Paris (ESA) Dec 22, 2022 At this time of the year, the mention of Lapland conjures up visions of Santa getting his gift-laden sleigh and nine reindeer ready to take to the skies for the most important deliveries of all. However, the skies of Lapland have witnessed something rather different recently – a big white balloon, which may not provide the immediate gratification of a … Continue reading Snowy Lapland and the white balloon

Altamira, Brazil (AFP) Dec 16, 2022 Holding a dead fish, Junior Pereira looks grimly at a puddle that used to be part of Brazil’s Xingu river, a mighty Amazon tributary that has been desiccated here by the massive Belo Monte hydroelectric dam. Pereira, a member of the Pupekuri Indigenous group, chokes up talking about the impact of Belo Monte, the world’s fourth-biggest hydroelectric complex, which … Continue reading ‘Progress destroying nature’: Brazil dam fuels fears for river

New Delhi (AFP) Dec 20, 2022 India’s federal health ministry instructed state authorities on Tuesday to step up genome sequencing of Covid cases in view of a “sudden spurt” in cases in China and elsewhere. In a letter seen by AFP, the ministry said that it is “essential to gear up the whole genome sequencing of positive case samples” in order to track any new … Continue reading India steps up Covid genome sequencing as China cases soar

Beijing (AFP) Dec 21, 2022 China said Wednesday that not a single person had died of Covid-19 the previous day, after changing the criteria for recording virus deaths to mean most are no longer counted. Hospitals are struggling, pharmacy shelves are stripped bare and crematoriums are overwhelmed in the wake of the Chinese government’s sudden decision to lift years of lockdowns, quarantines and mass testing. … Continue reading China says no new Covid deaths after changing criteria

Istanbul (AFP) Dec 20, 2022 A Turkish court on Tuesday acquitted 103 retired admirals whom President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused last year of eyeing a “coup”, state media reported. They appeared in court charged with “crimes against the security of the state and the constitutional order” after they signed an open letter in April 2021 in support of a treaty aimed at demilitarising the Black … Continue reading Turkey court acquits 103 ex-admirals accused of ‘coup’

Hong Kong (AFP) Dec 21, 2022 The yen held onto gains Wednesday and equity markets were mixed after plunging the day before in response to the shock Bank of Japan decision to shift away from its ultra-loose monetary policy. The move to allow yields on certain government bonds to move in a wider band was seen as a precursor to a possible interest rate hike … Continue reading Yen holds gains, markets mixed after Bank of Japan move

Brussels (AFP) Dec 18, 2022 EU member states and parliamentarians on Sunday announced an agreement for a major reform to the bloc’s carbon market, the central plank of its ambitions to reduce emissions and invest in climate-friendly technologies. The deal aims to accelerate emissions cuts, phase out free allowances to industries and targets fuel emissions from the building and road transport sectors, according to a … Continue reading EU reaches deal on major carbon market reform

Montreal (AFP) Dec 19, 2022 Countries reached a historic deal on Monday to reverse decades of environmental destruction threatening the world’s species and ecosystems, in what the UN chief hailed as “a peace pact with nature.” After the marathon COP 15 biodiversity summit in Montreal ran into the small hours, chair Chinese Environment Minister Huang Runqiu, declared the deal adopted and banged his gavel, sparking … Continue reading Global ‘peace pact’ signed to protect nature

Levallois-Perret, France (AFP) Dec 19, 2022 Fast-food eateries in France will soon no longer be able to use disposable containers, plates, cups and tableware for clients eating in, the latest measure from a 2020 law to combat waste and encourage recycling. Restaurants have been preparing for months to implement a rule that comes into force on January 1, which for many has upended business models … Continue reading France bans disposable packaging, utensils in fast-food restaurants

Prachuap Khiri Khan, Thailand (AFP) Dec 19, 2022 Thai military frigates and helicopters kept up the search late Monday for more than 30 sailors missing after a naval vessel sank, with dozens of others already hauled from the choppy waters. The HTMS Sukhothai capsized late Sunday as it was patrolling the Gulf of Thailand, about 37 kilometres (22 miles) off the Southeast Asian nation’s southeastern … Continue reading Thai navy hunts for 31 sailors after vessel sinks