Nasa Mars rover lands after 7 month journey
The American space agency Nasa said its Perseverance rover “is in great shape” after landing in the Jezero crater on the surface of Mars. Jezero, near the Martian equator, is believed to have been a large lake billions of years ago. The 6-wheeeled, car-sized rover will spend two years searching for signs of life. Sources: BBC, Financial Times, The Guardian, The Register and Science magazine.
US to reengage on Iran nuclear deal
The Biden administration said it was ready to work with Tehran on reviving the 2015 nuclear control accord that Donald Trump pulled the US out of in 2018. Sources: DW, Financial Times, New York Times and NPR.
US to support WHO’s Covax programme
The Biden administration pledged $4bn (€3.3bn) for the Covax initiative that pays for covid-19 vaccines on behalf of poorer countries. Sources: Axios, DW, NPR and Reuters.
Macron proposes sending vaccines to poorer nations
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, told the Financial Times that Europe and the US should share 4%-5% of their current covid-19 vaccine supply with developing countries, particularly those in Africa. Additional Sources: BBC, The Guardian and Politico.
Latest Luxembourg covid-19 update
There were 37.21 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants on 17 February (compared to 31.94 on 10 February). The reproduction rate was 1.00, the target threshold (the same rate recorded the previous Wednesday). There were 74 patients in hospital (compared to 63), including 17 in intensive care (compared to 13). Three people died due to the coronavirus, bringing the national total to 619. A total of 27,119 vaccination doses have been administered, including 6,514 people who have received both doses. Sources: Delano and health ministry.
Schifflange primaries extend remote learning due to infection levels
Primary schools in Schifflange will remain on homeschooling and childcare centres in the town will remain closed through 23 February. Pupils will be tested on 22 February and those with a negative test result will return to the classroom on 24 February. Sources: 100,7 and education ministry.
Government plans to dispose of Paul Wurth shares
The Luxembourg state is in talks to sell its 40.8% stake in Paul Wurth, an engineering firm that helps kit out steel mills, to the German industrial conglomerate SMS Group, which already owns 59.2% of Paul Wurth. Sources: 100,7, Paperjam and Wort.
Work on service station in Pontpierre begins
Construction has started, after a 3 year delay, on a new Total service station on the A4 motorway between Esch-Alzette and Luxembourg City. Sources: Delano and Paperjam.
Kinepolis aims for more moviegoers
The cinema chain Kinepolis started offering private screenings, for up to 10 people, for €199 in a bid to draw back customers to the silver screen. Sources: Delano and Paperjam.
Australian gov blasts Facebook block
Scott Morrison, Australia’s prime minister, called Facebook’s decision yesterday to block news posts in the country “disappointing” but said Canberra would hold talks with the social media giant. Facebook said Australia’s proposed media payment law “fundamentally misunderstands” its relationship with publishers. Sources: ABC News, BBC, Bloomberg and The Guardian.
Australia news site traffic drops
Chartbeat, an analytics firm, said traffic on Australian news sites dropped by roughly 20% following the Facebook ban. Sources: Nieman Lab and Reuters.
McDonald’s seeks gender parity
The restaurant chain McDonald’s set a goal of having women represent at least 45% of its senior leadership by 2030 (up from 32% now). Sources: BBC, CNBC and Reuters.
Robinhood boss says sorry
The head of Robinhood, a free trading app, apologised to the US House of Representatives for its handling of the recent Gamestop share bubble. Sources: BBC, Bloomberg, Financial Times and The Guardian.
Bitcoin ETF debuts on Toronto exchange
North America’s first bitcoin ETF mutual fund started trading, with investors exchanging $165m worth of shares on the first day. Sources: Bloomberg, Cointelegraph, Financial Times and Toronto Star.
Here are 5 science & technology stories you may have missed
Environment: A study found that ride sharing services in the US did not reduce private car ownership, but they did reduce public transport usage and increase traffic congestion, per Nature. Health: A study found that women take covid-19 more seriously and are more likely to follow public health recommendations, per Popular Science. Intellectual property: Some Beverly Hills police officers are playing music to block livestreams and video clips of their interactions with the public (because it triggers copyright violations) even though filming them on duty is legal, per Vice. Privacy: Amazon is installing AI-powered video cameras in its delivery vans in the US, which monitor drivers (who are contract employees) to improve safety, per CNBC. Public health: B117, the UK variant, probably emerged from a single patient who was chronically infected, per Wired UK.
Facial fitness
Want a more ‘manly’ jaw? There is, apparently, a workout for that, per GQ.
Today’s breakfast briefing was written by Aaron Grunwald