been recruited via Snapchat and other social networks. Unknown individuals allegedly offered them a free trip to Thailand,...

Artikel des Tages Read 13.08.2026 09:41

2026 Could Rank Among the Worst Years for Glaciers in History

The warning signs are clear. Experts are sounding unusually stark alarms in light of developments in the Alps and the Pyrenees. Based on observations so far, 2026 could rank among the most devastating years ever documented for European glaciers. The French and Swiss Alps, as well as the Pyrenees, have been particularly affected, where several unfavorable weather conditions have overlapped within a short period of time. Winter had already brought significantly less snow than usual to many mountain regions. What initially appeared to be an ordinary weather fluctuation developed into a serious problem in spring. Exceptionally high temperatures caused the already thin snow cover to melt much earlier than usual. Several intense heatwaves followed as early as May and June, while temperatures above freezing were recorded consistently even at high altitudes. This is precisely the kind of development that is particularly critical for glaciers. Normally, a thick layer of snow protects the ice from direct sunlight during the first summer months. It acts as natural insulation and significantly slows melting....

Artikel des Tages Read 13.08.2026 09:34

Climate Change Threatens Global Food Security

Climate change is no longer merely one of the greatest environmental problems of our time. It is increasingly becoming a threat to global food security. Rising temperatures, more frequent droughts, heavy rainfall, floods and ever more severe storms are fundamentally changing the conditions for agriculture. This puts pressure not only on food production, but also on its availability, affordability and quality. Food security rests on four essential pillars: food must be sufficiently available, accessible and affordable for everyone, safe for consumption and nutritious, and these conditions must be met on a lasting basis. It is precisely these foundations that are being destabilized by climate change at the same time. The consequences are particularly evident in the fields. Many crops are sensitive to extreme heat and water shortages. Prolonged heat waves slow the growth of cereals, while long dry spells significantly reduce the yields of maize, wheat and rice. At the same time, torrential rainfall causes enormous damage. It destroys harvests, washes away fertile soil and delays sowing. In addition, extreme...

Artikel des Tages Read 13.08.2026 09:31

Ozone pollution in Ile-de-France: Speed limits on many roads reduced by 20 km/h on Thursday

Paris - 13/08/2026: Lower speed limits will apply on major roads in Ile-de-France on Thursday due to elevated ozone pollution. The police prefect ordered the applicable maximum speed limit to be reduced by 20 kilometres per hour. The measure affects the region around Paris and follows a deterioration in air quality during the ongoing heatwave.For motorists, the order means that where higher speeds are normally permitted, they must reduce their speed accordingly. The regulation is not a general change to traffic law, but a temporary response to air pollution. It is intended to reduce road traffic emissions that can contribute to the formation of ground-level...

Aktuell Read 13.08.2026 09:25

France Between Heatwave and Drought: When a State of Emergency Becomes Summer Routine

France is experiencing weather conditions this August that have long become more than an ordinary heatwave. Almost the entire country is groaning under temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius, while rivers shrink, soils dry out and water becomes a precious resource. What once mainly affected the south of the country has now taken on national dimensions. On 13 August, 80 departments are under heat warnings. High temperatures stretch from the Atlantic coast to the German border. In Paris, the thermometer climbs to around 38 degrees Celsius, and in Lyon to about 39 degrees. Bordeaux, Toulouse and Nantes are also suffering under oppressive heat. Only...

Aktuell Read 13.08.2026 09:19

Ozone Alert in Paris: Speed Limits Reduced on All Roads in the Ile-de-France

Motorists in the Paris region must significantly ease off the accelerator this Thursday. Due to elevated ozone pollution, the police prefect of the French capital has ordered a temporary speed limit reduction across the entire road network of the Ile-de-France. The measure is being implemented as part of the air pollution information and warning procedure and is intended to help reduce road traffic emissions. Specifically, this means that the maximum permitted speed is being reduced by 20 kilometres per hour on roads with higher speed limits. Where 130 kilometres per hour had previously been permitted, vehicles may now travel at no more than 110 kilometres...

Artikel des Tages Read 13.08.2026 09:15

Départements call for new civil security funding

Paris - 13 August 2026: François Sauvadet, president of the Départements de France association, is calling for a fundamental overhaul of civil security funding. The trigger is the firefighters' work stoppages and the growing strain on rescue services organized at municipal and département level. In his view, the current contribution through the special tax on insurance contracts is no longer sufficient.Sauvadet proposes increasing the share of this tax allocated to fire and rescue services. The additional revenue should primarily be used to procure national aircraft, in particular planes and helicopters for wildfire suppression. His demand links the current labor dispute with a question that has...

Aktuell Read 13.08.2026 09:13

Water Becomes More Expensive Than Wine – What a Village in Burgundy Reveals About France’s Future

There are events that seem insignificant at first glance but, upon closer inspection, prove to be omens. Quincy-le-Vicomte, a village of barely more than 200 residents in the north of the Cote-d'Or, is one such place. Since early July, the municipality's water supply has been ensured by tanker trucks because the local spring is no longer delivering enough water as a result of persistent drought. What appears to be a provincial footnote is, in fact, a lesson in the vulnerability of an infrastructure that generations took for granted. The fact that this development is taking place in Burgundy of all places, a region whose name stands worldwide for prized wines, gives it particular symbolism. One resident's remark that water could one day become more expensive than wine may sound exaggerated. Yet behind the punchline lies an uncomfortable reality: drinking water is increasingly becoming a scarce and therefore precious resource. Climate Change Gets an Address For a long time, climate change was described primarily in terms of global average temperatures, scientific...

Artikel des Tages Read 13.08.2026 09:05

A Look at the World: Wars, New Threats and Fear of the Next Escalation – the International Press Review of August 13, 2026

The war in Ukraine is escalating once again, Vladimir Putin is threatening European states with retaliation at sea, the situation between Iran, Israel and the United States remains explosive in the Middle East - and Taiwan is rehearsing for a contingency. The international news landscape on this Thursday, August 13, 2026, is marked by a remarkable concentration of military tensions. An environmental disaster in Oman and the aftermath of the spectacular solar eclipse are also making headlines. Ukraine: Attack on the Strategically Important Danube Port of Izmail The war in Ukraine is once again high on the international news agenda today. During the night, Russia...

Artikel des Tages Read 13.08.2026 07:15

Banned disposable e-cigarettes remain easily accessible to young people

Paris - 13 August 2026: Disposable e-cigarettes have been banned in France since 26 February 2025. Nevertheless, young people can apparently still obtain the so-called puffs without major difficulty. In a recent report by franceinfo, young consumers say that there are still suppliers from whom the devices can be obtained easily. The ban has ended open sales, but evidently has not completely prevented access.French regulations prohibit the manufacture, stocking for sale, sale, distribution and free provision of pre-filled e-cigarettes that cannot be refilled. Whether their battery can be recharged is irrelevant. Replaceable cartridges for refillable systems remain permitted. The law therefore targets the compact disposable...

Aktuell Read 13.08.2026 07:03

Hormuz, Gaza, Red Sea: The Middle East Is Losing Its Last Buffers

Islamabad - 13 August 2026: Within a matter of days, the crisis in the Middle East has intensified from a regional confrontation into a test for global trade routes. The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of globally traded oil was transported before the war, remains largely closed to regular traffic following Iranian attacks on shipping and the American blockade of Iranian ports. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the United States had complete control of the strait. Tehran, by contrast, maintains that reopening it can only be considered after the blockade is lifted.This brings a second maritime route into focus: Bab el-Mandeb, at the southern entrance to the Red Sea. On Tuesday, six people were killed in a Houthi attack on a ship there, including three Pakistanis. Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar condemned the attack; meanwhile, the Houthis continue their attacks on forces of the Yemeni government, Saudi oil facilities and ships in the Red Sea. For Saudi Arabia, this passage is a possible alternative route for oil exports, but the security situation means it is no reliable substitute for Hormuz.The diplomatic situation remains as unstable as the sea routes. An interim agreement concluded in mid-June to end the fighting between the United States and Iran expires on Monday. After its collapse, both sides exchanged direct attacks for more than two weeks before hostilities paused. Pakistan is now trying to revive talks: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi traveled...

Aktuell Read 13.08.2026 07:01

Meta Faces New Allegations in Oakland Over the Protection of Minors

Oakland - 13 August 2026: Jury selection has begun before the federal court in Oakland for another trial against Meta. The company behind Facebook and Instagram faces wide-ranging allegations from several U.S. states. The case will examine whether the platforms deliberately encourage young people to use them for long periods, contribute to psychological distress, and violate children's data protection rules in the process.Initially, the claims brought by four of the 29 states involved will be heard: California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey. The proceedings launched in 2023 consolidate their allegations before a federal court. According to the Associated Press news agency, the main trial is...

Aktuell Read 13.08.2026 06:15

Netflix Grants “La Bola Negra” a Record Theatrical Window in North America

Paris - 13.08.2026: Netflix is giving Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo's "La Bola Negra" an exceptionally long theatrical window in North America. The Spanish-French drama is set to play exclusively in theaters in the United States and Canada from October 16, 2026, and will not arrive on Netflix until December 2. At 47 days, this would be the longest exclusive theatrical run the streaming service has granted one of its own films there before its digital launch.What may sound like a distribution decision marks a notable shift in Hollywood. Netflix has long treated theaters primarily as a stop on the way to its platform, granting...

Aktuell Read 13.08.2026 06:00

After powerful earthquake in Colombia, death toll rises to at least 265

Pereira - 13.08.2026: Three days after the powerful earthquake in western Colombia, rescue workers and volunteers continue searching for survivors. President Abelardo de la Espriella said on Wednesday evening that at least 265 people had died. The latest confirmed death toll is therefore higher than earlier figures. The earthquake occurred on Monday, August 10, and reached a magnitude of 7.4.Cities and communities in the west of the country have been particularly hard hit, including Pereira, Cali, Quibdo and Manizales. Numerous buildings collapsed or sustained significant damage, roads cracked open, and vehicles were buried under rubble. Emergency crews are working with heavy equipment in destroyed residential neighborhoods. Helpers are removing smaller pieces of debris by hand to reach voids where people may have survived.It remains unclear how many people are still missing. De la Espriella spoke of nearly 500 officially registered missing persons. Civil society databases, by contrast, list more than 4,100 names. The large discrepancy may also be due to the fact that relatives from damaged or difficult-to-reach areas have...

Aktuell Read 13.08.2026 05:46

Trump apparently left NATO summit in Ankara using a decoy operation

Ankara - 13 August 2026: US President Donald Trump left Ankara on 8 July after the NATO summit under extraordinary security precautions. As US media reported and a senior US government official confirmed, Trump was moved unnoticed to a smaller military aircraft after publicly boarding a presidential aircraft. The reason was reportedly indications of a possible threat linked to Iran.The operation was apparently intended to create the impression that Trump would depart on the large government aircraft. According to The Washington Post, the president left the aircraft on the side facing away from the cameras. He was then reportedly taken by an airport service vehicle, of the kind normally used to supply aircraft, to another plane.On 13 August, the Associated Press news agency reported, citing a senior government official, that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent flew on the aircraft that remained behind. In doing so, the government essentially confirmed an operation whose sequence had previously been reconstructed by several US media outlets. Neither the White...

Aktuell Read 13.08.2026 05:30

Total solar eclipse draws millions of people to Spain

Medinaceli - 13.08.2026: Millions of people watched a total solar eclipse in Spain on Wednesday evening. The Moon moved in front of the Sun, completely darkening locations along a broad strip from Galicia through northern and central Spain to the Balearic Islands for a short time. Large crowds gathered at many easily accessible viewing sites.The eclipse had previously reached Iceland before crossing the Atlantic to the Iberian Peninsula. Spain offered the best conditions on mainland Europe for experiencing the Sun's complete obscuration. In several parts of the country, people gathered in public squares, on hilltops and at specially designated viewing points. In addition to being...

Aktuell Read 13.08.2026 05:16

Heat in Tours: Homes Become a Burden in the Sanitas District

Tours - 13 August 2026: In the Sanitas district of Tours, residents are suffering from homes that become intensely heated during the ongoing heat. In a report published on 12 August, local residents describe how their rooms offer virtually no protection during the day. Those who cannot leave the city and have no cool place to retreat to therefore spend even the hottest hours outdoors.Those affected are making do with simple measures. Some shower or bathe several times a day, take chilled food outside with them, and avoid the warmest rooms. Their experiences point to a problem in densely built-up districts: facades, roofs and sealed...

Aktuell Read 13.08.2026 05:01

Trump pushes for fewer and separate childhood vaccinations

Washington - 13 August 2026: US President Donald Trump has required the federal government, through an order signed on 10 August, to further restructure childhood vaccination recommendations. Vaccinations are to be distributed more widely across separate medical appointments. The document also calls for the combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine to be replaced in future by three individual preparations. Trump is thus continuing the rollback of the nationwide recommendation schedule already underway.According to the White House, vaccinations against eleven diseases are to be generally recommended for children in the future; previously, this category covered 18 diseases. The change initially affects federal recommendations, not directly the...

Aktuell Read 13.08.2026 04:46

Tomato Harvest in Apulia: Migrants Work Under Exploitative Conditions

Borgo Mezzanone - 13 August 2026: Between fields, warehouses and a former reception facility near Foggia, thousands of migrants live in improvised accommodation during the harvest season. A report published by Franceinfo on 12 August focuses on the tomato harvest in Apulia and on the people whose work stands at the beginning of European supply chains for canned tomatoes, passata and sauces.In the vicinity of Borgo Mezzanone, a small town in the province of Foggia, an informal settlement has developed over the years. Its size fluctuates with the harvest seasons. Observers say that it has several thousand residents at the height of the season. Many...

Aktuell Read 13.08.2026 04:31

Lecornu consolidates state communication and sharpens his political profile

Paris - 13 August 2026: French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu wants to reorganize state communication. On Sunday, 9 August, he announced that he would consolidate responsibilities more extensively, organize campaigns more economically and limit spending. The initiative affects an area that has so far been divided among ministries, prefectures and the government's information service. At the same time, Matignon is using the summer weeks to highlight the cabinet's work to date.Lecornu links the reform to his aim of making state structures more efficient. Since taking office, he has made spending discipline a central argument of his policy. The 2026 budget debate took place under pressure from high public debt and the goal of limiting the deficit to five percent of gross domestic product. More centralized management of communication fits into this approach: duplication and unnecessary costs are also to be avoided in the presentation of government action.Communications policy, however, is more than a technical budgetary issue. The state information service coordinates cross-ministerial campaigns and disseminates information on the government's work....

Aktuell Read 13.08.2026 03:00

Rod Stewart Cancels North American Tour After Heart Procedure

New York - 13 August 2026: Rod Stewart has cancelled the remaining dates of his North American tour following a procedure on his coronary arteries. The British singer, who turned 81 in January, is to recover for four weeks on medical advice, according to a statement from his team. The doctors treating him are satisfied with his progress; Stewart has already resumed his usual daily activities.According to his publicist, Stewart had a coronary stent inserted. This is a small vascular support intended to keep a narrowed coronary artery open. The procedure should therefore be distinguished from major heart surgery. For a singer whose performances have...

Aktuell Read 13.08.2026 02:45

Vincent Dieutre has died: Farewell to a radical first-person storyteller of cinema

Paris - 13 August 2026: French filmmaker Vincent Dieutre has died at the age of 65. With him, European auteur cinema loses a director who never understood the private sphere as mere confession. Love, desire, illness, cities and memory became the material of an idiosyncratic cinematic language that did not fully submit either to documentary or fiction.His first feature film, "Rome désolée" from 1996, set the tone. Dieutre combined images of Rome with a text that deliberately resisted the expected unity of word and image. This freedom was not a decorative gesture. It allowed him to make ruptures, digressions and uncertainty visible: those zones in...

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