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The first round of France’s presidential election will be held on April 10 next year, with the second round scheduled on April 24, government spokesman Gabriel Attal said on Tuesday. Legislative elections will take place on June 12 and June 19, he added.

Source: france24.com

Gyms in Seoul are about to adopt an unusual Covid prevention strategy: play slower music. In the capital Seoul, new rules mean specific workout classes, such as spinning and aerobics, are not allowed to play music that is faster than 120 beats per minute (BPM), since "harsh breathing from intense activities can spatter a lot of saliva," said the ministry in a news release.

Source: cnn.com

Venezuelan agents have arrested a key opposition figure on charges of terrorism and treason. Freddy Guevara was in his car when he was detained on a highway in the capital Caracas. The left-wing government accuses him of having ties to "extremist groups" and foreign governments. Mr Guevara is a close ally of opposition leader Juan Guaidó, who said that he was threatened by armed men as he went to help Mr Guevara.

Source: bbc.com

England's Marcus Rashford said he will "never apologise for who I am" in an emotional statement after receiving racist abuse following the side's Euro 2020 final defeat.The Manchester United forward was one of three players, along with Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka, who were attacked by racist trolls after missing penalties in Sunday's 3-2 shoot-out defeat by Italy. Rashford's England team-mate Tyrone Mings criticised British Home Secretary Priti Patel, saying she had "stoked the fire" by defending those who booed players taking the knee.

Source: france24.com

Iran has unveiled a state-sanctioned Islamic dating app aimed at facilitating “lasting and informed marriage” for its youth, state television reported. Called Hamdam – Farsi for “companion” – the service allows users to “search for and choose their spouse”, the broadcaster said on Monday. It is the only state-sanctioned platform of its kind in the Islamic republic. Users of app Hamdam have to take a psychology test, and successful matches will be accompanied by a consultant for the first four years of marriage.

Source: theguardian.com

A heavily injured baby elephant left behind by a migrating wild herd in southwest China has been rescued, state media reported Tuesday, the latest twist in a chaotic odyssey. The herd of Asian elephants has spent months roaming across Yunnan province, travelling more than 500 kilometres (310 miles) from their home nature reserve in one of the longest ever animal migrations of its kind in China. Since setting off last year, the meandering mammals have stolen villagers' food and trampled crops worth over $1 million, with thousands of residents evacuated from their path.

Source: france24.com

A Chinese man has been reunited with his son after a 24-year search that saw him travel over 500,000km (310,000 mi) on a motorbike across the country. Guo Gangtang's son had been snatched aged two by human traffickers in front of their home in Shandong province. His son's disappearance actually inspired a movie in 2015, which starred Hong Kong superstar Andy Lau. Child abductions are a big problem in China, with thousands taken every year.

Source: bbc.com

Phosphine gas on Venus may actually be produced by volcanoes, a new study claims, and not microbes as previously thought. Researchers from Cornell University in New York state studied data from space telescopes in Hawaii and Chile. Based on their analysis, they argue that the 'chemical fingerprint' of phosphine is a geological signature that shows evidence of explosive volcanoes on Venus.

Source: dailymail.co.uk

At least 44 people were killed and over 67 injured in a fire likely caused by an oxygen tank explosion at a coronavirus hospital in Iraq's southern city of Nassiriya, health officials and police said on Monday. As rescuers combed the smoke-charred building in search of more bodies, Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi held urgent meetings with senior ministers and ordered the suspension and arrest of health and civil defense managers in Nassiriya, his office said in a statement. The manager of the hospital was also suspended and ordered to be arrested, the statement added.

Source: reuters.com

The top US and Nato general in Afghanistan has formally transferred control as the US-led military mission fast approaches its end after 20 years. General Austin "Scott" Miller stepped down on Monday, days after President Joe Biden said that US military operations would cease by 31 August. Other Nato countries, including the UK, have withdrawn nearly all military forces ahead of Mr Biden's US deadline.

Source: bbc.com

The world's deepest swimming pool for underwater diving has opened in Dubai, where people can descend 60 metres (197 ft) to a sunken city-themed landscape and play arcade games. The pool, which holds the equivalent of six Olympic swimming pools, has been verified by Guinness World Records as the world's deepest swimming pool for diving. Deep Dive Dubai says it is 15 metres deeper than any other.

Source: reuters.com

Japanese director Ryusuke Hamaguchi unveiled his awards contender at the Cannes Film Festival on Sunday, a tale of heartbreak and regrets which emerges in almost road movie-style over the course of several car journeys. "Drive My Car" was adapted from a short story by Haruki Murakami. Hamaguchi, who has notched up distinctions on the film circuit including in Berlin, said he was drawn by the potential of the enclosed space enveloping the characters.

Source: reuters.com

At least 841 of the marine mammals died in waters near the eastern state between 1 January and 2 July. That breaks the previous record set in 2013, when 830 manatees died after exposure to harmful algae. This year biologists say seagrass beds manatees rely on for food are dying out because of rising water pollution. They say the main issue is the increasing waste contamination of Florida's waterways, which triggers the accumulation of algae and the loss of seagrass.

Source: bbc.com

Chanting "freedom" and calling for President Miguel Diaz-Canel to step down, thousands of Cubans joined street protests from Havana to Santiago on Sunday in the biggest anti-government demonstrations on the Communist-run island in decades. The protests erupted amid Cuba's worst economic crisis since the fall of the Soviet Union, its old ally, and a record surge in coronavirus infections, with people voicing anger over shortages of basic goods, curbs on civil liberties and the authorities' handling of the pandemic.

Source: reuters.com

As the global population exceeds 7.8 billion people, some French people have made the decision not to have children – a radical choice born out of a desire to help the planet and do their part to reverse global warming.

Source: france24.com

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's ruling Prosperity Party (PP) overwhelmingly won general elections Saturday, meaning he will stay in power another term, according to CNN affiliate Nation Media Group. Abiy's party is expected take more than 410 of the 546 parliamentary seats in the first round of the contest, Ethiopia's sixth national election. Abiy, 44, took office in April 2018 following the resignation of his predecessor, becoming the first Oromo person to lead the country.

Source: cnn.com

Wildfires are raging in the west of the United States as the region is hit by a heatwave that has brought record temperatures to several areas. Communities have been told to evacuate as firefighters struggle to battle the blazes in the extreme conditions. Two firefighters in Arizona died when their aircraft crashed while responding to a wildfire. Meanwhile, Las Vegas matched its all-time temperature high of 47.2C (117F) on Saturday. The region experienced its hottest June on record, according to the EU's Earth observation programme.

Source: bbc.com

The UK entrepreneur flew high above New Mexico in the US in the vehicle that his company has been developing for 17 years. He returned safely to Earth just over an hour after leaving the ground. The trip also makes him the first of the new space tourism pioneers to try out their own vehicles, beating Amazon's Jeff Bezos and SpaceX's Elon Musk. The height reached by Sir Richard in the rocket plane, known as Unity, was 85km. Sir Richard billed the flight as a test of the space tourism experience he expects to begin selling to customers from next year.

Source: bbc.com