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☆ For some Spring Festival revelers in China, traditional attire adds an element of time travel to celebrations
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Maggie Hiufu Wong | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

For instance, Yu Garden in Shanghai, which hosts a 40-day Spring Festival lantern fair, has become a popular destination for Hanfu fans. The nearby commercial shopping district of Wujiaochang even hosted a Lunar New Year Hanfu parade to attract revelers to the area this year. It too has seen an increase in young tourists wearing traditional attire during visits, according to one local. Embracing traditionA woman wearing Hanfu strolls around the Spring Festival Flower Market in Guangzhou, China, on February 9, 2024. Others say the term “Hanfu” is too narrow, given the fluid sharing of influences among diverse ethnic groups in China.

Persons: they’ve, Taobao, Shanghai's Yu, Yu, influencers, ”, Cai Pa, ” Cai, it’s, Li, John Ricky, Hanfu, she’s Organizations: CNN, CNN — Tourists, Visual China, Getty, CNN Travel Locations: Suzhou, China, Shanghai, Hanfu, Seoul, Yu Garden, Wujiaochang, China’s, Hainan, Haikou, Qilou, Guangzhou, Anhui, gan

☆ Travelers ride the rails to save money (and the planet) as Amtrak chases pre-Covid ridership
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Laya Neelakandan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

As domestic travel rebounds from pandemic lows and prices soar, some travelers opting for trains over planes. Those advantages and others are driving riders to Amtrak, the government-backed U.S. rail service, as it tries to revive pre-Covid ridership and smooth out operations. One of those passengers is Leonor Grave, who lives in New York City and often travels home to Washington, D.C., on Amtrak trains rather than flying. "I don't glamorize Amtrak as a corporation – there's a lot they could do to improve its services," Grave said. It's an exciting future for train travel."

Persons: Clint Henderson, Guy, Henderson, he's, doesn't, Leonor Grave, she's, they've Organizations: Amtrak, Alaska Airlines, Boeing, Max, Washington , D.C, Penn Locations: New York, New York City, Washington ,, New

☆ Activist Ancora may turn to a reliable tactic to enhance value at Norfolk Southern
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Kenneth Squire | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

When you see that in a railroad company, there is one key metric to look at, which drives railroad profitability and shareholder return: It's the operating ratio. The operating ratio is the company's operating expenses as a percentage of revenue. NSC's operating ratio is almost 69% and the right management team with the right strategy should easily be able to get the operating ratio down close to 60%. There is no need to reinvent the wheel here; the roadmap has already been drawn at Canadian Pacific and CSX. Inside the activist world, and among investors who were shareholders of Canadian Pacific and CSX, this is as sure of an activist strategy as there is.

Persons: Ancora, James Chadwick, Mantle, Hunter Harrison, Harrison, John Kasich, Sameh Fahmy, Jim Chadwick, Ken Squire Organizations: Norfolk Southern, Railroads, TCI, CSX, Pershing, Canadian Pacific, Canadian National, CP, PSR, Kansas City Southern, 13D Locations: United States, Ancora, Ohio

☆ Top House China hawk to retire, opening seat in battleground Wisconsin
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

His seat in Wisconsin's 8th congressional district is particularly valuable, given the state's battleground status and House Republicans' current rail-thin majority. Despite occasional resistance to his party, Gallagher is still an essential GOP vote representing a key swing state. Trump won Wisconsin in 2016 but lost it to President Joe Biden in 2020. In 2022, Gallagher won roughly 72% of the vote against several third-party candidates but no formal Democrat opponent. He was also appointed to the helm of the House's high-profile China committee, which was created at the start of last year.

Persons: Mike Gallagher, Gallagher, Alejandro Mayorkas, Donald Trump's, Trump, Joe Biden, Gallagher's, Kristin Lyerly, Christopher Wray Organizations: U.S, Capitol, Chinese Communist Party, Marine Corps, House Republicans, Homeland, Trump, Wisconsin, Badger, Democrat, Democratic, GOP, CCP Locations: Wisconsin's, Wisconsin, Washington, China

☆ China gears up to ring in Year of the Dragon with expected record 9 billion trips
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Authorities last month forecast that China’s population of 1.4 billion would take a record 9 billion trips during the 40-day holiday travel period, which began on January 26. Stringer/VCG/Getty Images A man takes photos of blooming plum blossoms at the Summer Palace in Beijing, China on February 5. Johanes P. Christo/NurPhoto/AP Crowds flock to the Spring Festival Light Show in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China on February 3. Axel Miranda/SOPA Images/Sipa/Reuters Workers assemble dragon lanterns at a production workshop in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China on January 24. Two major indexes recorded their worst drops in years capping off a dire 2023 that saw China’s stock markets become the world’s worst performer.

Persons: ”, Luo, Stringer, VCG, Zhang Yu, Ulet Ifansasti, Johanes, NurPhoto, Zhang Cheng, Wu Wenjun, Axel Miranda, Xi Jinping, ” Xi Organizations: Hong Kong CNN —, Festival, CNN, Authorities, China News Service, Spring, Reuters Workers, HSBC, Beijing, United States Embassy Locations: Hong Kong, China, Beijing, Fujian, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, Solo City, Indonesia, Dharmayana, Bali , Indonesia, Guangzhou, China's, Guangdong Province, Barcelona, Spain, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, Shanghai

Most U.S. adults believe that air travel is generally safe in the U.S., despite some doubts about whether aircraft are being properly maintained and remain free from structural problems. About 7 in 10 U.S. adults say planes are a “very” or “somewhat” safe method of travel, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Slightly fewer than half — 45% — have “a great deal” of confidence in pilots' training, while 38% say that about air traffic controllers. About one-quarter of U.S. adults have a high level of confidence that air travel is safe from terrorist attacks, or that government agencies have enacted necessary safety regulations. Randi Niedfeldt, a retired physician assistant in Wisconsin, has a great deal of confidence in the planes, despite the recent incidents.

Persons: ”, Margaret Burke of, Burke, “, can’t, Sherry Kohn, ” Kohn, Randi Niedfeldt Organizations: Associated Press, NORC, for Public Affairs Research, Alaska Airlines Boeing, Max, Federal Aviation, Alaska Airlines, U.S . Department of Transportation, Airline, Boeing Locations: U.S, Oregon, Alaska, Margaret Burke of Pensacola , Florida, California, Pennsylvania, vacuums, Wisconsin

Before last year, paid sick leave was generally not offered to railroad workers. That's instead of joining all the other major freight railroads in negotiating jointly with rail unions on an agreement over pay and benefits. The rail industry reached the brink of a strike in the fall of 2022 before Congress and President Joe Biden intervened to force rail workers to accept a contract. Union Pacific, BNSF and Norfolk Southern now have paid sick time agreements in place with all their unions. Canadian National also trails behind the big U.S. railroads, but still offers sick time to about 46% of its U.S. workers.

Persons: —, Ed Dowell, CPKC “, ” CPKC, That's, Patrick Waldron, ” Waldron, “, CPKC, Joe Biden, wouldn't Organizations: Rail, CPKC's, American Train, Association, Kansas City Southern, Canadian Pacific, CSX, Union Pacific, Norfolk, Canadian Locations: OMAHA, Neb, Kansas City , Missouri, CPKC's U.S, Minnesota, U.S, Calgary, United States, Kansas City, Kansas, Canadian Pacific, North America, BNSF, Norfolk Southern

☆ New York Reimagined Subsidized Housing. What Happened?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Michael Kimmelman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

This story is from Headway, an initiative from The New York Times exploring the world’s challenges through the lens of progress. “A beacon.”That was how Shaun Donovan, former commissioner of New York City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development, heralded Via Verde, the South Bronx development, in 2011. Construction was nearly done at the time, and I chose Via Verde for the subject of my first column as The New York Times’s architecture critic. Most important, its goal was larger than itself: to reimagine subsidized housing for a new century. Engineers, solar experts, community groups, architectural organizations as well as the New York City Council pulled in unison.

Persons: what’s, Shaun Donovan Organizations: The New York Times, New York City’s Department of Housing Preservation, Via Verde, Guggenheim, Bloomberg, . Engineers, New, New York City Council Locations: New, Via Verde, Bronx, York, Paris, New York, grumbled

BERLIN (AP) — Germany's state-owned development bank has sold shares in the company that owns the national postal service for about 2.17 billion euros ($2.3 billion), reducing the government's stake and raising money to help finance improvements to the country's rail network. The sale cuts the state's stake in DHL to 16.5%, though it is still the largest single shareholder. The proceeds are to be used to strengthen the capital of Germany's main railway operator, the state-owned Deutsche Bahn, to help it upgrade railway infrastructure, the Finance Ministry said Wednesday. The government is turning to privatization proceeds to help finance improvements to the rail network after a court ruling forced it to plug a big hole in this year's budget and reconsider its wider financial plans. The maneuver ran afoul of Germany’s strict self-imposed limits on running up debt.

Organizations: BERLIN, —, Deutsche, DHL Group, DHL, Deutsche Bahn, Finance Ministry Locations: — Germany's, Germany's

BERLIN (AP) — Ground staff for Lufthansa walked off the job at five major German airports on Wednesday, causing the airline to cancel hundreds of flights. Lufthansa said ahead of the strike that it expected to be able to operate around 10-20% of all planned flights. It said tickets could be rebooked free of charge, and tickets for German domestic flights could be converted to rail vouchers. In Frankfurt, the company canceled 80-90% of the planned 600 departures and arrivals by Lufthansa itself and subsidiary Air Dolomiti ahead of the strike, German news agency dpa reported. All Lufthansa departures from Berlin and Hamburg were canceled, as were most domestic flights from Duesseldorf.

Persons: Eurowings Organizations: BERLIN, —, Lufthansa, Frankfurt, Wednesday, Air, Munich Locations: Munich, Berlin, Duesseldorf, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Germany

☆ Ukraine’s railways are still running after two years of war. Here’s how
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Ben Jones | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Ukraine’s rail network, known as Ukrzaliznytsia or UZ for short, has always been a source of pride and practicality in the eastern European nation, even before the war. ‘Constant threat’Ukraine's rail network, known as Ukrzaliznytsia or UZ for short, has always been a source of pride and practicality in the eastern European nation. UZ says a further $9 billlon is likely required to repair and modernize the existing UZ network, which at 19,700 kilometers is one of the world’s longest. “Our responsibility is to be a stable partner.”Indeed, despite the war, UZ says it has repaired and renewed 289 kilometers of track in 2023, rebuilt 15 bridges, built 528 new freight cars and repaired around 9,000 others. Britain’s Network Rail and Swiss Federal Railways are providing engineering support to help rebuild damaged infrastructure, while the Global Ukraine Rail Task Force (GURTF) was established in 2022 to raise funds to support Ukrainian rail workers and their families.

Persons: UZ, – UZ, ”, Jeff J Mitchell, Yarema Dul, “, ” UZ, it’s, Ukraine’s, Olena Zelenska, Dul, Transport Network Mykola Panov, Oleksandr Pertsovskyi, Yevhen Liaschenko, ” Liaschenko, GURTF, Andy Bagnall Organizations: CNN, UNICEF, Russia, UZ’s, Transformation Department, Transport Network Mykola, CNN Travel, “, ” Railway, Publishing, Transport Network, Britain’s, Rail, Swiss Federal Railways, Global Ukraine Rail Task Force, Rail Partners Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Kyiv, Lviv, Warsaw, Vienna, Panama7, Odesa, Kharkiv, Russian, Poland, Germany, Soviet Union, Budapest, Prague, Berlin, Hungary

Snow and freezing rain in China were disrupting travel on Monday and had already caused hundreds of rail and flight cancellations, as millions of people traveled across the country before lunar new year holiday begins this weekend. For many years, heavy travel within and into China ahead of the holiday, known as Spring Festival in Chinese, produced the world’s largest annual migration. During the coronavirus pandemic, fear of lockdowns, quarantines and other rules deterred many from traveling. Last year, the authorities abruptly lifted those rules weeks before lunar new year after facing widespread protests, but many would-be travelers stayed put because they were anxious about spreading the virus. This year was supposed to mark a return to normal levels of holiday travel.

Locations: China

☆ Mexico Reaches Deal to Buy Highway Concession From Billionaire Slim
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MONTERREY, Mexico (Reuters) - Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced that his government has reached an agreement with local billionaire Carlos Slim to buy the concession to part of a highway still under construction in the southern state of Oaxaca. He sits on the board of directors of Ideal, which is wrapping up construction on the branch of the highway running from the towns of Mitla to Tehuantepec. The highway track, part of a larger stretch running all the way to the city of Oaxaca, will be inaugurated on Aug. 31, Lopez Obrador said. The president, who will leave office later this year, has made infrastructure projects in the historically poorer southern part of Mexico a cornerstone of his administration. (Reporting by Kylie Madry in Mexico City and Laura Gottesdiener in Monterrey; Editing by Paul Simao)

Persons: Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Carlos Slim, Lopez Obrador, Slim, Kylie Madry, Laura Gottesdiener, Paul Simao Organizations: America, Grupo Carso, Ideal Locations: MONTERREY, Mexico, Oaxaca, Mitla, Tehuantepec ., Mexico City, Monterrey

Biden was arriving in Las Vegas on Sunday for appearances through Monday. In Tuesday's primary, Biden faces only token opposition from author Marianne Williamson and a handful of relatively unknown challengers. He won Nevada in November 2020 by fewer than 3 percentage points. The Democratic National Committee last week announced a six-figure ad buy in Nevada and South Carolina, where Biden won the leadoff primary Saturday. As early voting began last weekend in Nevada, Trump asserted without evidence during a campaign rally in Las Vegas that he was the victim of the Biden administration's weaponizing law enforcement against him.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Michael Tyler, Republican Donald Trump, Marianne Williamson, . Sen, Catherine Cortez Masto, Sen, Harry Reid, “ Reid, ”, “, ” Cortez Masto, Trump, Harris, ” Dan Lee, Nikki Halley, ___ Superville, Will Weissert, ___ Stern, Stern Organizations: Democrat, Sunday, Republican, Nevada, —, Las, U.S, Senate, Republicans, ., Democratic, Biden, Trump, New York Times, Delegates, Democratic National Committee, University of Nevada, GOP, Associated Press, America Statehouse News Initiative, America Locations: RENO, Nev, Nevada, Las Vegas, California, Reno, U.S, Siena, Virginia, state’s, South Carolina, Chinatown, Washington

☆ The world’s best beaches, according to Lonely Planet
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Maureen O'Hare | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The dim sum capital of the worldLegacy House: Legacy House's fantastic dim sum set includes steamed spotted garoupa dumplings with salted lemon. Courtesy Legacy House Forum: This three-Michelin-star restaurant, which serves classic Cantonese dim sum dishes, is famed for its impeccable attention to detail. Tai Wai Dining Room Veggie Kingdom: Veggie Kingdom serves high-quality meat-free versions of classic dim sum dishes. Maggie Wong/CNN Spring Moon: In addition to serving delicious, classic dim sum dishes, Spring Moon's cinematic interior is an attraction in its own right. Courtesy Peninsula Hong Kong Hong Kong’s best dim sum Prev NextThis is our essential guide to Hong Kong’s best dim sum: Where to find it and how to eat it, from classic no-frills joints to Michelin-starred adventures.

Persons: Cabo San Juan del Guía, “, ”, Heen, King Heen, Nicholas Wong, Maggie Wong, Emperor, Fook Lam, Hong Kong Hong, Hong, they’ve, Amelia Earhart’s Organizations: CNN, d’Argent, JetBlue, Japan, Port, Royal, Carnival Corporation, MSC Cruise, Cunard Cruise, CDC, Hong Kong, Hong, Golden Valley, Son Locations: Rio, Sarakiniko, Greece, Baltic, Danish, Bornholm, Cabo San Juan, Seychelles, Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima prefecture, Tomonoura, Port of Miami, Hong, Hong Kong, Veggie, Golden, Spain

☆ A Rivian R1T blew through steel guardrails, reflecting safety experts' warnings about heavy vehicles and even heavier EVs
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The crash test highlights safety experts' concerns about faster and heavier EVs. AdvertisementA new video of a Rivian truck bursting through steel guardrails during a crash test highlights some of the safety concerns experts have raised about heavy electric vehicles. Bigger the car, deadlier the crashSafety experts have previously raised concerns about the risks heavy vehicles and heavier EVs could bring to the roads. In the UK, safety experts say the heavier weight could cause older parking garages across the country to collapse. "There is some urgency to address this issue," Cody Stolle, Midwest Roadside Safety Facility's assistant director, told the publication.

Persons: —, Rivian, Ann Carlson, Charles Krupa, Kevin Heaslip, Politifact, Steve Patton, Alexa St, John, Zhe Ji, Myles Russell, they're, Cody Stolle, Ford Organizations: Service, University of Nebraska, Safety Facility, Nebraska Today, Midwest, Safety, National, Traffic Safety Administration, Reuters, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Center for Transportation Research, University of Tennessee, P Global Mobility, EV, Alexa, Ferrari, GMC, Ford, Madison Hall, McLaren, Anadolu, Getty, Research, Tesla Locations: Manchester , New Hampshire, Canadian, North America

☆ Asia markets poised for a stronger start as Wall Street rebounds from Fed day sell-off
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In a photo taken on November 4, 2019 a subway train crosses a rail bridge over the Han river, before the skyline of the Yeouido business district of Seoul. Asia-Pacific markets were set to rise early Friday in Asia, mirroring Wall Street's rebound from the sell-off earlier this week after Chairman Jerome Powell indicated the U.S. Federal Reserve was unlikely to cut rates in March. In Asia, investors will wrap up the week with January inflation figures out of South Korea and producer prices from Australia. South Korea's consumer price index grew 2.8% year on year, slightly below the 2.9% expected in a Reuters poll of economists.

Persons: Jerome Powell Organizations: U.S . Federal Locations: Seoul . Asia, Pacific, Asia, South Korea, Australia

The Ver.di service workers' union called for a “warning strike,” a common tactic in German contract negotiations, on Monday. Its deputy chair, Christine Behle, said that “the time has now come to exert more pressure on employers” as talks on new pay contracts for about 90,000 people employed by over 130 local transport operators have failed to make progress. In Berlin, workers with the local transport authority walked off the job until 10 a.m.; in Hamburg, Cologne, Hannover and elsewhere, the strike was to last all day. The dispute centers on demands for better working conditions, such as a shorter working week and extra compensation days for shift and night work. Coinciding contract negotiations in the rail, airport and local transport sectors have made for a frustrating few weeks for German travers and commuters.

Persons: Christine Behle, ”, German travers, Ver.di Organizations: BERLIN, — Locations: Germany, Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Hannover, Bavaria

☆ Demand for shipments from China via rail through Russia has 'skyrocketed' since the Red Sea attacks
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Lucy Handley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

And — while it only represents a very small proportion of containers moved between the Far East and Europe — rail routes via Russia have seen an uptick in interest too. Rail through RussiaFirms have raised concerns about sending goods via rail through Russia, Sciglaite said. A train engine pulls carriages that started their journey in Yiwu, China into Barking rail freight terminal on January 18, 2017 in the U.K. Igor Tambaca, managing director of Rail Bridge Cargo, a Dutch logistics company, said China-Europe rail route bookings were up 37% over the past four weeks. Tambaca said the cost of sending one forty-foot container (FEU) from China to Europe via rail is currently around $7,900.

Persons: Liu Wenhua, Julija, RailGate, Hapag Lloyd, Sciglaite, Dan Kitwood, Igor Tambaca, Tambaca, Maria Magdalena Pavitsich, Pavitsich, Vladimir Putin, Davies Turner Organizations: China News Service, Getty, Air, CNBC, Rail, Cargo, OBB Rail Cargo Group, FEU, Initiative, British Locations: China, Europe, Russia, Manzhouli, Vietnam, Xeneta, East, European, Rotterdam, South Africa's, Ukraine, Yiwu, Barking, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Poland, Germany, Belgium, France, Red, Dutch, Turkey, Austrian, Asia, Xian, Chengdu, Suez, Africa, Moscow, Central Siberia, Beijing, Wuhan, Duisburg

☆ China's population decline likely won't be solved by throwing money at its citizens, an expert on China says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

China's ruling party introduced a "three-child policy" in 2021, welcoming families to have more than two children. A solution for China's demographic crisis likely won't come through a few policy initiatives, Wang argued. The law was introduced, in part, as an effort to boost the country's birth rate. Taiwan has so far invested $3 billion in implementing programs to get more citizens to have children, The Los Angeles Times reported. This is a "global shift," Wang told BI.

Persons: —, Wang Feng, Wang, BI's Huileng Tan, China's, Ethan Michelson, Michelson Organizations: Service, country's National Bureau, Statistics, Business, University of California, Communist Party, Chinese Community Party, Ethan Michelson , Indiana University Bloomington's, East Asian, BI, Los Angeles Times Locations: country's, China, Irvine, Hangzhou, East China, Wenzhou, Ethan Michelson ,, Seoul, South Korea, Italy, Taiwan

☆ China is facing a brutal reality as it desperately tries to fix its population decline problem
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

China's population fell for a second consecutive year as the birth rate reached a record low. AdvertisementFor the second year in a row, China's population fell. But still, the Chinese population — young people, in particular — did not bite. The law was introduced, in part, as an effort to boost the country's birth rate. This is a "global shift," Wang told BI.

Persons: —, Wang Feng, Wang, BI's Huileng Tan, China's, Ethan Michelson, Michelson Organizations: Service, country's National Bureau, Statistics, University of California, Communist Party, Chinese Community Party, Ethan Michelson , Indiana University Bloomington's, East Asian, BI, Los Angeles Times Locations: country's, China, Irvine, Hangzhou, East China, Wenzhou, Ethan Michelson ,, Seoul, South Korea, Italy, Taiwan

CNN —Russia and Ukraine have exchanged hundreds of prisoners of war, in the first such swap since the deadly crash of a Russian military plane that Moscow claimed was carrying 65 captured Ukrainian soldiers. Wednesday’s exchange was the first since the mysterious crash of a Russian IL-76 plane on January 24 in Russia’s Belgorod region, which neighbors eastern Ukraine. But Ukraine’s intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said there was still no reliable information as to who might have been on board the downed Russian plane. Speaking after Wednesday’s prisoner exchange, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed the IL-76 plane had been downed by a US Patriot missile system. Putin stressed that Russia would not halt prisoner exchanges despite the plane crash.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, ” Zelensky, Zelensky, ”, Andriy Yusov, Yusov, Petro Yatsenko, Kyrylo Budanov, Vladimir Putin, ” Putin, Putin, “, Andriy Yermak Organizations: CNN, Russian Defense Ministry, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, Social Media, Ukraine’s, US Patriot, American Patriot, Patriot, Russia’s Defense Ministry Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Moscow, Mariupol, Ukrainian, Russia’s Belgorod, Kyiv, Belgorod, Yablonovo, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Kherson, Sumy

LUANG PRABANG, Laos (AP) — Landlocked Laos doesn't have the famous beaches of its neighbors to attract tourists, but instead relies on the pristine beauty of its mountains and rivers and historical sites to bring in visitors. The crown jewel is Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where legend has it that Buddha once rested during his travels. Nestled among the mountains of northern Laos, Luang Prabang was the capital from the 14th to the 16th century before it was moved to Vientiane. “This dam won't generate a lot of power for Laos, it's going to power new shopping malls in Bangkok,” Eyler said of the Luang Prabang project. “In isolation, the potential transboundary harmful effects due to the Luang Prabang hydropower project may not be substantial," the river commission said.

Persons: Buddha, it's, ”, Brian Eyler, Stimson, Eyler, ” Eyler, Philip Hirsch, “, you've, ” Hirsch, Vietnam —, Barbara Curti Organizations: UNESCO, Asia Program, Sustainability, ” UNESCO, Associated Press, Ministry of Information, Foreign Ministry, Heritage, Monitor, Sydney University, CBA, Commission Locations: LUANG PRABANG, Laos, Prabang, Southeast Asia, Washington, Luang Prabang, Luang, Paris, New Delhi, Vientiane, Vietnam, China, Kunming, Thailand, Stimson, Bangkok, British, Cambodia, Asia, asia

☆ Security Staff Strike Planned at German Airports on Thursday - Ntv
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's Verdi union plans a nationwide strike of airport security workers on Thursday, the ntv broadcaster and other media reported on Tuesday. Sources in the aviation industry said the strike would take place. Germany has grown increasingly accustomed to strikes impacting air and rail travel as workers demand higher wages to cope with the impact of inflation. Verdi plans a separate public transport strike for Friday across 15 of Germany's 16 states. (Reporting by Klaus Lauer; writing by Rachel More; editing by Matthias Williams)

Persons: Verdi, Klaus Lauer, Rachel More, Matthias Williams Organizations: BERLIN, ntv, Reuters Locations: Germany

☆ Tourists stranded after Peru protests block access to Machu Picchu
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Reuters —Protests in Peru are blocking access to Machu Picchu, one of South America’s most popular heritage sites, with local anger over a new ticketing system halting rail transport to the iconic Incan site and leaving some tourists stranded. The protests, which began late last week, have left hundreds of tourists, who flock to Machu Picchu from all over the world, unable to reach the site. The protesters are blocking access to the popular heritage site. Carolina Paucar/AFP/Getty ImagesCommunity representatives in Machu Picchu fear that the new electronic ticket sales platform will hurt local businesses by “privatizing” sales and directing profits to one single firm. In September, Peru temporarily closed three areas of Machu Picchu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site built in the 15th century as a religious sanctuary for the Incas, due to site deterioration brought on by heavy visitor volumes.

Persons: Leslie Urteaga, Carolina Paucar, “ Organizations: Reuters, Getty Images, UNESCO, Heritage Locations: Peru, Machu Picchu, Carolina, AFP

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