Lifestyle

Even free transport can't shake Luxembourg's love of the car

Three years after Luxembourg declared all public transport free in a bid to clear its roads of jams and cut pollution, the car is still king of the congested Grand Duchy.. So the wealthy country of just 650,000 people appeared the perfect place for a bold experiment -- making public transport on trains, trams and buses free nationwide.

Cold shower for Hungary's famed hot baths

Hungary's grand thermal baths are struggling to stay afloat, buffeted by rocketing energy bills.. Hungary's thermal bath culture was first developed 2,000 years ago by the Romans and continued under the Ottomans in the 16th century. mg-bg/anb/pmu/jza/fg

'Cleanfluencers' sweep TikTok, drawing millions

Marie Kondo may have admitted defeat, but a new generation of "cleanfluencers" is taking social media by storm, with millions watching them scour filthy homes and dole out cleaning hacks.. "I love cleaning, I love dirt," declared the 30-year-old Finn, who has far more social media followers than Kondo, the Japanese tidying guru who has admitted embracing the messier side of life since having her third child.

Race against time to rescue Argentina wine grapes

In Argentina's Valle de Uco wine region, at the foot of the Andes, frantic picking is under way to try and save what remains of what is predicted to be the worst grape harvest in decades. . - Worst harvest -  For Argentina as a whole, the 2023 harvest will not exceed 15.4 million tons of grapes, according to projections by the National Institute of Vitiviniculture (INV). 

Florida set to expand 'Don't Say Gay' law to all school years

Florida is expected to ban the teaching of sexual orientation and gender identity in all school grades, expanding a controversial law championed by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis ahead of his widely expected presidential run.. If approved, teachers will be prohibited from "intentionally" teaching topics related to "sexual orientation or gender identity" to students from the fourth grade through to their final year of high school.

Across globe, women battle 'gendered disinformation'

Fake photos showing Ukraine's first lady sunbathing topless, incorrect video subtitles defaming Pakistani feminists for "blasphemy", slow-motion clips falsely depicting "drunk" female politicians -- a barrage of disinformation targets women in the public eye.. Last year, a fake image of Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska lying topless on a beach in Israel was shared widely on Facebook, triggering criticism that she was having fun while her war-torn country was suffering.

TikTok users protest proposals for US ban at Congress

A group of TikTok content creators descended on the US Capitol Wednesday to protest against calls for a ban on the popular Chinese-owned video-sharing app, amid fears that it presents a national security threat.. A group of around a dozen teenagers, teachers and business owners rallied at Congress to discuss their opposition to a potential ban and draw attention to the benefits of TikTok on their lives and livelihoods. 

Moderna rebuked over plan to hike Covid vaccine to $130

Moderna's chief executive on Wednesday defended the US company's plan to quadruple the price of its lifesaving Covid vaccine to as much as $130 per dose as soon as government stockpiles run out.. The US government subsidized $1.7 billion of Moderna's research at the start of the pandemic and then purchased $10 billion worth of vaccine, Sanders said at a Senate hearing where the company's CEO Stephane Bancel was testifying.

Quake-hit Syrians brace for subdued Ramadan

Umm Esmat, a mother living in war-torn Syria, is preparing for the onset of Ramadan this year with a heavy heart, after a deadly earthquake forced her from her home.. The disaster heaped more misery on the people of northwestern Syria who have been battered by 12 years of war.