On our Sina Weibo

'Cool bench' in Paris helps beat the stifling heat

In the middle of the heatwave which is gripping much of northern Europe, Paris is testing out a bench designed to provide relief from the heat. The 10-seat bench installed outside the Gare de Lyon works by pumping cool water from the River Seine that refreshes your legs as soon as you sit down on the "ice" panels embedded. The benches have been sponsored by a company called Climespace, which plans to build more of the cooling benches across the city.

Crawfish shortage means higher prices