Paris (AFP) Jan 21, 2022 The open-air booksellers of Paris, a fixture along the banks of the Seine for centuries, are seeing their numbers dwindle after two years of Covid, with stalls going empty thanks to a dearth of local and foreign customers. Tending dark green boxes packed with second-hand works that are often rare or special editions, the dealers enjoy rent-free access but must … Continue reading Paris outdoor booksellers eager to turn page on Covid

Beijing (AFP) Jan 21, 2022 China has vowed to ramp up its regulatory crackdown and show “no mercy” against corruption as the ruling Communist Party gears up for a key meeting that could secure President Xi Jinping a third term. The announcement suggests authorities have no plans to rein in investigations that engulfed China’s tech industry last year or an ongoing hunt for corruption that … Continue reading China warns of ‘no mercy’ in corruption and monopoly crackdown

Yangon (AFP) Jan 21, 2022 Myanmar’s junta sentenced a member of Aung San Suu Kyi’s ousted party to death for terror offences on Friday, a statement said. Phyo Zeyar Thaw, a member of the National League for Democracy arrested in November, was “sentenced to the death penalty today under anti-terrorism act”, the junta said. Prominent democracy activist Kyaw Min Yu – better known as “Jimmy” … Continue reading Myanmar sentences lawmaker from Suu Kyi’s party to death: statement

Miami (AFP) Jan 19, 2022 The plan to restore the Florida Everglades, the largest wetlands in the United States, will receive a federal investment of $1.1 billion to protect the region against the effects of climate change, the White House said Wednesday. “The Administration is making the largest single investment in the Everglades in US history,” the White House said in a statement. The money, … Continue reading US announces historic $1.1 bn investment for Everglades rehabilitation

Pudsey, United Kingdom (AFP) Jan 19, 2022 Robert Tomlinson picks rhubarb stalks by candlelight in the dark, carrying on a century-old family tradition that survives today despite the challenges posed to his business by Brexit and climate change. For four generations, Tomlinson’s family have been cultivating “forced rhubarb” in the winter months at their farm in Pudsey, northern England, and are profiting from a resurgence … Continue reading In UK ‘rhubarb triangle’, spring arrives in January

Montreal (AFP) Jan 20, 2022 Canadian authorities found the bodies of four people including a baby who apparently froze to death in a blizzard a few meters from the US border along a route used by migrants, officials said Thursday. The temperature Wednesday when the bodies were found amid vast snowdrifts, taking into account the wind, was minus 35 degrees Celsius (minus 31 Fahrenheit). “At … Continue reading Four people including baby freeze to death near US-Canada border

Beijing (AFP) Jan 19, 2022 The Chinese megacity of Xi’an has partially resumed public transport, according to official announcements, after millions were confined to their homes for weeks because of a coronavirus outbreak. The easing of transport rules – including the resumption of some inter-city train routes – comes just before the Lunar New Year holiday later this month, traditionally a period of mass travel.http://dlvr.it/SHWkhH Continue reading Xi’an restarts some public transport after coronavirus lockdown

Greenbelt MD (SPX) Jan 20, 2022 A powerful volcanic eruption has obliterated a small, uninhabited South Pacific island known as Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai. Damage assessments are still ongoing, but preliminary reports indicate that some communities in the island nation of Tonga have been severely damaged by volcanic ash and significant tsunami waves. The volcano had sporadically erupted multiple times since 2009. The mosthttp://dlvr.it/SHSYFv Continue reading Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai Erupts

San Francisco CA (SPX) Jan 13, 2022 Planet Labs reports the successful launch of its 4x Flock, consisting of 44 SuperDove satellites, into orbit on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The company has established contact with all of the SuperDove satellites, many within two minutes of the final deployment, upholding Planet’s record of successfully connecting with 100% of all Planet satellites launched. These 44 satellites … Continue reading SpaceX launches 44 SuperDove satellites for Planet Labs

Washington (AFP) Jan 18, 2022 An app all attendees of the upcoming Beijing Olympics must use has encryption flaws that could allow personal information to leak, a cyber security watchdog said Tuesday. The “simple but devastating flaw” in the encryption of the MY2022 app, which is used to monitor Covid and is mandatory for athletes, journalists and other attendees of the games in China’s capital, … Continue reading Mandatory Chinese Olympics app has ‘devastating’ encryption flaw: analyst