Costa Rica opened a high-security jail on Wednesday inspired by a mega-prison in El Salvador that has become a symbol of the country’s war on gangs, widely criticized by human rights groups. Costa Rican President Laura Fernandez, who took office in May, campaigned on a promise to crack down on the wave of crime sweeping […]
Read MoreAs the new school year gets under way in Austria, a headscarf ban for girls under 14 has sparked protests on the streets and in the classroom, with dozens of pupils refusing to comply. Austria’s conservative-led government has insisted that the ban, introduced on September 1, promotes gender equality and protects Muslim girls from “segregation […]
Read MoreA typhoon in the Philippines and flooding in Brazil. Twice in less than a year, British energy giant Shell has been the target of a new type of lawsuit seeking to make polluters pay part of the cost of specific extreme weather events.”We chose Shell because it’s an emblematic company. It meets all the criteria,” […]
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A new four-lane road bridge linking China and North Korea finally opened on Thursday, 12 years late, enabling the Asian giant and its isolated nuclear-armed neighbour to step up cross-border trade substantially. China is its neighbour’s largest trading partner and a vital diplomatic and political backer, although relations have not always been smooth with the […]
Read MoreAn dutzenden Bahnhöfen in Deutschland ist der Konsum von Alkohol bereits verboten – am Donnerstag tritt das Verbot nun an allen Bahnhöfen der Deutschen Bahn (DB) in Kraft. Nach DB-Angaben umfasst das ab dem 15. Oktober geltende Verbot bundesweit 5400 Bahnhöfe der Bahn-Infrastrukturtochter Infrago sowie rund 300 Stationen der DB Regionetz. Bewirken soll dies vor allem […]
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Der Bundestag stimmt am Donnerstag (09.00 Uhr) abschließend über die geplante Reform der Notfallversorgung ab. Mit dieser sollen sogenannte Integrierte Notfallzentren aufgebaut werden, bestehend aus der Notaufnahme eines Krankenhauses, einer Notdienstpraxis und einer Ersteinschätzungsstelle. Zudem soll die Rufnummer 116117 der Kassenärztlichen Vereinigungen ausgebaut werden. Ziel ist eine Entlastung der Rettungsdienste und Notaufnahmen sowie eine effektivere […]
Read MoreDie Staats- und Regierungschefs der EU kommen am Donnerstag zu einem zweitägigen Gipfel in Brüssel zusammen. Am ersten Tag stehen die Verhandlungen über den Mehrjährigen Finanzrahmen (MFR) für die Europäische Union von 2028 bis 2034 im Mittelpunkt. Eine Einigung wird angesichts der weit auseinander liegenden Positionen jedoch zum jetzigen Zeitpunkt noch nicht erwartet. Weitere Themen sind […]
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Millions could be thrown into poverty by surging energy costs, the impact of an intense El Nino phenomenon and higher interest rates, with vulnerable countries being pushed to the brink by repeated crises, the UN’s development chief told AFP. Global fuel prices have soared since the United States launched its war on Iran in late […]
Read MoreAustralia said Thursday it refused to allow big tech to have “unfettered” access to its kids as it formally introduced new legislation that would give users choice over what they see on their feeds. Under the centre-left Labor government’s “Digital Duty of Care” bill, firms behind popular platforms such as Facebook, TikTok and Instagram will […]
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