A French tourist who has been held in Iran since 2020 charged with espionage has gone on trial, his lawyers say. Benjamin Brière, 36, was arrested after flying a drone near the Iran-Turkmenistan border. If convicted he could receive a jail term, though his Iran-based lawyer has implied authorities are considering including him in a prisoner exchange. Mr Brière has been on hunger strike since December, leaving him very weak, another of his lawyers has said. Philippe Valent, Mr Brière’s lawyer in Paris, and Mr Brière’s sister said a verdict might be issued on Saturday. He is being tried behind closed doors in the Revolutionary Court in the eastern city of Mashhad, where he is being held. His Iranian lawyer, Saeed Dehghan, tweeted in Persian that the court had upheld charges of espionage and of “propagating against the system”. He also suggested the court might be planning to use Mr Brière in a prisoner swap, tweeting: “Using the word #exchange, they made their stance clear.” Earlier this week Philippe Valent said that his client had not been informed of the charges against him.(BBC)…[+]

An American Airlines plane bound for London from Miami has had to turn around because a passenger refused to wear a face mask, the airline has said. American Airlines Flight AAL38 with 129 passengers on board returned to Miami where it was met by police, it said. They escorted a woman in her 40s off the plane, reports say. She has been placed on a list of people barred from flying with American Airlines, pending further investigation, the airline said. The Wednesday flight turned around less than an hour into its journey, according to tracking service FlightAware. “American Airlines flight 38 with service from Miami (MIA) to London returned to MIA due to a disruptive customer refusing to comply with the federal mask requirement,” the airline said.(bbc)…[+]

Scientists say the plant enset, an Ethiopian staple, could be a new superfood and a lifesaver in the face of climate change. The banana-like crop has the potential to feed more than 100 million people in a warming world, according to a new study. The plant is almost unknown outside of Ethiopia, where it is used to make porridge and bread. Research suggests the crop can be grown over a much larger range in Africa. “This is a crop that can play a really important role in addressing food security and sustainable development,” said Dr Wendawek Abebe of Hawassa University in Awasa, Ethiopia. Enset or “false banana” is a close relative of the banana, but is consumed only in one part of Ethiopia. The banana-like fruit of the plant is inedible, but the starchy stems and roots can be fermented and used to make porridge and bread.(BBC)…[+]