Taipei (AFP) – CCTV footage shows the ground shake in Taipei City as a strong earthquake strikes northeastern Taiwan. Taiwan’s central weather bureau said the quake was of magnitude 6.5, the biggest on the island this year, while the US Geological Survey gave a lower figure of 6.2. There were no immediate reports of widespread damage.
Bangkok (AFP) – A cocktail bar owner in Bangkok hopes fruity mocktails seasoned with Kratom, a recently decriminalised tropical herb, will help keep his business afloat amid a seven-month ban on alcohol service in the Thai capital. The city, once a popular nightlife spot, is under a curfew and bars, pubs and restaurants are prohibited from selling alcoholic drinks as part of coronavirus restrictions.
Washington (AFP) – Animal welfare advocates, conservationists and scientists have carried out a three-year effort to count every cat in the US capital and provide an accurate estimate of the size of Washington’s indoor, outdoor and shelter population, as well as the health of the city’s cats. As part of the DC Cat Count, researchers set up wildlife cameras in more than 1,500 spots across the city.
Indianapolis (AFP) – The winner was not a driver but an algorithm at Indianapolis’s famous Motor Speedway, pushing its car to an average speed of 218 km/h and ushering autonomous vehicles into a new era. Nine university teams took part in the Indy Autonomous Challenge in the hopes of winning a million dollars and pushing forward the advent of self-driving cars.
Tehran (AFP) – Arab nations that normalised ties with Israel last year have “sinned” and should reverse such moves, Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei says. The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco all agreed to normalise ties with Israel in 2020, as Washington under the administration of then US president Donald Trump made Arab-Israeli rapprochement a foreign policy priority.
Brest (France) (AFP) – The only flat oyster native to Europe, millions of years old but threatened with extinction, is a passion of scientists and shellfish growers on the Brittany peninsula, who seek to restore the last wild beds of this exceptional dish.
Police work in Kentish Town, northwest London, outside the home of the suspect held on suspicion of fatally stabbing the British lawmaker David Amess. Politicians and members of the public continue to lay flowers and pay their respects to Amess, in what the police are considering a terrorist incident.
Kenitra (Morocco) (AFP) – In 2015, Morocco’s DGAPR prison service launched Moussalaha, a de-radicalisation programme, with several partner organisations, helping terror detainees who are willing to question their beliefs.
Pope Francis expresses his compassion for the victims of the recent attacks in Norway, Afghanistan and England stressing that “violence begets violence.”
Moscow (AFP) – Russia has recorded 1,000 coronavirus deaths over 24 hours for the first time since the start of the pandemic, with the country’s jab drive at a standstill and few restrictions in place.
