In Short

Berlin to incinerate 800 million expired Corona masks

BerlinFour German federal states have burned a total of over 17 million expired Corona masks. They were bought with taxpayer money. The government wants to burn 800 million masks in total.

Trouble in paradise: Mutiny at the WEF

DavosKlaus Schwab has been at the helm of the World Economic Forum for more than half a century. Recently, there has been strong criticism against him coming from his own ranks.

What sanctions?

St GallenAfter the start of the war in Ukraine, a huge number of Western companies announced plans to exit Russia. But despite talk of a "vast exodus", many Western firms are still operating in Russia, Swiss researchers found.

Large yachts of the super-rich spared from EU’s new CO2 tax

BrusselsCO2 emissions are becoming more and more expensive – a consequence of EU emissions trading. Since 2005, it has been extended to more and more branches of industry. In the future it will also apply to shipping. But there are exceptions: rich yacht owners still do not have to buy CO2 certificates.

Fire hazard: Ferry company bans electric cars

OsloA Norwegian shipping company has banned electric cars on its ferries because according to a risk analysis, the risk of fire from such vehicles is too great. An ocean liner had recently sunk because of it.

The most dangerous countries in 2023

The countries with the highest crime rates in 2023 have been listed by a study of the World Population Review. Africa has a very poor record.

Officially approved by the EU: Four insects hiding in your food

BrusselsEU citizens who do not want to unknowingly eat insects should be particularly careful: The EU Commission has already approved four types of insects in different forms as "edible insects".

Dutch teachers unaware that students use AI for homework

The HagueThe advanced AI text generator ChatGPT is being used for homework assignments by many Dutch students without teachers being aware that the work had been generated by an artificial intelligence bot.

Frontex sees all-time high illegal border crossings in 2022

BrusselsIn 2022, the EU border protection agency Frontex again had its hands full. The authority recorded more than 300 000 illegal border crossings – a record high.

Uniforms in French schools: Brigitte Macron repeats RN suggestion

ParisSome political figures have reacted to Brigitte Macron's recent comments in favour of a single uniform for schools. The return of uniforms in schools is currently at the centre of debates in the French National Assembly.