Author: France 24

The winning country in Eurovision will be ineligible to host the contest the following year if involved in an armed conflict or a “sensitive geopolitical situation” that could impact the safety of the event, organisers said on August 12. The rules for the contest were updated following an annual review by the European Broadcasting Union.

Amid the rubble and debris of Gaza’s bombed-out landscape, beekeepers are rebuilding their livelihoods, handling swarms and collecting what little honey they can from the colonies that survived the war. Ibrahim al-Dabbeh, head of the Cooperative Association of Beekeepers in the Gaza Strip says “the war destroyed more than 95% of the bee sector”. Rebuilding these hives means trying to revive an industry pushed to the brink of extinction. 

Somali referee Omar Artan, who was denied the chance to referee at the World Cup after being refused entry to the United States, will take charge of the UEFA Super Cup between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa on Wednesday.

The DR Congo is set to open its largest Ebola treatment facility. Construction is nearing completion as health authorities race to contain an outbreak that the World Health Organization has described as intensifying at an “exceptional” pace. As of July 30, the WHO reported 3,605 confirmed Ebola cases and 1,587 deaths in the DR Congo. Officials hope the expanded treatment capacity will strengthen response efforts and improve care for patients as the outbreak continues to spread.

Lebanon’s parliament on Wednesday passed a general amnesty law reducing sentences for inmates and people detained for more than 12 years without charges in a bid to reduce prison overcrowding. The legislation was passed a day after Lebanon became the first Middle Eastern country to abolish the death penalty.

Having lost 2-1 in the first leg, Lyon turned the tie around with a 3-0 victory over Sparta Prague in the third qualifying round of the Champions League. OL will face Fenerbahce in the playoffs to secure their place in the group stage.

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic ⁠of Congo is spreading faster than efforts to fight it, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday. Families said many frontline workers in Ituri province, the epicentre of the outbreak, have gone on strike over pay issues, worsening access to healthcare.

Pakistan, a country known for its conservative values, rarely makes waves in the music and entertainment industry. Yet in major cities like Karachi and Lahore, a quiet but thriving DJ scene is beginning to make itself heard, with emerging talents and artists transforming the music industry. At the heart of this evolution, more and more women are asserting themselves in a field largely dominated by men.

With over 3,950 cases recorded by the ministry of health in Gaza, the number of miscarriages between January and June has tripled compared with the previous six months. During this period, there was approximately one miscarriage for every five live births. The Observers team spoke with two OBGYN doctors in Gaza.

The French men’s 400 x 200 m freestyle relay team won silver at the European Championships. On his return to France, Léon Marchand posted the world’s best time of the year in the 200m.