Society
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Turkey Constitutional Court opens the door for refunding fines applied during anti-COVID-19 rules
Turkey Constitutional Court ruled that administrative fines applied to people violating measures to fight the COVID-19 pandemic should be refundable. Authorities took most decisions without sufficient legal basis.
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Romania violates the right to respect for private and family life of same-sex couples, ECHR rules
The ECHR ruled that Romania violates the right to respect the private and family life of 21 Romanian same-sex couples because it doesn't legally recognize their unions.
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Sanctioned Russian billionaire loses appeal against squatters living in his building in Amsterdam
Amsterdam Appeal Court upheld a decision that allows squatters to reside in the building owned by Arkady Volozh, a Russian billionaire whose assets are frozen in Europe.
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A French indicted for murdering his Finnish girlfriend with a laptop charger in Bulgaria
In Bulgaria, a 25-year-old French man is indicted for the murder of his Finnish girlfriend. He is accused of killing her with a laptop cable last year and hiding her body in the apartment's wardrobe.
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Greenpeace ranked the European capitals by public transport affordability
Greenpeace studied 30 European countries and their capitals for the best and worst public transport ticketing systems. Dublin ranks last behind London, Amsterdam and Paris.
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Egypt resumes daylight saving time, seven years later
After seven years without applying it, Egypt announced it would resume daylight saving time this year. Officials hope to save energy, and collect foreign reserves from natural gas exports.
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In Poland, pedestrians can also receive a fine for using their phones
Poland has been strengthening controls and penalties for drivers to improve road safety. But pedestrians are also required to pay attention when they cross roads.
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Charged with femicide in Argentina, he asks to be prosecuted as a woman
In Argentina, a Brazilian charged with femicide said he considered himself as a woman and asked to be judged as such. The request was denied.
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Suitcases exchanged in airport, Brazil seeks to free two women suspected of trafficking cocaine in Germany
Brazil seeks to free Jeanne Paolini and Kátyna Baía, two Brazilian women suspected of international drug trafficking and jailed in Germany for a month now. Brazilian federal police think they are victims with their suitcases exchanged with two bags containing 40kg of cocaine at a São Paulo airport unbeknown to them.
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In Malaysia, a married couple wants to annul their marriage, but a Court refuses
In Malaysia, a couple filed a joint petition for annulling their marriage, arguing they didn't consummate it. But the High Court of Kuala Lumpur dismissed the request viewed as a "shortcut for divorce."
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Five more arrests in Hungary against the alleged “mafia of medical shoes”
In Hungary, the police are investigating multiple cases of social security fraud involving companies selling medical material, doctors, and staff of care centers. So far, the fraud is estimated to have siphoned off nearly 5 million dollars of public money.
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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‘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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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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Portugal housing price in 2022 saw its sharpest increase in 30 years
Portugal housing prices grew almost 19 percent in 2022, the sharpest increase in 30 years. Housing prices even doubled between 2016 and 2022 in Portugal.
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In Norway, tropical cocktail emoji may be considered as advertising alcohol
In Norway, a strict ban on advertising alcohol also applies on social media. An emoji can be considered as promoting alcohol consumption. Consideration must be given to its purpose, reminds the minister of Health.
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Sint Maarten plans to totally eradicate vervet monkeys. Will it fail?
Sint Maarten will cull vervet monkeys, a species considered invasive on the island that the country shares with France. But it’s unsure whether the method will prove effective.
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More deaths than births in 2022 in the Netherlands? A first since at least 1900
There were probably more deaths than births in the Netherlands for the first time in 2022 since at least 1900. However, population hasn't grown that fast since after WWII.
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Japan to offer 700,000 yen more per child to families to leave crowded Tokyo for rural areas
Japanese government plans to offer up to 1 million yen per child to families who leave Tokyo metropolitan area, an additional incentive to reverse population decline in rural areas.
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Paintball to deter a wolf coming close to humans not an option in the Netherlands
A park in the Netherlands wanted to use paintball guns to deter a wolf coming close to humans. But a Court suspended the permission given by the province considering the justification lacked substance.
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Colombian porn actress seized Constitutional Court after deletion of Instagram account
The Colombian porn actress Esperanza Gómez seized the Constitutional Court of Colombia because Instagram shut down her account while she claims her posts didn't infringe the platform's rules.
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Ghana law student on hold to become a lawyer. Her YouTube channel doesn’t please everyone
YouTuber and Ghanaian law student Elorm Ababio is on hold to become a lawyer after a petition was filed against her because of the videos she shares online.
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One in 3 girls aged 15 to 17 has faced sexual harassment or sexual violence in the Netherlands
A report shows that 38 percent of girls and 13 percent of boys between 15 and 17 years old have experienced some form of sexual violence or sexual harassment in the Netherlands. Many become victims again within five years.
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A bill to offer free parking space to store customers despite traffic congestion in the Philippines
In the Philippines, a politician submitted a bill to offer free parking space to store customers considering it is a basic amenity. While urban areas of the Philippines have serious issues with traffic congestion, several lawmakers have been trying to push laws related to parking spaces.
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Award-winning Greek author of children’s books arrested by Police for videos of child pornography
Award-winning children's book author Vassilis Papatheodorou has been arrested by police for online child pornography. The author through his lawyer claims the videos he downloaded were meant for a book project on the matter.
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The Supreme Court of India again calls to stop so-called virginity tests in sexual assault and rape cases
The Supreme Court of India directed authorities to make sure so-called virginity tests, or "two-finger testing", are banned in cases alleging rape and sexual assault. It also noted that suggesting a sexually active woman cannot be raped is "patriarchal and sexist."
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In Russia, some students called to replace workers mobilized in the military
In Russia, some students have started working in companies to temporarily replace workers who left their positions because they were mobilized for the war in Ukraine.
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In Czech Republic, two men guilty of hate speech after social media videos against Ukrainians
A Court in Czech Republic found two men guilty of hate speech against Ukrainians and incited hatred in videos they posted on social media.
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A pilot in the Netherlands to better assess property value raises privacy concerns
Some residents of the Netherlands have been asked to take pictures of the inside of their house to better evaluate the property value. A request raising concerns about privacy.
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