Author: natixis-ezine

Around the globe, virus cancels spring travel for millions

natixis-ezine

Read time :4 mins

Level : Advanced

By DAVID McHUGH, CASEY SMITH and JOE McDONALD AP Business Writers

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — They are the annual journeys of late winter and early spring: Factory workers in China heading home for the Lunar New Year; American college students going on road trips and hitting the beach over spring break; Germans and Britons fleeing drab skies for some Mediterranean sun over Easter.

All of it canceled, in doubt or under pressure because of the coronavirus.

Amid fears of new variants of the virus, new restrictions on movement have hit just as people start to look ahead to what is usually a busy time of year for travel.
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Pope sets date to honor ‘forgotten’ grandparents and elders

natixis-ezine

Read time : 1 min

Level : Intermediate

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis has established an annual date to honor grandparents and other elders, lamenting that they are often forgotten despite the wisdom they have to offer society.

Francis on Sunday announced that every year, on the fourth Sunday of July, the Roman Catholic Church will pay tribute to older adults who have “thoughts and words of wisdom” to offer.

This year, Francis will celebrate a special Mass in honor of them on the evening of July 25, pandemic restrictions permitting, the Vatican said.
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Fighting climate change in America means changes to America

natixis-ezine

Read time : 5 mins

Level : Advanced

By SETH BORENSTEIN AP Science Writer

Climate isn’t the only thing changing.

What comes next in the nation’s struggle to combat global warming will probably transform how Americans drive, where they get their power and other bits of day-to-day life, both quietly and obviously, experts say. So far the greening of America has been subtle, driven by market forces, technology and voluntary actions.

The Biden administration is about to change that.
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Nissan commits to UK car plant after post-Brexit trade deal

natixis-ezine

Read time : 2 mins

Level : Intermediate

By PAN PYLAS Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Japanese carmaker Nissan confirmed Friday that it will maintain its operations in Britain in the wake of the post-Brexit trade deal between the country and the European Union.

The news was greeted by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson as a “great vote of confidence.”

The future of Nissan’s car plant in the northeast England city of Sunderland was thrown into doubt in the wake of Britain’s vote to leave the EU in June 2016, a decision that could have led to tariffs and quotas on trade between the two sides.

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European Central Bank keeps stimulus programs on track

natixis-ezine

Read time : 2 mins

Level : Advanced

By DAVID McHUGH AP Business Writer

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — With more than a trillion euros in stimulus still in the pipeline to the economy, the European Central Bank left its key bond-purchase program unchanged Thursday as the 19-country eurozone endures a winter economic slowdown due to the pandemic.

Attention will focus on post-decision remarks by bank President Christine Lagarde about the outlook for the recovery in the 19 countries that use the euro currency. The ECB faces potential concerns over political turbulence in heavily indebted Italy, where the government survived a confidence vote this week, and over the stronger euro, which can weigh on exports and growth.

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