Outdoor swimmers brave near-freezing water as snow hits London
London (AFP) – Outdoor swimmers take to near-freezing water in London after the first snowfall of the winter.
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Scene outside military base where BTS member Jin will attend training
Yeoncheon (South Korea) (AFP) – Scene outside the military base where BTS member Jin starts his mandatory military duty, the band’s first member to enlist since a hiatus announcement this year left fans heartbroken over the K-pop juggernaut’s uncertain future. IMAGES
Arctic space station races to launch first satellite from Europe
Jukkasjärvi (Sweden) (AFP) – 200 kilometres above the Arctic Circle lies the Esrange Space Center which, since the late 1960s, has been a rocket range and scientific research base. Surround by thousands of square kilometres of icy wilderness, the site, originally founded for the study of auroras, is now locked in a race with other space stations to be the first to launch satellites from mainland Europe.
‘A tragedy beyond words’: three boys die after falling into frozen lake in UK
Solihull (United Kingdom) (AFP) – The deaths of three boys who fell into a frozen lake in Solihull, near the city of Birmingham, are a “tragedy beyond words”, says the Area Commander of the region’s fire service, Richard Stanton. The boys, aged eight, 10 and 11, were rushed to hospital in a state of cardiac arrest on Sunday 11 December.
European parliament corruption charges ‘very serious’ says von der Leyen
Brussels (AFP) – European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen says charges against a European parliament vice president were “very serious”, after allegations that Qatar paid bribes to burnish its image. Her comments come after Greek MEP Eva Kaili was arrested in connection with a corruption investigation linked to the World Cup host country.
Dutch farm uses Bitcoin mining to grow tulips and save on energy costs
Amsterdam (AFP) – An unlikely marriage between tulips and Bitcoin sees a huge flower farming greenhouse in The Netherlands heated by whirring servers, themselves powered by solar panels. This approach to circular energy usage helps both businesses save on huge energy costs. “Some growers have decided, because of the increase in gas prices, to stop growing this year” explains Danielle Koning, a flower farmer whose facilities now house six Bitcoin miners.
London coated in first snow of winter after cold snap
London (AFP) – Londoners wake up to a white morning in the first winter snowfall of 2022 after a cold snap that saw yellow warnings issued for the capital. Overnight snow has caused major travel disruptions, with flights cancelled and train and road networks experiencing major delays.
China accuses US of using human rights to ‘bully’ other countries
Beijing (AFP) – The Chinese Foreign Ministry criticises the United States over its stance on human rights issues in Tibet, accusing Washington of imposing “illegal sanctions on Chinese officials”. Speaking after a meeting with a senior US delegation, Wang Wenbin says the country has, in the past, “bullied other countries… and launched wars”.
European parliament corruption charges ‘very serious’: von der Leyen
Brussels (AFP) – European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen says charges against a European parliament vice president were “very serious”, after allegations that Qatar paid bribes to burnish its image. “The allegations against the vice president of the European Parliament are very serious,” von der Leyen says, adding that the issue was a “a question of the loss of trust of people in our European institutions”.
Snowy scenes in Wimbledon after London’s first snow of the year
London (AFP) – People enjoy sledding and making snowmen in Wimbledon Park as London wakes up covered in white after its first snow of the year. IMAGES
