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  • How has Ryanair changed its cabin baggage rule – and will other airlines do it too? | Ryanair

    How has Ryanair changed its cabin baggage rule – and will other airlines do it too? | Ryanair

    For all but the most seasoned travellers the metal bag sizers used by budget airlines have become an instrument of fear because of the heavy financial penalty incurred if hand baggage is too big to fit.

    But as the summer holiday season gets under way there is some good news for those who struggle to travel light: Ryanair has announced it is increasing the size of the small “personal” bag you can take in the cabin for free by 20%.

    This sounds unusually generous of Ryanair – is it?

    Yes. But it comes as airlines fall into line behind a new EU guaranteed bag size of 40cm by 30cm by 15cm. The current dimensions of the Ryanair free carry-on limit are 40cm by 25cm by 20cm – below the EU rule. It is increasing them to 40cm by 30cm by 20cm.

    Ryanair trumpets this is “bigger than the EU standard”. It says the change “will be implemented over the coming weeks, as our airport bag sizers are adjusted”.

    Ryanair passengers can add a larger cabin bag to a flight booking for £6 to £36 by buying a priority package. Photograph: Wiskerke/Alamy

    The size change represents a 20% increase in volume and means Ryanair will be accepting free bags one-third bigger than the new EU minimum.

    But that is the only aspect of Ryanair’s baggage policy that is changing. If you get it wrong and a gate check reveals the bag is oversized you will pay a fee of £60. A larger cabin bag can be added to a flight booking for £6 to £36 depending on the route but, again, if it is deemed too large at the airport it will cost £75 to stow.

    Will other airlines change their luggage rules, too?

    Some won’t have do anything. Rival budget airline easyJet, for example, already allows a more generous free underseat bag. Wizz Air’s current free bag policy is the same as the one that Ryanair is moving to.

    The airline association Airlines for Europe (A4E) says its 28 members have started applying the bag dimensions which were agreed by EU transport ministers last month.

    “This will bring more clarity to passengers across Europe,” says its managing director, Ourania Georgoutsakou. “From city-hoppers to family travellers, everyone will benefit from the same clear rule across our members’ networks.”

    Standardising cabin-bag rules has been on the Brussels agenda for years with the decision to settle on a size enabling frequent travellers to buy one piece of luggage that will be accepted by multiple airlines.

    All A4E airlines will be following the bag rule by the end of the 2025 summer season, it says, adding that “carriers will continue to permit larger personal items at their discretion”.

    Aren’t hand baggage fees being abolished anyway?

    Not yet, but they could be. European consumer groups are calling on EU lawmakers to investigate budget airlines for “exploiting consumers” by charging for hand luggage.

    In May, BEUC, an umbrella group for 44 consumer organisations, called for Brussels to investigate seven airlines, including Ryanair, easyJet and Wizz Air for this. BEUC director general Agustín Reyna said the airlines were “ignoring the EU top court who ruled that charging [for] reasonably sized hand baggage is illegal”.

    Wizz Air is following other airlines in being investigated in Spain for charging passengers for hand luggage and seat reservations. Photograph: Marek Slusarczyk/Alamy

    The organisation was referring to a EU court of justice ruling in 2014 that said the “carriage of hand baggage cannot be made subject to a price supplement, provided that it meets reasonable requirements in terms of its weight and dimensions”.

    In the meantime, Spain has become a battleground for the issue. Last year, its consumer affairs ministry fined five carriers, including Ryanair, a total of €179m (£150m) for charging passengers for hand luggage and seat reservations. Now low-cost carrier Wizz Air is being investigated, too.

    Will charges be banned?

    Ryanair’s chief executive, Michael O’Leary, says no. He is dismissive of the Spanish effort, recently telling the Guardian the country has a “mad minister who’s decided that as General Franco passed some law 30 years before Spain joined the EU, passengers are free to bring as much baggage as they want.”

    A Spanish court has now temporarily suspended the fines on three of the airlines (including Ryanair) while the matter is under judicial review, after a legal challenge.

    To complicate matters further, last month the transport committee of the European parliament voted to give passengers the right to an extra piece of free hand luggage weighing up to 7kg.

    Under the new rule, travellers could bring one cabin bag measuring up to 100cm (based on the sum of the dimensions) on board their flight, as well a personal bag, at no additional cost. (MEPs also want children under 12 years old to be seated next to their accompanying passenger free of charge.)

    The proposed law requires approval from 55% of EU member states, but if adopted after the negotiations due to start this month, would extend to all flights within the EU, as well as routes to and from the EU.

    The airline industry is predictably opposed, stating that the cost of the bag will be folded into overall prices, pushing up fares.

    “Europe’s airline market is built on choice,” Georgoutsakou says. “Forcing a mandatory trolley bag strips passengers of that choice and obliges passengers to pay for services they may not want or need. What’s next? Mandatory popcorn and drinks as part of your cinema ticket?

    “The European parliament should let travellers decide what services they want, what services they pay for and, importantly, what services they don’t,” she says.

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  • Munroe Bergdorf: ‘The most expensive thing I’ve bought? Gender-affirming surgery’ | Life and style

    Munroe Bergdorf: ‘The most expensive thing I’ve bought? Gender-affirming surgery’ | Life and style

    Born in Essex, Munroe Bergdorf, 37, studied at the University of Brighton and worked in fashion PR. In 2022, she became the first trans model on the cover of UK Cosmopolitan and in 2023 she published her book Transitional. She hosts the podcast The Way We Are and presents MTV UK’s Queerpiphany. She is a UN Women UK Changemaker and a founding consultant of the UK Diversity and Inclusion Board of L’Oréal Paris. Her latest book is Talk to Me; her documentary, Love & Rage, launched in the UK last month and is available to stream from 14 July. She lives in London.

    Describe yourself in three words
    Passionate, loving, driven.

    What would your superpower be?
    Invisibility, so I can spy on people and get the gossip.

    Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
    I say “scream” when I should just laugh, and it really annoys my friends.

    Which book are you ashamed not to have read?
    The Great Gatsby.

    What makes you unhappy?
    Being misunderstood by people I admire.

    Aside from a property, what’s the most expensive thing you’ve bought?
    Gender-affirming surgery. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not widely available on the NHS and a lot of it you have to pay for yourself.

    What is the worst thing anyone’s said to you?
    Apart from stuff on social media, an ex-partner telling me I’m unlovable.

    What is your guiltiest pleasure?
    The Real Housewives franchise.

    What do you owe your parents?
    As you get older you start to realise your parents are just people and they’re often just doing their best, so I owe them understanding and grace.

    What is the closest you’ve come to death?
    Before transitioning, I had a severe eating disorder. The doctor said, “Your body’s shutting down and if you don’t improve your mental and physical wellbeing, you’ll die.” Shortly after that, I started transitioning medically and my eating disorder resolved.

    To whom would you most like to say sorry, and why?
    Everybody I’ve lost to suicide. When someone dies in that tragic way, you always feel you could have done more.

    Which living person do you most despise, and why?
    Every single world leader currently making the world less safe for us all.

    Which living person do you most admire, and why?
    Victoria Rose, a British surgeon operating on children in Gaza.

    What did you dream about last night?
    I have a lot of dreams that involve running and yelling. I’ve just had Botox in my jaw because I’m grinding my teeth in my sleep.

    What is the worst job you’ve done?
    At university, I worked at a hotel in housekeeping. We saw so many weird things in people’s rooms. Guests would leave sex and party stuff behind!

    If not yourself, who would you most like to be?
    Grace Jones or Madonna.

    When did you last change your mind about something significant?
    Cancel culture: getting stuck on the discourse rather than looking at the system.

    How often do you have sex?
    As often as I get to see my boyfriend.

    Would you rather have more sex, money or fame?
    Money, because fame’s so transient and empty, and I’ve got enough sex.

    Tell us a joke
    I was so surprised when the stationery store moved.

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  • Dr García-Carbonero on Outcomes With Fruquintinib in R/R mCRC by Metastatic Sites

    Dr García-Carbonero on Outcomes With Fruquintinib in R/R mCRC by Metastatic Sites

    “We see that fruquintinib improved overall survival in all [metastatic] subgroups. Survival [outcomes] with fruquintinib are much better in [patients with] lung [metastases] than in [those with] liver or bone [metastases], and the worst [outcomes] were in [patients with] peritoneal disease. However, these are more prognostic rather than predictive factors, because within each subgroup, fruquintinib improves survival vs placebo.”

    Rocío García-Carbonero, MD, of Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, discussed updated findings from a prespecified subgroup analysis of the phase 3 FRESCO-2 trial (NCT04322539), which evaluated fruquintinib (Fruzaqla) vs placebo in patients with refractory metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). The subgroup analysis focused on outcomes by site of baseline metastases.

    Data presented at the 2025 ESMO Gastrointestinal Cancers Congress included outcomes stratified by liver, lung, bone, and peritoneal metastatic involvement. In this analysis, fruquintinib demonstrated improved overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and disease control rate (DCR) across all metastatic subgroups when compared with placebo. The OS benefit was observed in patients with liver-only metastases (HR, 0.256; 95% CI, 0.079-0.824; P = .0760); those with bone metastases with or without other metastatic sites (HR, 0.399; 95% CI, 0.215-0.741; P = .0065); and those with peritoneal metastases with or without other metastatic sites (HR, 0.669; 95% CI, 0.395-1.134; P = .2453). An OS benefit was not observed within the lung-only metastases subgroup (HR, 0.998; 95% CI, 0.208-4.792; P = .9561); however, García-Carbonero explained that data for this subgroup were immature. The median OS in the lung-only subgroup was 14.1 months for fruquintinib vs not evaluable for placebo.

    Importantly, the findings were derived from a post hoc analysis with small patient numbers, precluding definitive conclusions. Nonetheless, García-Carbonero emphasized that the data support the broad applicability of fruquintinib in the refractory mCRC setting, even in patients with metastases associated with poorer prognosis.

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  • OpenAI announces week‑long shutdown to combat burnout and talent poaching

    OpenAI announces week‑long shutdown to combat burnout and talent poaching

    CHENNAI: OpenAI has initiated an unusual, company-wide shutdown for one full week beginning early July, citing severe employee burnout as the primary reason. According to several reports, teams have been averaging 80-hour workweeks, pushing leadership to mandate this break for staff wellbeing However, the timing of the shutdown has sparked speculation. Some experts argue that it serves a dual purpose — not only as a wellness break but also as a strategic buffer in the escalating AI talent war with Meta.

    Meta, led by Mark Zuckerberg, has launched an aggressive recruitment campaign targeting OpenAI researchers. Although there are varying reports, but signing bonuses have been described as reaching up to $100 million, with Meta successfully courting at least seven to eight OpenAI scientists.  

    OpenAI’s Chief Research Officer, Mark Chen, sent a candid internal memo describing the exodus as feeling “like someone has broken into our home and stolen something.” He warned employees that Meta would likely step up outreach efforts during the shutdown, urging them not to make hasty, isolated decisions..

    In response, OpenAI leadership—including Chen and CEO Sam Altman—have pledged comprehensive countermeasures. These include recalibrating compensation packages and exploring some ‘creative recognition strategies’.

    OpenAI is also personally reaching out to employees who have received external offers, and reinforcing company mission and values in communications.

    Supportive messages from senior research managers to the broader engineering teams also emphasised caution against “ridiculous exploding offers” and encouraged staff to remain in dialogue with internal leadership.

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  • Gaming connects Gen Z with traditional culture through digital innovation-Xinhua

    BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) — Chinese video games are increasingly connecting ancient culture with younger generations. Through immersive digital design and real-world collaborations, homegrown titles are inspiring young players to rediscover traditional arts, driving tourism and reinforcing cultural confidence.

    One prime example, “Ashes of Kingdom,” immediately captured players’ imaginations after its domestic launch last September, attracting fans with its richly detailed late Han Dynasty (202 B.C. – 220 A.D.) and the Three Kingdoms period (220-280) world.

    In Yangzhou, east China’s Jiangsu Province, young gamers flocked to the city’s historic landmarks, including Slender West Lake, Ge Garden, and He Garden, as they were transformed into immersive in-game quest hubs.

    From mid-May to late June, the collaboration project drew thousands of visitors eager to trace the lacquerware motifs featured in the game.

    “The game has drawn many Gen Z travelers to Yangzhou to discover its beauty through its landscapes, cuisine and traditions,” said Dai Bin, deputy director of the city’s culture and tourism bureau.

    During the three-day Dragon Boat Festival, the Yangzhou Intangible Cultural Heritage Treasure Museum welcomed approximately 20,000 visitors daily, a significant portion of whom were gaming enthusiasts. Under the guidance of master artisans, visitors sketched, inlaid and polished Luodian — also known as mother-of-pearl inlay — on wooden panels, transforming digital motifs into tangible artworks.

    This “game-plus-heritage” model turns cultural landmarks into living classrooms, Dai added.

    Cultural tourism-related online searches of the city surged by 300 percent during the month-long project as Gen Z travelers flooded in to experience Han culture firsthand, according to data.

    Behind these successful activities stand young development teams who weave authentic history into modern gameplay. “We chose a few representative cultural fragments — lacquerware, guqin music and traditional attire — to spark curiosity,” said Xiao Meng, the producer of “Ashes of Kingdom.”

    “It’s a two-way journey: We invite players in and they, in turn, bring new perspectives to our shared heritage,” she said.

    National policies and education initiatives are fueling this cultural craze further. In April, the Ministry of Commerce rolled out a game export plan that calls for the development of overseas gaming operations, the expansion of application scenarios, and the establishment of an industrial chain spanning IP development, game production, publishing and international operations.

    Industry data underscores this momentum. According to the 2024 China game export report, Chinese-developed games achieved overseas sales of 18.56 billion U.S. dollars in 2024, representing a 13.39 percent increase from the previous year.

    In April this year, the Ministry of Education approved game art design as an undergraduate major at three institutions, including the Communication University of China and the Beijing Film Academy, with courses covering player psychology and the digital preservation of traditional aesthetics.

    “A systematic design theory is needed in the gaming industry in China, and through education, we aim to instill more professional design principles and drive the sector’s healthy development,” said Liang Qiwei, a guest professor at the Communication University of China’s School of Animation and Digital Arts and the founder of Beijing’s S-GAME.

    Thanks to the gaming boom, the revival of China’s traditional culture has moved beyond a mere trend, coming alive through a rich array of vivid cultural symbols and platforms.

    Take “Black Myth: Wukong” as an example. The game was inspired by classic Chinese tale “Journey to the West,” which features the Monkey King, and became an instant global sensation, selling over 10 million copies across all platforms within three days of its launch.

    The game’s global acclaim has marked significant progress in China’s endeavors to promote its culture overseas, demonstrating its increasing ability to break through barriers and overcome obstacles on the global stage, said Zhang Yiwu, a professor at Peking University.

    Video games have become one of the most important media forms for cultural exchange, but developers must first ensure gameplay remains entertaining and cultural elements enrich rather than overshadow the overall experience.

    The key to tapping into China’s cultural resources is to present them through innovative contemporary expression, Liang said. Enditem

    (Xiao Yihan, Xiong Run, and Zhang Jiaxuan also contributed to the story.)

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  • Neanderthals were not dumb: Ancient health factory, used by prehistoric humans, found in Germany

    Neanderthals were not dumb: Ancient health factory, used by prehistoric humans, found in Germany

    Stone Age humans living near a lake in present-day Germany ran a “fat factory” to extract nutrients from animal bones, a new study shows. Archaeologists found about 1.2 lakh bone pieces and 16,000 flint tools at a site called Neumark-Nord.

    Neanderthals crushed bones to get marrow, boiled them for hours and collected fat from the surface. This process needed planning: hunting, storing and setting up a special area. Fire use was also found at the site.

    Scientists say this proves Neanderthals were smart and well-organised. They were not primitive, as often believed. Their skills helped them survive tough conditions with well-thought-out strategies.

    “This attitude that Neanderthals were dumb — this is another data point that proves otherwise,” CNN quoted study coauthor Wil Roebroeks as saying.

    Neanderthals lived in Eurasia and vanished 40,000 years ago. Earlier studies found they made yarn, glue, jewellery and cave art. New research reveals they also had a clever way of managing nutrition.

    At the site in Germany, they boiled bones to get fat, which helped balance their diet. Experts say they likely knew that eating only lean meat without fat could be harmful.

    This condition is now called protein poisoning. It causes weakness and can even be fatal. Early explorers called it “rabbit poisoning” when they faced similar problems from fatless meat.

    Neanderthals, who weighed between 50 to 80 kg, could only eat a limited amount of protein daily. They ate protein around 300 grams without health problems.

    This gave them just 1,200 calories, which was not enough for survival. So, they needed extra energy from fat or carbs. Since animal meat has little fat, they relied on bones for marrow.

    Researchers found most bone remains at the German site came from large animals like horses, deer and extinct aurochs. Neanderthals mainly picked long bones with more marrow. It shows they smartly chose fatty parts to meet their energy needs for survival.

    Smart survival strategies

    Researchers are not fully sure how Neanderthals boiled bones. However, they likely used natural containers like birch bark, animal skin or stomach linings to hold water over the fire.

    They might have made a fatty soup or broth, adding plants like hazelnuts, acorns, or wild fruits for taste and nutrition. These findings show that Neanderthals were not just basic hunter-gatherers. They planned well, did complex tasks and made full use of their resources.

    Their smart survival strategies helped them get the most energy from their environment. Archaeologists have called these discoveries “exciting”. They believe it’s a big step in understanding early human intelligence and planning.

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  • Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom’s diverging paths after breakup

    Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom’s diverging paths after breakup



    Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom’s diverging paths after breakup

    Katy Perry is pouring her heart into her music, while Orlando Bloom is living it up on his “freedom tour.” 

    The couple recently confirmed their breakup after nearly a decade together, citing a desire to focus on co-parenting their four-year-old daughter, Daisy.

    According to DailyMail, Perry is “sad and disappointed” about the split, especially given their young daughter. She was even brought to tears backstage during a recent show in Sydney. 

    “She wishes him well, but she’s not pretending this doesn’t hurt,” a friend revealed.

    Meanwhile, Bloom has been partying hard in Europe, celebrating Jeff Bezos’ lavish wedding in Italy with A-listers like Naomi Campbell and Kendall Jenner. He was also spotted cozying up to model Vittoria Ceretti during a water taxi ride. 

    Perry’s friends are frustrated by Bloom’s public displays, with one source saying, “He’s acting like an overgrown adolescent… It’s frustrating for her to watch.”

    While Bloom shares reflective quotes from Carl Jung and Buddha on Instagram, his party antics seem to contradict his philosophical musings. “Posting about loneliness while partying on yachts just feels tone-deaf,” an insider noted.

    Despite the hurt, Perry is trying to move forward with grace. Friends say the breakup was “amicable,” and she’s focusing on her music and daughter. “Katy and Orlando have split but are amicable,” a source revealed. 

    “It’s not contentious at the moment. Katy is, of course, upset but is relieved to not have to go through another divorce.”

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  • Liverpool players attend funeral of Jota and his brother

    Liverpool players attend funeral of Jota and his brother

    GONDOMAR, Portugal (AP) — Liverpool players joined family and friends for the funeral of their teammate Diogo Jota and his brother on Saturday, two days after the siblings died in a car crash in Spain.

    The service will be held at Igreja Matriz church in the Portuguese town of Gondomar, where Jota had a home.

    Portugal’s national team coach Roberto Martínez and several top Portuguese players also attended, including Manchester City duo Bernardo Silva and Rúben Dias and Manchester United’s Bruno Fernándes.

    Jota, 28, and his brother, André Silva, 25, were found dead near Zamora in northwestern Spain early Thursday after the Lamborghini they were driving crashed on an isolated stretch of highway just after midnight on Thursday and burst into flames.

    The brothers were reportedly heading to catch a boat from northern Spain to go to England where Jota was to rejoin with Liverpool after a summer break.

    Spanish police are investigating the cause of the crash, which did not involve another vehicle, they said. They said they believe it could have been caused by a blown tire.

    Their bodies were repatriated to Portugal after being identified by the family. A wake was held for them on Friday.

    Jota’s death occurred two weeks after he married long-time partner Rute Cardoso while on vacation from a long season where he helped Liverpool win the Premier League. The couple had three children, the youngest born last year.

    Jota was born in Porto but started his playing career as a child on nearby Gondomar.

    Silva played for Portuguese club Penafiel in the lower divisions.

    Their loss led to an outpouring of condolences from the soccer world and Portuguese officials.

    ___

    Wilson reported from Barcelona, Spain.

    ___

    AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer


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  • Microsoft shuts down Pakistan office as global firms lose faith in local market

    Microsoft shuts down Pakistan office as global firms lose faith in local market

    Microsoft has officially shut down its office in Pakistan and laid off five employees, marking a significant development in the country’s tech sector, as reported by Dawn.

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    The move, which sparked speculation on social media, was first brought to public attention by a LinkedIn post from Jawad Rehman, the former head of Microsoft Pakistan.

    Citing insider information, he claimed the tech giant had “officially closed its operations” in the country.

    While Microsoft maintained a small on-ground presence in Pakistan until recently, most of its operations were already being managed by foreign offices and local partners, according to Dawn.

    Responding to Dawn’s queries, a Microsoft spokesperson confirmed the closure, stating, “We will serve our customers through both our strong and extensive partner organisation, and other closely located Microsoft offices. We follow this model successfully in several other countries around the world.”

    According to Dawn, the decision is part of Microsoft’s global restructuring efforts and broader transition towards artificial intelligence (AI) and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) business models.

    Just this week, Microsoft announced a four per cent reduction in its global workforce, amounting to nearly 9,000 job cuts out of 2,28,000 total employees, following earlier layoffs in May.

    The Ministry of IT and Telecommunications, in a statement cited by Dawn, clarified that this should not be seen as Microsoft “exiting” Pakistan, but rather a shift to a cloud-based, partner-led model consistent with evolving industry standards.

    Technology expert Habibullah Khan explained to Dawn that as companies move from on-premise to SaaS models, physical presence in local markets becomes less necessary. He added that Microsoft’s closure in Pakistan is aligned with this shift and is part of a global trend, not a commentary on Pakistan’s tech landscape.

    Dawn also noted that other multinationals, such as Careem, have recently announced scaling back or ceasing operations in Pakistan, though Khan emphasised Microsoft’s move is more about cost-efficiency and strategy, not instability. (ANI)

    (This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)


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  • River Seine reopens to Paris swimmers, after Olympics, century-long ban | Paris Olympics 2024 News

    River Seine reopens to Paris swimmers, after Olympics, century-long ban | Paris Olympics 2024 News

    The iconic River Seine has reopened to swimmers in Paris, allowing people to take a dip in the French capital’s waterway for the first time in at least a century after a more than billion-euro cleanup project that made it suitable for Olympic competitions last year.

    A few dozen people arrived ahead of the 8am (06:00 GMT) opening on Saturday at the Bras Marie zone in the city’s historic centre, diving into the water for the long-awaited moment under the watchful eyes of lifeguards wearing fluorescent yellow T-shirts and carrying whistles.

    It was also a welcome respite from the scorching heat enveloping the city this week. Parisians and tourists alike, looking to cool off this summer, can dive in – weather permitting – at three bathing sites: one close to Paris’s Notre-Dame cathedral, another near the Eiffel Tower and a third in eastern Paris.

    The swimming zones are equipped with changing rooms, showers and beach-style furniture, offering space for 150 to 300 swimmers.

    The seasonal opening of the Seine for swimming is seen as a key legacy of the Paris 2024 Olympics, when open-water swimmers and triathletes competed in its waters, which were specially cleaned for the event.

    “It’s a childhood dream to have people swimming in the Seine,” said Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who visited the bras Marie site on Saturday morning.

    But officials reminded swimmers of potential dangers, including strong currents, boat traffic and an average depth of 3.5 metres (11 feet).

    “The Seine remains a dangerous environment,” said local official Elise Lavielle earlier this week.

    To mitigate that risk, lifeguards will assess visitors’ swimming abilities before allowing independent access, while a decree issued in late June introduced fines for anyone swimming outside designated areas.

    The promise to lift the swimming ban dates back to 1988, when then-mayor of Paris and future President Jacques Chirac first advocated for its reversal, about 65 years after the practice was banned in 1923.

    “One of my predecessors (Chirac), then mayor of Paris, dreamed of a Seine where everyone could swim,” President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X, describing the move as the result of a “collective effort” and a moment of “pride” for France.

    Ahead of the Olympic Games, authorities invested approximately 1.4 billion euros ($1.6bn) to improve the Seine’s water quality.

    Since then, work carried out upstream, including 2,000 new connections to the sewage system, promises even better water quality – with an unappetising catch.

    On rainy days, the mid-19th-century Parisian sewage system often overflows, causing rain and wastewater to pour into the river.

    Flags will inform bathers about pollution levels in the water every day, and if it rains, the sites will likely close the day after, said Paris city official Pierre Rabadan.

    The presence of the faecal bacteria Escherichia coli (E coli) and enterococci in the Seine will be assessed daily using live sensors and samples.

    A refuge from the hot weather

    Varying weather conditions will be a critical factor. Swimmers may be in luck this year, though, with temperatures predicted to be drier than the record rainfall during the games, which had led to the cancellation of six of the 11 competitions held on the river.

    With record-breaking heat hitting Europe, including France’s second warmest June since records began in 1900, authorities said they expect Parisians to embrace the relief of a refreshing swim.

    Some scepticism about the water quality remains, however.

    Dan Angelescu, founder and CEO of Fluidion, a Paris and Los Angeles-based water monitoring tech company, has routinely and independently tested bacterial levels in the Seine for several years. Despite being in line with current regulations, the official water-testing methodology has limitations and undercounts the bacteria, he said.

    “What we see is that the water quality in the Seine is highly variable,” Angelescu said. “There are only a few days in a swimming season where I would say water quality is acceptable for swimming.”

    Some Parisians are also hesitant about the idea of swimming in the Seine. The feeling is often reinforced by the water’s murky colour, floating litter and multiple tourist boats in some places.

    Hidalgo, who took an inaugural swim last year, said that cleaning up the Seine for the Olympics was not the final goal but part of a broader effort to adapt the city to climate change and enhance quality of life.

    The swimming spots will be open for free until August 31 at scheduled times to anyone with a minimum age of 10 or 14 years, depending on the location.


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