Dozens of French towns flout government warning to fly Palestinian flag
More than 80 town halls in France hoisted the Palestinian flag Monday ahead of the recognition of a Palestinian state by president Emmanuel Macron, in defiance of the government warning not to do so.
Macron is to recognise a Palestinian state on the sidelines of the UN general assembly in New York, joining other countries in a move that has prompted bitter condemnation across the political spectrum in Israel.
Palestinian flags were raised at town halls in major cities across France – including in Lyon, Nantes, Rennes and Besançon – in defiance of an order by interior minister Bruno Retailleau. Even in Paris, left-wing city councillors put up the flag for 30 minutes at the city hall, despite opposition from socialist mayor Anne Hidalgo.
The interior ministry said that 86 town halls out of 34,875 across the country had flown the Palestinian flag.
More than 62,000 heat-related deaths in Europe in 2024, study finds
More than 62,700 people in Europe died from heat-related causes in 2024, according to research published in Nature Medicine on Monday, with women and older people making up the largest share of the toll.
The study analysed daily mortality records from 32 European countries and estimated that more than 181,000 people died from heat-related complications between 2022 and 2024.
Researchers said mortality rose by 23% between June and September 2024 compared with the previous summer, though the total was just below the 67,900 deaths recorded in 2022. “This number is saying to us that we should start adapting our populations,” said lead author Tomas Janos.
Two-thirds of deaths occurred in southern Europe, with Italy recording the highest toll each summer. Summer 2024 was the hottest on record in Europe, according to the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.
