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Health & Science
15 years in the making, Belgium approves an action plan against harms of abusive use of alcohol
Fifteen years after Belgian authorities started discussing it, a plan to reduce the harms related to abusive consumption of alcohol in the next two years has been finally validated. It includes 75 actions. People under 18 cannot buy spirits anymore.
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Business
In the Czech Republic, restaurants see school cafeterias as unwanted competition
School cafeterias in the Czech Republic can sell meals to customers other than pupils and school staff. But restaurants find the competition unfair, considering schools' public subsidies and low prices.
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Politics
Mexico Senate approves a registry to track parents who don’t pay for alimony
To solve the issue of divorced parents who don't pay for alimony for their children, Mexico will create a registry and a certificate that will be required for a number of procedures.
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Society
The story of a banned Swedish lawyer because she had a love affair with her client
In Sweden, a lawyer was banned from the profession because she represented a member of a criminal group who was also her lover. The Supreme Court confirmed the decision.
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Culture & Sport
Release of Winnie the Pooh horror movie suddenly canceled in Hong Kong and Macau
The horror movie Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey will not be released in Hong Kong and Macau's movie theaters. Hong Kong movie theaters suddenly decided not to show the movie.
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Society
A damning report about London police finds “institutional racism, misogyny and homophobia”
Triggered by outcries following cases of murder and rape involving officers of the Metropolitan Police of London, the Casey report found "institutional racism, misogyny and homophobia."
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Society
Finland is the happiest country in the world for the 6th consecutive year
Finland remains in the top position of the World Happiness Report in 2023 for the sixth year in a row. Afghanistan and Lebanon remain the two unhappiest countries in the survey.
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Society
Cocaine supply at record high levels in 2021, UN report says. Belgium and the Netherlands emerging hubs
Production and supply of cocaine reached record-high levels in 2021 despite the COVID-19 pandemic and increased seizures from law enforcement, according to the UNODC report. The transformation process becomes more efficient. Belgium and the Netherlands appear as emerging hubs of cocaine traffic in Europe.
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Business
Norway finally says no to undersea cable connecting with Scotland for transporting renewable energy
The government of Norway decided to reject NorthConnect's license application to build a cable between Norway and Scotland which would have strengthened the exchange of electricity across the North Sea. Norway prefers to cancel this renewable energy export project to keep it for its population.
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Society
Portugal launched an online automatic residence permit for Portuguese speakers
A new online procedure opened in Portugal to speed up the process of the thousands of residence permit requests still pending approval. But the website's server can be overloaded by high traffic at times.
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Society
Governor of Bali wants to ban foreign tourists from driving or renting motorbikes
The governor of Bali announced foreign tourists would no longer be allowed to drive or rent vehicles on the island on their own.
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Politics
Belarus expands death penalty to military and civil servants convicted of treason
Belarus expanded the death penalty to all military and public administration staff convicted of treason against the State. Belarus is the only country in Europe still applying capital punishment.
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Society
Women can swim topless in Berlin’s swimming pools
Berlin's swimming pool operator clarified that women could swim topless after a woman complained she was refused to swim without a top.
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Society
Traffic congestion for commuters significantly lower in the Netherlands despite similar road traffic
Changes in commuting habits in the Netherlands significantly reduced traffic jams, despite traffic almost returning to pre-pandemic levels. Bicycles as a commuting method grew more than cars in 2022.
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Health & Science
Pokemon Pheromosa inspires name of new cockroach species found in Singapore
The Pokemon Pheromosa inspired the name of a new species of cockroach found in Singapore.
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Politics
French citizenship comes up in Serbia in a political argument over patriotism
The French citizenship of a Serbian politician has been exposed by the prime minister of Serbia Ana Brnabić in an argument to defend criticism of nationalist Serbian politicians in light of a normalization agreement with Kosovo. An ultranationalist claimed Ms. Brnabić was Croatian as a way to undermine her legitimacy and patriotism.
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Politics
South Korea seeks to improve ties with Japan with a plan for compensating victims of forced labor
South Korea released a plan for compensating Korean victims of forced labor under Japanese occupation. By not seeking reparation from the Japanese companies, relations between the two countries are expected to improve amid concerns about regional security with North Korea.
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Society
Japan has counted more than 14,000 islands in its territory, twice as many as the last survey
Japan found that it has 14,125 islands after a survey updated the previous count that dated back to 1987. It will not change the overall area of Japanese territory or its territorial waters.
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Society
Colombian local authorities consider sending 70 wild hippos to Mexico and India
To reduce the population of wild hippos in Colombia, authorities of the department of Antioquia are considering sending some of the animals abroad. Brought in illegally by former drug trafficker Pablo Escobar, the country declared hippos an invasive species last year.
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Politics
Brazil announced tax on crude oil exports to mitigate the sensitive issue of ending fuel tax exemptions domestically
The government of Brazil announced a tax on crude oil exports as it aims to compensate for taxes of fuel waived by Jair Bolsonaro last year that are only partially applied again. The matter is politically sensitive.
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Society
More than 20% of Norwegian women victims of rape. The ‘Nordic paradox’ of violence against women
Severe physical violence, domestic violence and rape have increased in Norway over the past nine years. Almost one in four Norwegian women reported having been victim of rape at least once in their life.
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Business
U.S. fast food chain Wendy’s actively searching for expanding in Australia
The U.S. fast food chain Wendy's wants to expand in Australia, but the fight for market shares may be tough.
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Business
Taiwan wants to offer money to foreign tourists visiting the island
Taiwan plans to offer money to 500,000 foreign tourists visiting the island as a way to boost international tourism.
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Society
Seattle becomes the first U.S. city to explicitly ban discrimination against an individual’s caste
Seattle has become the first city in the United States to explicitly ban discrimination against an individual's caste. Seattle is one of the largest hubs for tech companies in the United States, an industry employing large numbers of South Asian immigrants.
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Politics
Ordered trains too wide for tunnels in Spain
Spain ordered new trains for the provinces of Cantabria and Asturias but they would have been too wide for some old tunnels. The head of Renfe and the secretary of State for Transport stepped down as a consequence of the mistake.
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Politics
Number of European Parliament member declarations attending paid-for events skyrocketed
The number of declarations from members of the European Parliament disclosing events paid for by third parties has never been so high in three and a half years since the Qatargate broke out in December.
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Politics
Northern Ireland organ donation law blocked by political stalemate, sent to UK Parliament
An organ donation law in Northern Ireland set to make all people potential organ donors and inspired by Dáithí Mac Gabhann, a 6-year-old waiting for a heart transplant, is blocked by a local political stalemate over Northern Ireland protocol.
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Politics
South Korea’s Ministry of Education changes college funding criteria to curb the ‘invasion of liberal arts’
The ministry of Culture of South Korea relased new criteria to grant funds to high education facilities as an attempt to curb the 'invasion of liberal arts'. The high school exam acting as the entry test in top universities favors science students.
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Business
‘Price speculation’ in Portugal: some supermarkets charge customers more than the price displayed
More than 4% of supermarkets inspected in Portugal in recent months charged products to customers more than the price displayed on shelves.
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Business
Natural gas consumption in the Netherlands in 2022 at its lowest in 50 years
Natural gas consumption in the Netherlands decreased by 22% in 2022 compared to 2021 and reached its lowest point in 50 years. Lower consumption in households and gas-intensive industries mainly explains the figures.
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Politics
In Germany, the Free Democratic Party calls again to make English used in all public offices
Germany faces a shortage of skilled workers and the Free Democratic Party advocates for public administration to be more welcoming to workers who don't speak German with the use of English. It's not that simple.
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Politics
Moldova Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita resigned
Moldova Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita announced her resignation on February 10. President Maia Sandu appointed the secretary general of the Supreme Security Council Dorin Recean as the candidate to become the new prime minister.
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Business
$270,000 compensation for a bad haircut in India? Excessive and disproportionate, the Supreme Court rules
An Indian model was awarded 20 million rupees in 2021 as compensation for bad haircut and hair treatment in a luxury salon.
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Business
H&M Sweden publishes job postings with 0 working hours amid staff restructuring
H&M Sweden restructures its workforce organization and wants to reduce the working hours of hundreds of store employees. Meanwhile, it also hires a few of them with no minimum working hours defined in their contracts.
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Business
Denmark grants its first licenses to store carbon deep under the North Sea
Denmark granted its first licenses for carbon capture and storage in the Danish part of the North Sea. The country expects to trap 13 million tons of carbon dioxide underground per year from 2030 with these licenses.
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Society
Japan government plans to raise the age of consent from 13 to 16
In Japan, a bill is being worked on to substantially amend the penal code related to sex crimes. The age of consent for sexual intercourse could be raised from 13 to 16 years old.
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Society
‘Ndrangheta Italian fugitive arrested after 16 years on the run, worked as a pizzaiolo in France
Edgardo Greco, an Italian fugitive linked to the ‘Ndrangheta has been arrested in France after 16 years on the run. He worked as a pizzaiolo in a restaurant.
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Business
Hong Kong to offer more than 500,000 free flight tickets with ‘Hello Hong Kong’ promotional campaign
Hong Kong hopes to bring 1.5 million visitors to the city by giving away more than 500,000 flight tickets to oversea travelers.
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Society
Census data in Argentina officially include non-binary people for the first time
According to provisional results of Argentina's census, 8,293 people in the country are non-binary, accounting for 0.018 percent of the total population.
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Culture & Sport
Artificial intelligence helps find prominent Spanish playwright Lope de Vega as the author of a play from a manuscript written years after his death
Artificial intelligence helped discover that Spanish playwright Lope de Vega wrote La francesa Laura.
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