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Food / Travel Green

Santorini To Machu Picchu To Mount Everest — The War Against Over-Tourism Is On

From setting new rules, imposing tolls and fines, local officials in some of the world’s most desirable tourist spots are trying to figure out the right balance to keep visitors coming without ruining the environment, or the experience.

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In The News

Tunisia Needs Real Reform To Break A Ruinous Economic Cycle

The European Commission has committed €100 million to support Tunisia in the effort against migration, with an affectional €900 million in funding for the country. But how does the agreement expect to find success with a formula that has long held a reputation of failure?

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In The News

Inside The Search For Record-Breaking Sapphires In A Remote Indian Valley

A vast stretch of mountains in India’s Padder Valley is believed to house sapphire reserves worth $1.2 billion, which could change the fate of one of the poorest districts of Jammu and Kashmir.

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Future Green Green Or Gone special series

Crossing Europe, Sans Gas? My Summer Vacation ‘Stress Test’ For Electric Cars

The author set off on a three-week vacation trip across Europe in an electric car. Would the charging infrastructure be enough to get all the way, or would they end up stranded without battery, far from home?

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Economy Society

Gustave Eiffel: 100 Years Later, Still Defining ‘French Entrepreneur’

The memory of the famous engineer-entrepreneur who designed much more than Paris’ iconic Tower will be honored throughout 2023, on the occasion of the centenary of his death.

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Green Society

You Don’t Clean Up Your Dog’s Poop? DNA Could Trace It Back To You

In one German town, like in several places around the world, the mayor wants to take action against those who don’t clean up their dog’s “business.” But Germany’s data protection laws mean the initiative will be difficult to implement.

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Society

Meet The Taiwanese Buddhists Head-Banging To Enlightenment Through Death Metal

Death metal is considered the most soulless music of all. But the Taipei-based Buddhist death metal band Dharma is proving otherwise. Their music may also even be a secret weapon in the island’s stand-off with China.

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Society

After Rammstein Singer’s Sexual Assault Probe Is Dropped, Germany Faces Cold Reality

The German public prosecutor’s office has dropped its sexual assault investigation against Rammstein frontman Till Lindemann. The singer could not be proven to have committed any criminal misconduct. You may be angry about that, but that’s how the rule of law works.

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Russia-Ukraine War

Here’s Why Western Support For Ukraine Is Not About To End

It’s undeniable that questions are being raised in the West about the cost of supporting Ukraine in its defense against Russia’s invasion. But no time soon will Western powers turn their backs on Kyiv. And the U.S. in particular has one big extra reason to work against a Russian victory: China.

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Geopolitics Ideas

A Birthday Message For My Mother, An Innocent 69-Year-Old Held In Iranian Prison

For the third year in a row, Nahid Taghavi, a retired architect and German citizen, is in Tehran’s brutal Evin Prison, where she has been mistreated after being wrongly convicted on trumped up charges as the Iranian regime exploits her foreign citizenship for money and influence.

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Society

Crocs And Birkenstocks: How Such “Ugly” Shoes Became So Trendy

Crocs or Birkenstock: for a long time, they were just ugly slippers. Now, they’re the eternal embodiment of summer cool. Les Echos unravels a fashion mystery.

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Society

What The BBC Strike In Egypt Says About Local Wages And Press Freedom

BBC’s office in Cairo is on strike for the third time in three months, demanding higher wages. The British broadcaster has long een able to recruit at lower rates because it could offer editorial freedom that is difficult to find in Egypt.

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Economy Russia-Ukraine War

How The Greek Shipping Industry Is Cashing In On Putin’s War

Moscow relies on international shipping companies to ship its oil, especially tankers flying the Greek flag. To protect its lucrative business, Athens is resisting tougher sanctions — and thus playing right into Vladimir Putin’s hands.

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Geopolitics Russia-Ukraine War

How Latvia’s Support Of Ukraine Is Complicated By The Russian Language

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has sparked an anti-Moscow nationalist upsurge in Latvia, which is now seeking to reduce the use of the Russian language in the public sphere in a country where almost 40% of the population are Russian speakers. While support for Kyiv is widespread, tensions in the country are growing, including on the language front.

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Economy Society

Inside ​The Last Penicillin Factory In The West​

There are currently supply bottlenecks for around 500 medicines, including the antibiotic penicillin. Every second box of the active ingredient in Europe comes directly or indirectly from one place: a factory in the Tyrolean town of Kundl, Austria. Die Welt takes a look at the factory and what’s causing the supply problems.

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In The News special series Trump And The World

Indicted, Again! Another Opportunity For Trump To Play The Martyr Card

The third indictment against Donald Trump raises the legal dispute between the United States and its former president to a new level. While Trump cries foul play, drawing shameful comparisons with Nazi persecution 1930s Germany, the consequences of the trial can’t be predicted.

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In The News

Gùsto! How • What • Where Locals Eat (& Drink) In Brussels

Unfairly living in the shadow of neighboring France, the Belgian capital boasts some outstanding places to eat and drink — from AM to PM. Here’s a quick guide, based on local sources, to help you pick the very best beer, waffle, speculoos and much more!

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Economy Future Society

Mocked No More, Space Force Raises U.S. Stakes For The Final Frontier

Created by Donald Trump four years ago, the new U.S. military branch embodies the strategic importance of space defense. Faced with competition from China and Russia, Washington is renewing its commitment (and drastically increasing the amount of money it devotes) to space — marking quite the reversal of fortune for Space Force, which not so long ago was the target of pastiche and mockery.

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Russia-Ukraine War Society War in Ukraine

Watching Oppenheimer In Kharkiv, Where Atomic Angst Hits Too Close To Home

From her local cinema in northeast Ukraine, the author reflects on how watching Christopher Nolan’s biopic, about the father of the atomic bomb, takes a very ominous and actual tone.

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In The News

Ukraine, At Risk Of Losing A Whole Generation Of Scientists

A year after scientific academies called for rebuilding the country’s intellectual infrastructure, not much has changed, as many researchers fled the country and still aren’t planning on coming back to a landscape of destroyed equipment and underfunded programs.

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Economy Russia-Ukraine War

“Stay Or Go” — The Blunt Message In Russia’s State Takeover Of Danone And Carlsberg

The French dairy group Danone and Denmark’s Carlsberg brewer were in talks with buyers to limit their financial losses in Russia. But the Kremlin’s sudden “temporary” takeover of the two companies Sunday night (involving the seizure of Danone by Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov’s “favorite” nephew) may in fact be a sign that business is over once and for all for Western subsidiaries that have pulled out since the war began.

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In The News

On The Donetsk Front, Ukraine’s Counteroffensive Follows The Kherson Playbook

For many observers, Ukraine’s counteroffensive seems to be progressing too slowly, with losses leading some critics to call it a “suicide mission.” Yet the view from the frontline makes clear that Kyiv is pursuing a strategy that has already proven successful.

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Geopolitics Ideas

Modi On The Champs Élysées, Portrait Of Realpolitik (Circa 2023)

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the guest of honor for the July 14-Bastille Day celebrations in Paris, a choice that has benefits and risks for both France and India, two medium-sized powers cultivating their relative independence.

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Geopolitics Russia-Ukraine War

Why The Kremlin Is Quietly Satisfied With The NATO Summit Outcome

The prospect of Ukraine joining NATO has been postponed. Vladimir Putin will be pleased, knowing that Russia’s best hope is for a long war.

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Geopolitics Russia-Ukraine War

Article 5 Or G7? Why Ukraine Is Marginally Stronger After Vilnius

After a rocky start, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had reason to be happy after this week’s NATO summit. The military bloc pledged fast-tracked membership once the war is over, as well as military support from the entire G7 block for the duration of the conflict.

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Geopolitics Ideas

Why Israel’s “Splendid Isolation” Is Doomed To Fail

The Israeli army’s operation last week in the Jenin camp was particularly striking in its scale and violence, further undermining any hope of appeasement in the region or the newfound alliance with Arab countries, or even among American Jews. What if Israeli politics, instead, was inspired by the nation’s Netflix series scriptwriters?

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Geopolitics Russia-Ukraine War

Why The U.S. Delivery Of Cluster Bombs Weakens Ukraine’s Cause

Though the U.S. and Ukraine haven’t signed onto the arms convention banning the dangerous weapon, many of their closest allies have. Thus both Washington and Kyiv are coming under fire for the announcement of new U.S. supplies of cluster bombs.

Categories
Geopolitics Green Migrant Lives

The World Is Not Ready For 1.2 Billion Climate Refugees

The number of climate refugees is predicted to hit 1.2 billion by 2050, yet states are still not taking enough action. The Global South will be the most affected, but the West will not be spared.

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Economy Geopolitics

India v. China v. Everyone Else: The Battle For The Future Begins (And Ends?) In Asia

Two Asian giants are facing each other: China, whose economic and military power is no longer in doubt, and India, whose weapon is demography and who dreams of being the equal of its Chinese rival. The effects will reverberate everywhere.

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In The News

How Censorship Could Shake Up Zimbabwe’s Election

Free speech advocates are concerned that the government has been using the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act to keep citizens and journalists from expressing political opinions.

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In The News

Austrian Croissant? Danish Feta? CouscousGate? Gastronationalism Is Flaring Everywhere

When its comes to food and national pride, there are few things that get people more riled up than debating the rightful origins of a dish or a delicacy. From hummus (for starters) to couscous (main dish) and the pavlova for desserts, we look at gastronomic feuds around the world.

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Migrant Lives Society

Death Trap At Sea — An Exclusive Investigation Of The Migrant Tragedy In Greek Waters

Hundreds of people died when a boat carrying migrants capsized on its way to Europe. Eyewitnesses raise serious accusations: were Greek officials to blame for the disaster? And what role does the “smuggling mafia” play? Die Welt reconstructs the events of the tragedy.

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Geopolitics Russia-Ukraine War

Wagner In Africa: How Prigozhin Could Also Upend Russian Foreign Policy

Prigozhin’s brief insurrection will be watched closely in many African countries, where Wagner mercenaries have largely been the beachhead for Russian foreign policy. Keep an eye on a key African-Russian summit next month.

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Economy Future

Boston Dynamics: Lord Of The Robots Has A New Target To Conquer

On two or four legs, the robots from this MIT spin-off are among the most advanced in the world. And while their videos have conquered YouTube, their new playground is less spectacular, but just as strategic: logistics warehouses.

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Geopolitics Ideas

Narendra Modi, A Modern Master Of Frenemy Diplomacy

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s triumph during his state visit to the U.S. is part of a well-honed strategy of realpolitik and geo-economic opportunism. How the West responds says a lot about where the world is heading.

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Geopolitics Russia-Ukraine War

Navalny To Khodorkovsky, The Painful Limits Of Russia’s Opposition

The ongoing show trial of prominent Putin critic Alexei Navalny continues. Yet even in the face of totalitarianism, Russia’s opposition cannot present a united front.

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Economy Society

Dog Cloning, E-Collars, Cat Seafood: China’s Over-The-Top Pet Market Is Booming

The Chinese pet market is booming, driven by young city dwellers who are increasingly reluctant to have babies. Care, food, yoga classes, strollers, specialized detectives and pet-cloning are all part of a 35 billion-euro industry.

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In The News

The Word From Ukraine’s Frontline: Counteroffensive Expectations Are Too High

In the West, many expect Kyiv’s counteroffensive to be a swift and brilliant success. But Ukrainian soldiers on the ground know better.

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Geopolitics Russia-Ukraine War

The Ukraine War, A Perfect Case Of The Limits Of The UN

Global politics have gotten in the way of humanitarian aid when it comes to the flooding in Ukraine. Zelensky points the finger towards a deep, structural UN shortcoming.

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Russia-Ukraine War War in Ukraine

“Putin Has Lost The Power” – ​The Zelensky Die Welt Interview

In an exclusive interview with German daily Die Welt, Volodymyr Zelensky comments on the power struggles inside the Russian government. At the same time, he accuses Russia of firing on rescue workers after the dam explosion, and offers harsh criticism for the UN and the Red Cross.

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