Why do plants have thorns?

Power is shut off in the San Francisco Bay Area as blackouts set to affect millions of Californians begin in the face of hot, windy weather that raises the risk of wildfires. Pacific Gas & Electric, which announced the deliberate outage, is working to prevent a repeat of a catastrophe last November in which faulty power lines it owned were determined to have sparked California's deadliest wildfire in modern history.

A report by the Carbon Tracker Initiative has revealed 79% of EU coal plants are running at a high financial loss because they can't compete with cheap renewables. A German company faces the biggest loss.

Julio Betancur, a biologist and professor at the National University of Colombia, has collected more than 22,000 plants to document Colombia’s rich floral diversity, which is now disappearing due to climate change and deforestation.

Israeli scientists say they have produced hydrogen from plants in a development that they hope could eventually lead to using vegetation to produce electricity.

After a three-month long closure, the opera house in Barcelona, El Liceu, reopens with its first concert... for 2,292 plants. The initiative, an idea of Spanish artist Eugenio Ampudia, looks to examine our relationship with nature and the impact the lockdown has had on public spaces.

Pope Francis warns that Lebanon faces "extreme danger that threatens the very existence of the country" following last month's massive explosion.

Since the spring, the border between the United States and Canada has been closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This closure impacts the lives of hundreds of thousands of American patients, who are used to buying medicine over on the Canadian side of the border, where it's much cheaper. Some Americans suffering from diabetes have even begun decreasing their food intake in order to ration their insulin supply. Our Canada correspondents report.

In France, the arrival of 5G technology is imminent: phone network providers hope to begin 5G operations by the end of the year. Together they have spent more than €2 billion purchasing the required frequencies. While the transition to a 5G world is expected to revolutionise various parts of the economy, including the industry and health sectors, there are also fears about its rollout. Many NGOs are warning of health and environmental risks. FRANCE 24's Catherine Norris-Trent, Hanane Saïdani and Wassim Cornet report.

In Kenya, abortion is strictly prohibited except in cases of rape or medical emergency. Women and girls risk their lives with back-alley abortionists. DW's Mariel Müller met a young woman who survived an unsafe abortion and the man who carried it out.

Tall and lean with a powerful chest, the rare Sarail hound has been treasured in Bangladesh for centuries. But the dogs -- believed to have descended from English greyhounds and sighthounds owned by Mughal-era feudal landlords, or from hunting dogs brought by Arab traders -- are dwindling in numbers with just dozens remaining in the South East Asian country, according to some estimates.

Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine says he fears for his life since losing last week's presidential election. He tells FRANCE 24 that he and his wife are still under house arrest and surrounded by the military. Also, around 140 people are killed and tens of thousands forced from their homes in Sudan's troubled Darfur region. And finally, the world's largest fish – whale sharks – normally migrate thousands of kilometres every year, but some are skipping the trip to stay in Tanzania.

Archaeological sites in Sudan can be found across the Nile Valley. These pyramids, temples, statues, jewels and other archaeological treasures date from the Meroitic Empire, an ancient Nubian dynasty that ruled over a vast territory from the 3rd century BC to the 4th century AD. But this priceless heritage is today under threat from urbanisation, grave robbers and gold diggers. In order to save what's left, the government is raising popular awareness. Our correspondents report.