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High-altitude turbulence tricky to detect, experts say, as Cathay investigates case
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Hong Kong to set ride-hailing permit quota at 10,000 under regulatory push
Hong Kong authorities have finally set the quota for ride-hailing service permits at 10,000 vehicles as part of their long-winding push to introduce a regulatory regime, the South China Morning Post has learned. A source said authorities would submit a consultation paper to the Legislative Council as early as late Tuesday to seek lawmakers’ feedback before gazetting the proposal later. “They believe that the number of licences issued can cater to the public’s commuting needs, keeping passengers’...
Count the dead bugs on your windshield and contribute to science
Scientists need your help! French researchers are calling on car drivers to help them measure the decline of insect populations – thanks to an app dubbed "Bugs Matter". The citizen science project was launched in April by France's National Museum of Natural History. It will become the country's first ever comprehensive assessment of insect populations. Our Down to Earth team reports.
Chile's Trump-inspired border controls complicate life for migrants
Just after taking office, Chile's new far-right President José Antonio Kast pledged to expel more than 300,000 undocumented migrants. Two months into his presidency, the mass departures that many predicted have not happened. The construction of a border wall with Peru, modelled on US President Donald Trump's wall, does not seem to be stopping migrants from attempting to cross into Chile. But in Tacna, the last Peruvian city before the Chilean border, life is becoming increasingly difficult for migrants. FRANCE 24's Martin Chabal and Agathe Fourcade report, with Wassim Cornet.
57-year-old Hong Kong school to merge after third closure threat in 2 decades
A Hong Kong primary school facing its third closure threat in two decades due to declining enrolment announced on Tuesday that it will merge with a neighbouring institution from the new academic year in September. The 57-year-old Fresh Fish Traders School in Tai Kok Tsui was among 15 institutions allocated zero Primary One classes for the coming term amid a persistent drop in the city’s student population. The decision follows a warning issued by education authorities two months ago. Under a...
Senior police officer gets 2½ years’ jail for taking HK$1.1 million in cash, gifts
A Hong Kong police chief inspector has been jailed for 2½ years for accepting more than HK$1.1 million (US$140,400) in cash and gifts from a businessman in exchange for ending a criminal investigation against him and divulging details about two other cases. Tsuen Wan Court, which is now handling District Court cases, on Tuesday sentenced Ho Siu-tung on two counts each of accepting advantages as a public servant and misconduct in public office over his illicit dealings with Qu Haipeng between...
Austrian paraglider unscathed after terrifying mid-air collision with plane
PRESS REVIEW – Tuesday, May 26: We look at reactions in the Senegalese and French press after President Bassirou Diomaye Faye appoints a new prime minister after firing his former mentor Ousmane Sonko. Also, papers react to Pope Leo XIV's encyclical on the dangers of AI and the need to "disarm". Finally, an Austrian paraglider survives a terrifying mid-air collision and Thai police officers pose in drag after a sting operation to arrest a drug smuggler.
Tennis legend Gael Monfils says goodbye to French Open ahead of retirement
Gaël Monfils ended his 19th and final French Open on May 25 before retiring at the end of the season, a career during which he has inspired many players with his style and personality. Monfils was once world number six, at his peak in 2016. The Frenchman has won 13 ATP titles, including three ATP 500s. He reached two Grand Slam semi-finals - including one in Paris in 2008 - and helped France reach two Davis Cup finals.
Palestine's Eid dampened by consequences of war on livestock
Palestinians in Gaza facing another grim Eid holiday, which starts Tuesday evening. The livestock sector there has been destroyed by the war, and Israel isn't allowing the import of live animals, making the traditional animal sacrifice nearly impossible. Restrictions on border crossings also mean Palestinians are unable to perform the pilgrimage to Mecca.
Hong Kong woman duped out of HK$1 million by fake AI investment app
A Hong Kong woman has lost more than HK$1 million (US$127,636) after being lured into a fraudulent cryptocurrency scheme disguised as an artificial intelligence-powered trading app, with police reporting that over 70 similar scams had been recorded in the past week alone, resulting in total losses exceeding HK$50 million. Details released on the police’s CyberDefender page on Tuesday showed that the victim first spotted a fake investment advertisement on Facebook, which led her to a WhatsApp...
Ebola outbreak comes with increasing economic toll for DR Congo
The Ebola outbreak continues in Africa where cases are mounting and countries neighbouring the Democratic Republic of Congo have been closing their borders in a bid to halt the spread. While people understand the danger the virus presents, moves like this have cut many off from their livelihoods, pointing to an increasing economic toll, beyond the victims themselves.
What is a heat dome, causing excessively high temperatures in western Europe?
France and the United Kingdom are currently being affected by a heat dome, driving up temperatures in western Europe. Although the phenomenon is common, it is now being exacerbated by climate change. It’s the same mechanism that has been affecting India for weeks, with temperatures exceeding 45°C in some places, and has led to wildfires in Canada in 2021.
CLP Power to raise electricity price for third straight month in June
Customers of Hong Kong’s CLP Power are set to pay higher power bills next month, as the company increases its fuel costs for a third consecutive month to 42.6 HK cents (5.4 US cents) per unit of electricity, up 5.4 per cent from May. CLP Power, which serves over 80 per cent of Hong Kong’s population, announced its fuel cost for June at 42.6 HK cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) on Tuesday, up from 40.4 HK cents in May. CLP’s monthly fuel cost has been rising steadily since March. The charge for June...