UK government announces nearly £130M ($175M) in funding for zero-emission vehicle technologies, supporting its 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel cars and 2035 zero-emission target

France places 78 departments under orange heat alert as temperatures forecast to reach 40C; nearly 70% of the country now under water-use restrictions

France puts 78 departments under orange heat alert; temperatures are forecast to reach 40C as a heat wave sweeps across the country, with nearly 70% of France currently under water-use restrictions.

Italy declares drought emergency across northern regions including Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto and the Marche. Switzerland increases water releases from Lake Lugano to aid Lake Maggiore.

Lake Maggiore is suffering from drought and Switzerland is increasing releases from Lake Lugano. Water is also scarce in Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto and the Marche: this is Italy's new emergency.

China's Yellow River marks 27 consecutive years of uninterrupted flow, the Ministry of Water Resources says Wednesday.

China's Ministry of Water Resources said Wednesday that the Yellow River, China's second-longest river, has maintained an uninterrupted flow for 27 consecutive years.

UK seeks to resume high-level military contacts with Russia over 'unintended escalation' fears, The Times reports. Last contact between British and Russian defence chiefs was September 2022.

Britain wants to resume high-level military contacts with Russia; British military chiefs fear the risk of 'unintended escalation' due to the absence of dialogue, The Times reports. The question was raised after the Russian frigate Grigorovich fired warning shots in June in the English Channel near a British-flagged yacht; the last contact between Russian Chief of theStaff Gerasimov and the UK Chief of the Defence Staff was in September 2022.