Author: natixis-ezine

U.S. unmanned helicopters startup seeks to eliminate risks for pilots in dangerous flights

natixis-ezine

View time : 2 min 10

Level : Intermediate

As China cracks down on bookstores at home, Chinese-language booksellers are flourishing overseas

natixis-ezine

Read time : 3 mins

Level : Advanced

Yu Miao, right, owner of JF Books, looks at his phone as customers browse the books in his bookstore in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

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

Notre Dame’s restoration surplus of nearly $150M will be used for future preservation

natixis-ezine

Read time : 2 mins

Level : Intermediate

A bell, center, that Olympic medalists rang at the Paris Games, is seen before being installed in Notre Dame Cathedral, ahead of the monument’s grandiose reopening following a massive fire and five-year reconstruction effort, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024 in Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

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

Bitcoin has topped $87,000 for a new record high. What to know about crypto’s post-election rally

natixis-ezine

Read time : 3 mins

Level : Advanced

FILE – Bitcoin logos are displayed at the Inside Bitcoins conference and trade show on April 7, 2014, in New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

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

Trump win ignites crypto frenzy that sends bitcoin to a record high

natixis-ezine

Read time : 2 mins

Level : Intermediate

FILE -Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at the Bitcoin 2024 Conference, July 27, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)

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