Hong Kong scraps virus tracing app, curbs on arrivals

Hong Kong announced Tuesday it would no longer require residents to use a scanning app to enter venues and that overseas arrivals could now visit bars and restaurants from the moment they land in a further easing of Covid restrictions.. Meanwhile since September, when Hong Kong finally abandoned mandatory quarantine for all overseas arrivals, those flying into the city have been banned from entering bars and restaurants for the first three days while they undergo tests.

Still no major progress toward 'peace pact with nature' at COP15

The world had just eight days to seal a historic deal to stem the destruction of nature. . But the chances of ending on December 19 with agreement for an ambitious "peace pact with nature" -- 20 objectives to stop the destruction of water, forests and living things by the end of the decade -- will be undermined if the draft agreement remains as it is now.

Video game hub Japan confronts problem of addiction

From Super Mario to Final Fantasy, Japan has long been synonymous with gaming, but some experts and parents fear a growing addiction problem is going unaddressed.. Parents and experts say gaming can tip into obsessive behaviour in children because of other problems, including Covid-related stress or bullying.

Musk's attacks on Fauci 'incredibly dangerous': W.House

The White House on Monday condemned billionaire Elon Musk's call for Anthony Fauci, the US infectious disease expert who is a hate figure for many on the right, to be prosecuted over his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.. His work on infectious disease from HIV Aids to COVID has saved countless lives," she said.

Los Angeles mayor declares homelessness state of emergency

A state of emergency over spiraling levels of homelessness was declared in Los Angeles on Monday as the new mayor pledged a "seismic shift" for one of the most intractable problems in America's second biggest city.. "Using the emergency order is our ability to fast-track things," Bass said, pledging a "seismic shift" in tactics.

Designer Jacquemus, from micro-bag to massive success

His micro-bag is on the fingers of the biggest celebrities, and he operates by his own timetable -- Simon Porte Jacquemus has forged a singular and hugely successful path in the fashion game at the age of just 32. . The item that has put him on the map is undoubtedly the Chiquito micro-bag -- an increasingly common sight on the fingers of the fashion-conscious, right up to the likes of Rihanna and Kim Kardashian. 

Macron postpones French pension overhaul to January

French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that he was pushing back his presentation of a major pensions overhaul denounced by labour unions, citing recent leadership changes at two opposition parties.. Macron's overhaul would be the most extensive in a series of pension reforms enacted by successive governments on both the left and right in recent decades aiming to end budget shortfalls. vl-sde/js/jh/rox

Ted Kubaitis - SEO Tool Lab - Press Release

DR Congo Tutsis face threats, prejudice amid rebel crisis

Sitting in a small courtyard in Goma, eastern DR Congo, a 55-year-old Tutsi woman joked darkly that she would be killed if she spoke under her real name. . In a Goma district where many Tutsis recently fled, a 27-year-old woman said Mai-Mai and Nyatura members had threatened "to kill us as they did to Tutsis in Rwanda". 

Japan picks 'war' as kanji character of the year

Japan chose the kanji character for war on Monday as the symbol for 2022 after a year marked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the assassination of former leader Shinzo Abe.. Japan chose "gold" as kanji of the year last year in honour of the Tokyo Olympics, which took place after a Covid-19 virus postponement.