Read time : 2 mins
Level : Intermediate
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Disgruntled X users are again flocking to Bluesky, a newer social media platform that grew out of the former Twitter before billionaire Elon Musk took it over in 2022. While it remains small compared to established online spaces such as X, it has emerged as an alternative for those looking for a different mood, lighter and friendlier and less influenced by Musk. Continue reading
View time : 2 min 10
Level : Intermediate
View time: 2 min 36
Level : Advanced
Read time : 3 mins
Level : Advanced
By FU TING Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Yu Miao smiles as he stands among the 10,000 books crowded on rows of bamboo shelves in his newly reopened bookstore. It’s in Washington’s vibrant Dupont Circle neighborhood, far from its last location in Shanghai, where the Chinese government forced him out of business six years ago.
“There is no pressure from the authorities here,” said Yu, the owner of JF Books, Washington’s only Chinese bookseller. “I want to live without fear.”
Independent bookstores have become a new battleground in China, swept up in the ruling Communist Party’s crackdown on dissent and free expression. The Associated Press found that at least a dozen bookstores in the world’s second-largest economy have been shuttered or targeted for closure in the last few months alone, squeezing the already tight space for press freedom. One bookstore owner was arrested over four months ago. Continue reading
View time : 1 min 19
Level : Intermediate
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Level : Intermediate
By THOMAS ADAMSON Associated Press
PARIS (AP) — More than five years after the devastating fire ravaged Notre Dame, igniting nearly $1 billion in pledged donations within days, restoration chief Philippe Jost says €140 million (around $148 million) still remains from the funds as the cathedral prepares to reopen next month.
The surplus, sourced from both billionaire benefactors and countless small donors, will be used to support vital future preservation work on the 861-year-old Gothic monument. Continue reading
View time: 1 min 08
Level : Advanced
Read time : 3 mins
Level : Advanced
By WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS AP Business Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — As money continues to pour into crypto following Donald Trump’s victory last week, bitcoin has climbed to yet another record high.
The world’s largest cryptocurrency topped $87,000 for the first time on Monday. As of around 3:45 p.m. ET, bitcoin’s price stood at $87,083, per CoinDesk, up over 28% in the last week alone.
That’s part of a rally across cryptocurrencies and crypto-related investments since Trump won the U.S. presidential election last week. Analysts credit much of the recent gains to an anticipated “crypto-friendly” nature of the incoming administration, which could translate into more regulatory clarity but also leeway.
Still, as with everything in the volatile cryptoverse, the future is hard to predict. And while some are bullish, others continue to warn of investment risks. Continue reading
View time : 1 min 39
Level : Intermediate
Read time : 2 mins
Level : Intermediate
By KELVIN CHAN AP Business Writer
LONDON (AP) — The price of bitcoin hit a new high Wednesday and crypto-related shares rallied as investors bet that former President Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election will be a boon for cryptocurrencies.
Bitcoin jumped nearly 8% in early trading, climbing above $75,000 and smashing its previous record set in March. Other cryptocurrencies also soared, including ether, the world’s second most popular cryptocurrency after bitcoin, which rallied 8%.
Another token, dogecoin, rocketed as much as 18%. It’s the favorite cryptocurrency of billionaire Elon Musk, one of Trump’s most prominent supporters. Continue reading