The river Seine is still failing water quality tests one month before the Paris Olympics when it is scheduled to host the open-water swimming competition and the swimming leg of the triathlon, results showed Friday.

Paris

The River Seine is not meeting water quality standards just before the Paris Olympics, where it is set to host the open-water swimming competition and the triathlon's swimming segment. Recent tests indicate that E. coli levels are ten times higher than what World Triathlon standards find acceptable. The presence of enterococci bacteria is also at concerning levels, posing risks of gastroenteritis and skin conditions to athletes.

Athletes who participated in a test event in the Seine less than a year ago reported poor visibility underwater, though conditions were considered manageable at the time. French authorities have invested 1.4 billion euros over the past decade in efforts to improve the river's conditions. This extensive project involved upgrading sewerage systems and constructing new water treatment and storage facilities.

Heavy rainfall in recent weeks has overwhelmed the wastewater network, resulting in contamination levels that diminish the impact of these efforts. Due to the current situation, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has postponed her planned test swim in the Seine, originally scheduled for June 26th, until after the legislative elections.



River Seine fails water quality tests ahead of Paris Olympics

It's due to host two Olympic sports events in under 30 days' time, but the pollution levels in the River Seine are still too high. Recent water quality tests show levels of E. coli bacteria are 10 times higher than the standards set by World Triathlon. And quantities of enterococci bacteria are also at unsafe levels. Meaning athletes could risk getting diseases like gastroenteritis or skin conditions. Less than one year ago, athletes from across the world had dived into the Seine during a test triathlon event. Some record not being able to see the end of their arm in the water, but that it hadn't been so bad. A world away from the 1930s, when hundreds of Parisians would participate in the annual Seine swimming races. It seems to be a good thing to start last in this annual race through Paris, because the River Seine gets so full you could almost walk over the swimmers in front. French authorities have spent the last 10 years cleaning up the river by improving the sewerage system and building new water treatment and storage facilities. A project which has cost them 1.4 billion euros. But despite their efforts, recent weeks of heavy rainfall coupled with an overwhelmed wastewater network has left the Seine still dirty. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who promised to do a test swim on June 26th, has also had to postpone her dip in the Seine until after the legislative elections.

A year-long Border Force investigation has implicated 70 Melbourne airport workers and airline crew in drug and illegal product smuggling operations. The accused individuals include baggage handlers, ground crew, and airline crew members.

Melbourne

Airport staff implicated in smuggling investigation

The U.S. Justice Department will criminally charge Boeing with fraud over two fatal crashes and ask the planemaker to plead guilty or face a trial, two people familiar with the matter say.

Seattle

U.S. to criminally charge Boeing over 737 MAX crashes

The far right is on the verge of taking power in France for the first time since the Second World War after President Emmanuel Macron’s party lost badly in a snap election.

France snap election

French far-fight defeats Macron's centrists

Some high-profile Democrats have come to U.S. President Joe Biden’s defence after his debate performance and calls for him to end his re-election campaign. Biden reportedly now holding talks with his family at Camp David.

Washington

U.S. Presidential Election

Supporters defend Biden's debate performance

Thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jewish men from Mea She’arim in West Jerusalem are protesting against conscription in the Israeli military. They prefer imprisonment over military service following the High Court's decision to end their exemptions.

Jerusalem

Ultra-Orthodox Jews rally against military service

Hurricane Beryl has become an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 storm in the Atlantic Ocean and is expected to bring life-threatening winds and flash flooding to the Caribbean's Windward Islands as it rapidly strengthens into Monday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) says.

Bridgetown

Hurricane Beryl

Hurricane Beryl strengthens to Category 4 storm

Voter turnout in France's first round of voting in the 2024 general elections stood at 59.39 percent by 5pm according to the interior ministry, around 20 percent higher compared to the same time in the 2022 elections.

Evening voter turnout in French elections at almost 60%

Britain’s upcoming general election is widely expected to lead to a change of government for the first time in 14 years with many analysts calling it one of the country’s most consequential elections since 1945. The centre-left Labour party led by Keir Starmer, is expected to win by a landslide by taking votes away from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Tories.

London

Main opposition Labour party tipped to win upcoming UK elections

Russia claimed two more east Ukrainian villages as its forces have had the upper hand over Kyiv on the battlefield for months. Moscow has claimed new villages in the east of Ukraine regularly for weeks, as outgunned and outmanned Ukrainian forces struggle to hold them back.

Kyiv

Ukraine Invasion

Russia claims two more villages in east Ukraine

Spanish police say they've called off a search for a British teenager who went missing on the Canary island of Tenerife, though the case remains open. His phone was last traced to a steep and rugged ravine on the island.

Tenerife

Spanish police end search for missing UK teenager

At least three women are dead and dozens more injured after a Greyhound bus crashed into a caravan on the Bruce Highway at Gumlu, south of Townville. The bus was carrying 33 passengers.

Gumlu

Three dead, dozens injured in tour bus crash

Across the United Kingdom, a record number of candidates – more than 4,000 – are campaigning for the July 4 general election. Economic stagnation, a housing crisis, the cost of living, immigration and foreign policy concerns are high on the agenda.

How immigration has become a key UK election issue

U.S. President Joe Biden sought to project an image of confidence during a rally in North Carolina after a woeful performance in a debate with Donald Trump exacerbated concerns about his age and mental acuity.

Joe Biden comes out swinging after debate performance

South Asia has recently experienced severe weather, resulting in the deaths of dozens of people. The region has faced widespread destruction, with floods devastating Afghanistan and landslides wreaking havoc in Nepal.

Kathmandu

Severe flooding in Afghanistan and landslides in Nepal

Russian scientists are performing an autopsy on a wolf frozen in permafrost for about 44,000 years, a find they said was the first of its kind.

Siberia

Scientists discover intact 44,000-year-old wolf carcass

A hardline protege of Iran's supreme leader and a relative moderate are to face each other in a run-off presidential election. Both are loyalists to the system and neither is expected to bring a major shift, a lack of real choice that was reflected in a historically low turnout.

Tehran

Hardliner, moderate to stand in Iran Presidential run-off

Ahead of tomorrow's $300 energy rebate, the Australian government has rolled out a $200 million scheme implementing 420 community batteries nationally, as part of its clean energy transition. The coalition wants to add nuclear power by 2035 to increase supply

Canberra

Federal government launches solar batteries nationwide

A day after his disastrous debate performance prompted calls for him to step aside, Joe Biden delivered a fiery campaign speech in North Carolina aggressively attacking Donald Trump while acknowledging his own age and shortcomings.

Biden tries to shake off debate disaster

COVID-19 has infected hundreds of millions worldwide, yet some never get it. British researchers now think the reason could be a specific gene that gives the immune system advance warning to destroy viral invaders quickly.

Scientists discover why some never had COVID-19

The AFP has charged a West Australian man who allegedly established fake free WiFi access points across various airports, to capture personal data from unsuspecting victims who mistakenly connected to them.

Mascot

Man arrested over fake airport wifi scam

Israeli forces pressed their incursion deeper into two northern and southern areas of the Gaza Strip on Friday (June 28), and Palestinian health officials said tank shelling in Rafah killed at least 11 people.

Israel-Gaza War

Israeli forces push deeper into southern, northern Gaza

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed a 10-year security pact with the European Union in Brussels, the latest deal aimed at shoring up long-term support for Kyiv in its fight with Russia.

Brussels

Zelenskyy signs Ukraine security accord with E.U.

European Union leaders agreed to nominate Ursula von der Leyen of Germany for a second five-year term as president of the European Commission, the EU's powerful executive body. At a summit in Brussels, the bloc's 27 national leaders also picked former Portuguese premier Antonio Costa as the future chair of their European Council meetings.

E.U. leaders pick von der Leyen for second term as Commission chief

The US Supreme Court cleared the way for women experiencing medical emergencies to obtain abortions in Idaho, but the ruling's narrow scope meant it was a muted victory for reproductive rights activists. The decision comes two years after the conservative-majority bench dismantled the nationwide right to terminate a pregnancy, making it a pivotal issue in November's presidential election.

Idaho

U.S. Supreme Court allows emergency abortions in Idaho

President Joe Biden delivered a shaky, halting performance while his Republican rival Donald Trump battered him with a series of often false attacks at their debate, as the two oldest presidential candidates ever exchanged personal insults ahead of the November election.

Biden-Trump debate

Biden struggles, Trump spouts falsehoods in debate

Social media platform bosses have been grilled by a Senate Committee over its roles and responsibilities to Australian society. Facebook defended its decision to stop sharing mainstream media news.

Facebook defends ending news deals

Palestinian refugees in the West Bank city of Jenin are bracing for more Israeli raids days after Israeli soldiers strapped an injured Palestinian to the hood of a military vehicle, triggering international anger. Israel called the man a suspected militant, but also said its soldiers violated protocol.

Palestinians in Jenin refugee camp brace for more IDF raids

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen is confident her party will win an absolute majority in parliament, form a government and impose limits on what President Emmanuel Macron can do to support Ukraine, she said days before voting starts.

France's Le Pen expects clear far-right win and power over Macron

Julian Assange spent his first night in 14 years as a free man back at home in Australia as the conservative opposition on Thursday cautioned the government against hailing the WikiLeaks founder as a hero.