A focused recap of international news stories by Newsendip: Most Belgians seemingly prefer to roll back 4‑day weekdays, preferring more vacation. Trade unions in Sweden are negotiating with Tesla for their workers’ rights, Elon Musk calls it “insane.” Other stories cover the increasing suicide rate in Hong Kong, a Chinese vessel that crashed into the Moon and the ban on transgender women in international women’s cricket.
Europe
Tesla clashes with trade unions in Sweden, Musk takes to X
Swedish trade unions have been on strike since October against Tesla. Tesla has refused to enter a collective agreement, and Elon Musk reportedly prohibited the Swedish branch from reaching an agreement with the unions. He took to X to call the situation “insane.”
3 in 4 Belgians prefer extra vacation days to a four-day workweek
Since November 2022, employees in Belgium can ask to work four days a week instead of five, with their employer’s permission. But just 0.5% of employees do it, and most Belgians would opt for extra vacation days instead of a four-day workweek, according to a new study.
Most Spanish people take until their late 30s to fully emancipate
55% of youths can reach emancipation capacity with a “full package” in Spain, including a stable long-term contract with a salary enough to maintain a family, at 38 years of age, Spanish largest workers’ union says. Despite the fact that the vast majority of the young population is educated or in the workforce, emancipation age is among the highest of all European Union countries.
In Portugal, researchers have developed a product for building houses from forestry waste
Portuguese scientists have developed a product from forestry waste and fungi that could be used in construction, especially for the interior walls of buildings. “The idea is to use forest biomass waste, inoculate it with a fungus that is able to partially degrade the biomass and create a type of cement by aggregating all the particles into a block.”
Political misinformation spreads increasingly in Ireland, report says
A report published by the Institute of Strategic Dialogue (ISD) shows an analysis of how misinformation and conspiracies have infiltrated Irish social media accounts. The rise of conspiracies and misinformation began in 2020 with the COVID-19 pandemic but has continued through focus on topics such as anti-immigration, the war in Ukraine, climate change denial and more.
Asia Pacific
In Hong Kong, suicides amongst youths have risen to an alarming rate, report finds
Twenty-seven Hong Kong youths aged 19 or below have taken their own lives so far in 2023 and 269 others have attempted suicide. Hong Kong politicians and local experts vow to offer grants and create numerous measures in bid to promote greater mental health awareness.
Rocket which crashed into Moon last year said to be Chinese
Researchers at the University of Arizona released a paper this month claiming that the uppermost stage of the Chinese Long March 3C rocket crashed onto the Moon’s far side on March 4th, 2022, leaving a double crater 95 feet wide (29 meters) on the surface. Last year, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin denied that the Long March rocket had struck the Moon. There was considerable debate about the origins of the rocket itself.
Japan bans cannabis derivative HHCH after people who ate gummies felt sick
Marketed in many cities across Japan, these gummies contained HHCH, a synthetic molecule with properties similar to those of cannabis. The candies were sold in specific stores, where they were sold next to cannabis alternatives or derivatives such as CBD. Japan officially considered HHCH a drug on November 22.
Study gives “unprecedented visibility” on data about child sex offenders
The University of New South Wales (UNSW) published a study of 1,945 anonymous Australian men who completed a survey on sexual feelings for children and sexual offenses against them. Overall, the study found that one in 6 Australian men had sexual feelings for children, and several links with internet usage.
World
International Cricket Council bans transgender women from playing international women’s cricket
After many months of deliberation, the ICC made a controversial ruling to ban transgender women from international women’s cricket competitions. The ICC’s CEO, Geoff Allardice, stated: “Inclusivity is incredibly important to us as a sport, but our priority was to protect the integrity of the international women’s game and the safety of players.”
