All schools in the Netherlands have been banning the use of mobile phones in classrooms since Monday, the dpa news agency reported. The Ministry of Education has called them "distractors" that make it difficult for students to concentrate and have a negative impact on the learning process.more

The good results of the far right and radical left in Sunday's elections in Thuringia and Saxony show that more than 30 years after reunification, the division between East and West Germany has not disappeared, British media say.more

Russian leader Vladimir Putin arrived in Mongolia yesterday for a visit. The non-governmental organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) called for his detention. Putin is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the illegal deportation of children from occupied Ukraine to Russia.more

Above-average high temperatures have been recorded in Croatia during the first eight months of this year, according to data from the State Hydrometeorological Institute (DHMZ). Meteorologists have warned of another heat wave that is set to hit the coastal strip along the Adriatic Sea.more

In a new national poll, current Vice President Kamala Harris is holding a narrow lead over former President Donald Trump, leading him 50 percent to 46 percent among registered voters. Among likely voters, she leads 52 percent to 46 percent.more

Poland and other countries bordering Ukraine have a “duty” to shoot down incoming Russian missiles before they enter their airspace despite the opposition of Nato, the Polish foreign minister has said.more

A beluga whale nicknamed Hvaldimir, after his strange harness prompted suspicions he was a Russian spy, has been found dead in the southwest of Norway. The whale’s carcass was discovered floating off Risavika Bay in southern Norway on Saturday by a father and son who were out fishing, Norwegian public broadcaster NRK reported.more

Basel, the Swiss city on the Rhine, has been chosen as the venue for the next edition of the Eurovision Song Contest in 2025, organisers announced.more

The production of cocoa based on cells taken from the cocoa tree could be a response to climate change, the use of child labour on plantations and the growing global demand for chocolate, AP reported. There are only a handful of companies in the world engaged in such production, it added.more

Austria was entitled to punish a doctor who publicly proclaimed the ineffectiveness of vaccinations and doubted the existence of viruses, the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg ruled on Tuesday. The Austrian doctor was given a suspended fine of 2,000 euros.more

The daily ‘Frankfurter Rundschau’ wrote that the 85th anniversary of the German invasion of Poland is overshadowed by the war in Ukraine and Polish fears of its escalation. Poland spends 4 per cent of GDP on defence, as if it were on its own in the event of war, it stressed.more

Hate crimes in New York state rose by a record 69 percent last year compared to 2019. According to state officials who released a report on the matter, this was mainly due to rising anti-Semitism.more

Austrian authorities warn that the Hallstaetter glacier is beyond saving. It has lost a third of its mass since 2006, and exposed rocks are accelerating its melting.more

According to a report by New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), nearly one million passengers a day on New York City's city buses do not pay fares. That's 48 percent of people who use this form of public transportation.more

Santorini is one of the most visited Greek islands, particularly attractive for its ‘instagrammable’ views - with white houses and churches with blue domes. Santorini is also an island of contradictions. On the one hand, the mayor Nikos Zorzos wants to fight excessive tourism. On the other, local entrepreneurs complain about the lack of tourists during off-peak hours during the day. more

Austrian authorities, thanks to information from the US Central Intelligence Agency, have foiled a plot that may have resulted in an attack on attendees at a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna in August, CIA Deputy Chief David Cohen has stated.more

The assassination attempt on me is to some extent the fault of Biden and Harris,’ Donald Trump declared in an interview broadcast yesterday. The Republican candidate stated that those in power were not interested in his safety and may have inspired the assassin with their rhetoric.more

US Vice President and candidate for the office of head of state Kamala Harris and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer are similar politicians, assessed the New York Times. The daily noted that both were prosecutors, which is evident in their style of doing politics.more

The French government intends to introduce a complete ban on the use of mobile phones in primary and secondary schools from the beginning of 2025, French Education Minister Nicole Belloubet announced. From September this year, the pilot program will cover nearly 200 schools across the country.more

In Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, there is an unofficial "tax" for tourists, the Guardian reported. The newspaper reported that tourists visiting restaurants in Lisbon have to pay more than locals, which is intended to discourage some of them from coming.more

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced yesterday that he would soon present a plan to end the war with Russia. He also said that Polish military aid for his country has recently decreased somewhat.more

From 1 September, the European Commission will reintroduce maximum limits of 100ml on liquids carried in hand luggage at airports. This is due to technical problems with security screening scanners and not a possible risk, an EC spokesperson assured yesterday.more

Climate policy is still mostly of little relevance to stopping climate change, reports ‘Science’.more

Polish abortion laws violate women's rights, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) stated yesterday. The statement is the result of an investigation into Poland's abortion law, which the Committee launched in 2021.more

The Dutch authority has slapped taxi platform Uber with a €290 million fine for sending private data of European drivers to the US in what was deemed a violation of EU privacy rules (RODO). The company criticised the decision and announced an appeal.more