World & Politics
75% of people are for a total ban on single-use plastic - 02/23/2022
According to a survey by IPSOS, 75% of people around the world want single-use plastics to be banned completely. And 85% of respondents want manufacturers and retailers to be responsible for reducing, reusing and recycling plastic packaging. 75% of people around the world want single-use plastics banned as soon as possible, according to a survey by IPSOS research firm. The survey was conducted as...
German Chancellor suggests that most COVID restrictions be lifted by spring - 02/17/2022
Germany may lift most COVID-19 restrictions by early spring, according to a plan prepared by Chancellor Scholz's office. Germany could cancel most of the country's COVID-19 restrictions, Bloomberg reported, citing a plan prepared by Chancellor Olaf Scholz's office. The initiative is expected to be approved at a meeting between Scholz and regional leaders on Wednesday, the agency noted....
Thailand to rename its capital - 02/17/2022
The capital of Thailand, Bangkok, has been renamed Krung Thep Maha Nakhon. This is a short form of the city's full name in Thai, which is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest name for a capital city. The Royal Thai Academic Council announced the change of the official foreign name of the capital from Bangkok to Krung Thep Maha Nakhon. A statement to this effect is published on...
UN: 87,000 tons of personal protective equipment turn into waste - 02/16/2022
WHO conducted a study on medical waste during the pandemic. Nearly 87,000 tons of personal protective equipment (PPE) that the UN turned over to various agencies became unrecycled trash. According to a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 87,000 tons of personal protective equipment that the UN handed over to various medical facilities during the pandemic was not recycled...
Texas Attorney General sues Meta over facial recognition technology - 02/15/2022
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit in Marshall County Circuit Court against Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook). He accused the company of violating the state's personal biometric data protection law when using facial recognition technology. The suit involves hundreds of billions of dollars in fines, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing a knowledgeable interlocutor. ...
TikTok tightens community rules to create inclusive environment - 02/14/2022
TikTok has updated the community's rules after publishing a quarterly report on misconduct. Users will now be able to complain about misogyny, transpersonal discrimination and conversion therapy content, and videos promoting eating disorders will be removed. The social network TikTok has updated its community rules to create a "safe, holistic, accessible and trustworthy environment," Cormac...
WHO: COVID-19 impedes basic health services in over 90% of countries - 02/08/2022
Over 90% of states reported failures of services in key areas of medicine, including treatment for cancer, mental illness, HIV and hepatitis. This is evidenced by results of a study conducted by WHO. "The results of this latest study, conducted in late 2021, show that health systems in all regions and countries of all income levels continue to be severely impacted, with little to no improvement...
ECB head assesses impact of new COVID-19 wave on eurozone - 02/04/2022
The impact of the current wave of the coronavirus on the eurozone economy is milder than previous waves, despite the high number of infections, said the head of the European Central Bank (ECB) Christine Lagarde. The region's economy suffers "less and less" from each wave of the pandemic, she said. "Although infection rates are very high, the impact of the pandemic on economic life now seems...
Reuters: Chinese New Year will further exacerbate global transportation problem - 02/03/2022
Chinese New Year celebrations have been cited as the culprit behind the worsening global problem of international freight traffic. This was reported by Reuters, citing analysts interviewed by the agency. Agency interlocutors said that just preparations for the Lunar New Year led to an increase in delivery time of goods from Chinese ports in the Belgian Antwerp from 68 to 88 days. A year earlier,...
Dolce&Gabbana will abandon natural fur - 02/01/2022
Italian fashion house Dolce&Gabbana has announced a move away from the use of natural fur, starting with its new collections for the current year. In addition, it will continue to collaborate with Italian manufacturers of eco-friendly materials, which are intended to replace raw materials of animal origin in clothing and accessories. The fashion designers say they aim for a more sustainable...
