Category: International

Conform rapoartelor din Coreea de Sud din această săptămână, anchetatorii au obținut înregistrări audio ale comunicării dintre președintele de atunci și armată cu privire la presupusele desfășurări de drone.

Analiștii spun că incursiunile, care ar fi avut loc în octombrie 2024, au fost probabil menite să provoace o reacție din partea Coreei de Nord.

Acest scenariu i-ar fi oferit lui Yoon justificarea de a declara o urgență națională și de a impune legea marțială, lucru pe care l-a și făcut în cele din urmă în decembrie.

Yoon, care a fost ulterior pus sub acuzare, se confruntă acum cu acuzații penale pentru insurecție din cauza declarației sale de scurtă durată a legii marțiale.

De ce ar fi trimis Yoon drone deasupra Phenianului?

Choo Jae-woo, profesor de politică externă la Universitatea Kyung Hee din Seul, a explicat că există „doar două motive” pentru care un președinte poate declara legea marțială, unul dintre acestea fiind „agresiunea externă sau o invazie”.

„Se pare că, după ce a provocat Coreea de Nord, Yoon se aștepta la represalii care…” „pe care l-ar putea folosi apoi pentru a justifica declararea legii marțiale”, a declarat el pentru DW.

„Dar acel plan a dat efectul invers când Nordul nu a răspuns militar”, a spus el. Phenianul a protestat față de incursiuni, dar nu a răspuns militar.

Cum ar putea arestarea președintelui sud-coreean să provoace mai multe tulburări

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Yoon a declarat legea marțială pe 3 decembrie, spunând că trebuie să protejeze națiunea de forțele „comuniste nord-coreene” și „antistatale”. Nu a furnizat nicio dovadă pentru afirmațiile sale.

Consecințele decretului de lege marțială al lui Yoon

Încercarea sa controversată de a folosi armata pentru a prelua controlul asupra guvernului a durat doar câteva ore.

A fost pus sub acuzare și suspendat 10 zile mai târziu, apoi arestat în ianuarie.

Acuzația de insurecție a fostului lider se pedepsește cu închisoare pe viață sau pedeapsa cu moartea, deși Coreea de Sud nu a executat pe nimeni de decenii.

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Yoon, care a fost eliberat pe cauțiune în martie, a negat acuzațiile, spunând că „legea marțială nu este o lovitură de stat” și că declarația sa a fost concepută ca un „mesaj pașnic” către națiune pentru a evidenția intențiile opoziției împotriva guvernului.

El a fost interogat din nou la Seul sâmbătă, iar o zi mai târziu, procurorii speciali au depus o cerere pentru un nou mandat de arestare pentru presupus abuz de putere, falsificare de documente oficiale, încălcarea… legea privind securitatea prezidențială și obstrucționarea îndatoririlor oficiale.

Potrivit presei sud-coreene, o audiere pentru confirmarea mandatului de arestare a fost programată pentru miercuri. Se așteaptă ca Yoon să se prezinte personal pentru a-și prezenta argumentele în fața instanței.

Autoritățile spun că acuzațiile de trădare, care includ trimiterea de drone în Coreea de Nord, nu au fost incluse în acuzații, deoarece acestea sunt încă investigate, dar ar putea fi adăugate ulterior.

Cum am ajuns în această etapă?

În octombrie 2024, au existat rapoarte despre drone deasupra capitalei nord-coreene, Phenian, care se află la 210 kilometri (130 de mile) nord de Zona Demilitarizată ce împarte Peninsula Coreeană, în trei ocazii.

Coreea de Nord a publicat presupuse imagini cu drone și a susținut ulterior că a găsit rămășițele unuia dintre vehiculele aeriene fără pilot (UAV) care fuseseră doborâte după ce au aruncat pliante de propagandă.

În Coreea de Sud, Ministerul Apărării a respins rapid afirmațiile Phenianului. Însă ministerul a revenit câteva ore mai târziu, declarând că nu poate confirma sau infirma rapoartele.

Coreea de Nord a amenințat că va efectua atacuri de represalii împotriva Sudului, ca răspuns la pliantele de propagandă pline de „zvonuri incendiare și absurdități”.

Coreea de Nord susține că Sudul a trimis drone la Phenian

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Sursa: DW

Autoritățile au lansat o acțiune de represiune după ce un leu a evadat dintr-o casă din Lahore, capitala provinciei Punjab, și a atacat o femeie și doi copii. Incidentul, care a avut loc săptămâna trecută, a fost filmat.

Niciuna dintre persoane nu a suferit răni care să-i pună viața în pericol, potrivit oficialilor provinciali. Leul, care era ținut fără licență într-o casă din Lahore, a fost confiscat.

Leul a fost trimis într-un parc safari local, potrivit lui Mubeen Elahi, directorul general al Departamentului provincial pentru Faună Sălbatică și Parcuri.

Poliția a declarat că proprietarul a fost arestat.

Ținerea animalelor de companie mari este considerată un simbol al statutului

Ținerea unui leu acasă fără respectarea cerințelor legale pentru deținerea de feline mari este o infracțiune pedepsită cu până la șapte ani de închisoare, a declarat Elahi agenției de știri Reuters.

Pe lângă confiscarea celor 18 animale, departamentul a efectuat percheziții la 38 de ferme de creștere a leilor și tigrilor și a arestat opt persoane pentru încălcarea regulilor, a spus el.

Vezi mai multe știri aici

Există peste 500 de lei și tigri în case și ferme de creștere din Punjab, a spus Elahi, adăugând că aceștia vor fi inspectați până la sfârșitul săptămânii.

Deținerea animalelor exotice este considerată un simbol al statutului social printre unii pakistanezi bogați, în ciuda taxelor mari asociate cu deținerea acestora.

Editat de: Wesley Rahn

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Sursa: DW

According to Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, the controls are temporary and aimed at stopping human trafficking and irregular migration. Yet the move comes just weeks after Germany itself ramped up checks along all its land borders, including with Poland, under the new conservative government of Chancellor Friedrich Merz. For many observers here in Brussels, the tit-for-tat measures reflect a deeper shift away from European solidarity and toward national self-interest.

What is Schengen?

Created in the 1990s, the Schengen Area allows passport-free travel across 29 European countries, covering most of the EU plus several non-members like Norway and Switzerland. It facilitates the free movement of over 450 million people and underpins Europe’s single market by eliminating internal border checks for goods, services, and labor. For businesses, commuters, and travelers alike, Schengen is one of the EU’s most practical achievements.

In an interview with DW, Birte Nienaber, Associate Professor at the University of Luxembourg, underlined that Europe is seeing a slow erosion of border-free moment in Europe, one frontier at a time.

Germany started controlling all of its land bordersImage: Monika Stefanek/DW

Domino effect already under way

Davide Colombi, a migration researcher at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) based in Brussels, agrees that the recent Polish-German dispute fits a broader European pattern.

France has maintained border checks since the 2015 terrorist attacks. Austria first introduced controls on its borders with Slovenia and Hungary in September 2015, at the height of the refugee crisis, and has renewed them every six months since, citing migration pressures and internal security.

Slovenia introduced checks with Croatia less than a year after the latter joined Schengen, citing increased migration and concerns over organized crime. And Germany, which had long resisted tightening its internal borders, began expanding them last autumn, a move the European Commission has so far not formally challenged. Under EU law, such checks are only allowed in exceptional circumstances and must be temporary.

“These border controls are purely political symbolism, without a real effect of curbing migration,” says Professor Nienaber. She emphasizes that with the rise of far-right forces in Europe, populist narratives are gaining grounds across all parties. Centrist leaders face pressure to show “toughness” on migration — and border controls are a visible measure popular with the public.

Border symbolism over substance

But how effective are they really? Official statistics cast doubt on the pertinence of border checks inside the Schengen area. German police say that in the first month of enhanced border operations this spring, just 160 asylum seekers were turned away. Polish media reports that Germany returned around 1,000 migrants to Poland between May and mid-June, a figure not significantly different from previous years.

“Smugglers or those trying to enter irregularly know exactly how to avoid official checkpoints,” said migration expert Nienaber. “The controls don’t stop them. They only create the illusion of control.”

Researcher Colombi agreed that such policies are more about optics than outcomes. He underlined that EU member states have so far failed to prove the necessity for the controls in, for instance, curbing migration, or preventing terrorist attacks.

Poland has now also started controlling its border with GermanyImage: DW

The economic cost

Meanwhile, border communities, especially in regions like Luxembourg, Austria, and Poland, are already feeling the negative effects: longer wait times, disrupted supply chains, and growing economic stress on cross-border local businesses. A detailed European Parliament study estimated that reinstating internal border checks leads to substantial time losses: 10–20 minutes for cars and 30–60 minutes for heavy vehicles, and costs the transport sector around €320 million — and that’s only accounting for delays, not the broader economic fallout.

The economic cost is therefore not trivial. Schengen affects the free movement of goods, services, capital and people: the four pillars of the EU single market. Prices could rise, supply chains could slow, and cross-border jobs and businesses could be lost.

A Bulgarian logistics association recently estimated border delays previously cost the sector €300 million (hitting not just supply chains, but also the livelihoods of thousands who depend on seamless daily crossings.

Schengen legal limits — quietly bypassed?

EU law allows internal border checks in exceptional cases: they must be limited to six months with clearly justified renewals. Yet several member states have simply continued extending them. France’s controls have been in place almost continuously for nearly a decade. Austria, Denmark, Sweden and now Germany have also operated under long-term exceptions.

“We can see that these border checks are becoming permanent in some member states. That was never the intent of the Schengen agreement,” says researcher Colombi.

He explains that the European Commission has faced criticism for not enforcing limits more robustly, for instance through infringement procedures. This could risks opening the floodgates for others, creating a domino effect.

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The Schengen agreement turned 40 years in 2025Image: Harald Tittel/dpa/picture alliance

Revising Schengen — or abandoning it?

The EU and its leaders are aware of the risks. If internal border checks become permanent, the Schengen system could unravel entirely.

This would not only disrupt the free movement of people, goods, services, and capital, key pillars of the EU single market, but also undermine the legal integrity of EU treaties, increase costs for businesses, slow supply chains, potentially erode citizens’ trust in the European project itself.

The Commission is now working to update the Schengen Borders Code and launch two digital border management tools: the Entry/Exit System (ESS) and the ETIAS, a visa-waiver screening platform. Both are designed to better track non-EU nationals entering the zone and reduce the perceived need for internal checks.

The Commission says these reforms represent an evolution of Schengen, not its breakdown. But Colombi argues that if Schengen is to survive, it will need more than legal tweaks or digital tools.

Rather, he says, “we need political courage, the rebuilding of mutual trust between member states and enforcement by the European Commission.” Above all, the subject of migration should be de-politicized, shifting the public debate away from ineffective measures such as border controls.

Both experts are skeptical that this will happen anytime soon. With far-right parties reshaping political narratives in many countries, the pressure to reassert national sovereignty is only growing, Nienaber explains. She warns that if governments continue to use internal border controls as political instruments, rather than last resort security tools, the Schengen Area could soon fall to pieces.

What’s at stake

Should Schengen fall apart, the economic damage could be severe. Reinstated border checks would slow down the flow of goods, disrupt just-in-time supply chains, and increase transport costs, particularly in logistics-heavy sectors like agriculture, retail, and manufacturing. Cross-border workers would face longer commutes, while small businesses in border regions could lose vital customers. For everyday citizens, it could mean longer queues at borders, higher prices in stores, and diminished access to services and job markets across borders.

But the symbolic loss could be just as profound, says Colombi: “Schengen is one of the most visible signs of a common European identity and a flag-ship achievement.” Should Schengen fall, it’s most tangible way to experience the EU as a transnational project for citizens would fall, too.

To prevent that, both experts argue that the EU and its member states must recommit to the core idea behind Schengen: that Europeans should be able to move freely, without fear, delay, or political posturing, across their shared continent.

 

Tessa Walther Brussels-based Europe correspondentSend us your feedback

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Sursa: DW

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Sursa: DW

The checks come in response to stricter German controls at the shared border, which have been stepped up under Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government after they were reintroduced in November 2023.

Meanwhile, raging wildfires in forested areas in Germany’s eastern states are reportedly under control after firefighters spent a tense weekend battling the blazes.

The state of Thuringia was particularly badly hit by what was described as its biggest wildfire in over three decades.

Find out what else Germany is talking about on Monday, July 7, in our daily updates with a mix of news, analysis and background.  

Skip next section Germany records more than 2,000 drug-related deaths in 202407/07/2025July 7, 2025

Germany records more than 2,000 drug-related deaths in 2024

Zac Crellin

Experts have sounded the alarm after Germany recorded upwards of 2,000 deaths from illegal drug use for the second consecutive year.

A total of 2,137 drug deaths were recorded in 2024, federal drug commissioner Hendrik Streeck said on Monday.

Although the total is slightly down from 2,227 deaths recorded in 2023, authorities nevertheless recorded 14% year-on-year increase in drug-related deaths in under-30s. 

Streeck said there was a sharp increase in deaths due to synthetic opioids like fentanyl or nitazene because of the Taliban’s ban on opium production in Afghanistan.

“We must react faster, more systematically and stronger to new, more dangerous drugs,” Streeck said.

Dirk Schäffer, drug policy officer at campaign group Deutsche Aidshilfe, said the increase in drug-related deaths was a “catastrophe.”

“We’ve seen a doubling in the last 10 or 12 years,” he told Germany’s DPA news agency.

The cocaine wars: Germany’s fight against drug gangs

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https://p.dw.com/p/4x5wRSkip next section German industrial output jumps, raising hopes of recovery07/07/2025July 7, 2025

German industrial output jumps, raising hopes of recovery

The auto industry is at the core of Germany’s economic output Image: Martin Meissner/AP/picture alliance

German industrial production rose unexpectedly strong in May, lifting hopes that Europe’s largest economy may be turning a corner despite trade tensions with the US.

Production climbed 1.2% month-on-month after falling 1.6% in April, when US President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs, the federal statistics office Destatis said Monday.

Analysts polled by FactSet had expected a slight drop of 0.1%.

The rebound was driven by a surge in energy output and a 4.9% boost in the struggling automotive sector.

Overall, production was up 1% compared with May last year, adding to optimism after several positive production and orders reports since January.

ING analyst Carsten Brzeski said the data increased the chance that the recovery is about more than just customers placing orders early to avoid tariffs.

 “It’s too early to give the all-clear, but signs of at least a cyclical rebound, albeit from low levels, are increasing”, he said.

https://p.dw.com/p/4x4a1Skip next section WATCH: Old German drivers — a risk on the streets?07/07/2025July 7, 2025

WATCH: Old German drivers — a risk on the streets?

Old German drivers — a risk on the streets?

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https://p.dw.com/p/4x4a0Skip next section WATCH: Experiencing Germany by train — Euromaxx07/07/2025July 7, 2025

WATCH: Experiencing Germany by train — Euromaxx

Experiencing Germany by train — Euromaxx

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https://p.dw.com/p/4x4ZzSkip next section German welfare organizations warn against proposed cuts to long-term care services07/07/2025July 7, 2025

German welfare organizations warn against proposed cuts to long-term care services

A commission led by German Health Minister Nina Warken will begin work on Monday to find ways of stabilizing the long-term care insurance system in Germany as demographic changes put increasing pressure on its institutions.

According to federal auditors, nursing care insurance providers could face a shortfall of €12.3 billion (which those in need of care temporarily carry the costs themselves.

The commission, composed of representatives from the federal government and Germany’s 16 states, is to present its findings by the end of the year.

https://p.dw.com/p/4x40fSkip next section WTO: EU, Germany push for new world trade body 07/07/2025July 7, 2025

WTO: EU, Germany push for new world trade body

Thomas KohlmannThe World Trade Organization has been hamstrung for years by outdated rules and stalled reform efforts due to internal disagreementsImage: AP

Brussels and Berlin have launched a new initiative aimed at bypassing the long-standing paralysis of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

But how viable is such a solution? 

DW looks into it here.

https://p.dw.com/p/4x4ZySkip next section German president remembers Nazi victims at Lithuania ceremony07/07/2025July 7, 2025

German president remembers Nazi victims at Lithuania ceremony

Richard Connor

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has commemorated the Lithuanian victims of the Nazis during World War II in a ceremony near the Baltic country’s capital Vilnius.

Steinmeier laid a wreath at the Paneriai Holocaust memorial. The event was also attended by Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas.

Some 120,000 people were murdered by Nazis and local collaborators in the Paneriai forest during the German occupation of Lithuania between July 1941 and July 1944. At least 70,000 Jews were among them. 
 

https://p.dw.com/p/4x4OuSkip next section Riders crash into crowd at major cycling race, injuring several — reports07/07/2025July 7, 2025

Riders crash into crowd at major cycling race, injuring several — reports

Two spectators at the German Track Cycling Championships in the western municipality of Dudenhofen were flown to hospital by helicopter on Sunday after two riders crashed into the crowd at high speed, German media have reported.

Eight other spectators were more lightly injured, and the two riders, who were traveling at about 60 kmh (37 mph) when they went over the safety barriers, escaped with just grazes and bruises, according to the reports.

The incident, which occurred during the elite keirin semi-finals, led to the remainder of the final day of competition being called off, Germany’s SWR broadcaster reported.

“The health of athletes and spectators always comes first,” German Cycling Federation (BDR) marketing and communications officer Oliver Streich said in a statement. “There was therefore no alternative to canceling the event.”

https://p.dw.com/p/4x3dDSkip next section Space capsule with ashes of 166 deceased plunges into Pacific07/07/2025July 7, 2025

Space capsule with ashes of 166 deceased plunges into Pacific

A space capsule launched by a German start-up that was meant to carry the ashes of 166 people twice around the Earth before returning them to their loved ones has been lost in the Pacific Ocean after “an anomaly occurred” upon re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere.

Vezi toate știrile de pe actualizări germania incendiile

The Nyx capsule was launched on June 23 as part of an initiative called “Mission Possible” by The Exploration Company (TEC) in collaboration with the Texas-based company Celestis, which has specialized in space burials for more than two decades.

TEC said communication had been lost with the capsule shortly before it was due to splash down, with all remains of the deceased and some experimental items, including cannabis seeds, now scattered at an unknown location in the Pacific.

https://p.dw.com/p/4x3h7Skip next section DW’s Global Media Forum gets underway07/07/2025July 7, 2025

DW’s Global Media Forum gets underway

DW’s annual Global Media Forum (GMF), to which Germany’s international broadcaster has invited media professionals from across the globe, kicks off on Monday in the western city of Bonn.

The event, which runs for two days, has the motto this year of “Breaking barriers, building bridges.”

This year’s Freedom of Speech Award, a prize given annually by DW for outstanding work in promoting freedom of expression and human rights, will go to Tamar Kintsurashvili from Georgia.

Details on the GMF can be found in this article:

Global Media Forum 2025: Building bridges to beat populism

https://p.dw.com/p/4x3RsSkip next section Poland restores spot checks at German border in tit-for-tat move07/07/2025July 7, 2025

Poland restores spot checks at German border in tit-for-tat move

Polish guards check vehicles at the Slubice border crossing Image: Lisi Niesner/REUTERS

Authorities in Poland on Monday began carrying out random checks at 52 border crossings at the country’s border with Germany in a move contrary to the spirit of the visa-free Schengen zone.

The move comes in response to stricter German controls at the shared border, which have been stepped up under Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government after they were reintroduced in November 2023.

The Polish border checks, which also apply to Poland’s border with Lithuania, are set to run initially until August 5.

Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak said Sunday the controls were meant only to combat “illegal immigration” and that Polish and other EU nationals would not face hindrances.

The controls will reportedly focus on buses, minibuses, cars carrying large numbers of passengers and vehicles with tinted windows.

EU rules on the Schengen area stipulate that countries are allowed to introduce temporary measures as a “last resort” and “in exceptional situations.”

Read the full story here

https://p.dw.com/p/4x3RrSkip next section Wildfire situation stabilizes in Germany’s east07/07/2025July 7, 2025

Wildfire situation stabilizes in Germany’s east

Firefighting aircraft were deployed to battle the blazes in ThuringiaImage: Daniel Vogl/dpa/picture alliance

Several wildfires in forested areas in Germany’s eastern states are reportedly under control after firefighters spent a tense weekend battling the blazes.

The state of Thuringia was particularly badly affected, with a fire in the Saalfeld-Rudolstadt district described as the state’s biggest wildfire in more than three decades.

“Our forces are exhausted,” said district administrator Marko Wolfram on Sunday, adding that he hoped emergency staff could be reduced from 500 on Sunday to 300 on Monday as the situation eased.

Hundreds of firefighters were also deployed between the states of Saxony and Brandenburg, where raging fires in the Gohrischheide region have burnt out large swathes of natural landscape. 

The wildfires broke out as Germany, along with much of western Europe, was hit by the first major heat wave of the summer.

https://p.dw.com/p/4x3SsSkip next section Welcome to our coverage07/07/2025July 7, 2025

Welcome to our coverage

Timothy Jones | Elizabeth Schumacher Editor

A big Guten Morgen from the newsroom in Bonn as we start a new week.

Firefighters in the east of Germany, who have been battling major blazes all weekend, are feeling more optimistic as the weather cools following last week’s heat wave.

And DW is hosting the Global Media Forum in Bonn, an event bringing together journalists from across the world at a time when press freedom is under growing pressure even in countries once known as bastions of media liberty.

We will be keeping you up to date on these and other developments in our blog, as well as presenting in-depth analyses and explainers on topics related to Germany from our colleagues across DW’s departments.

https://p.dw.com/p/4x3X6Timothy Jones Writer, translator and editor with DW’s online news team.Richard Connor Reporting on stories from around the world, with a particular focus on Europe — especially Germany.Send us your feedback

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Sursa: DW

Colaboratoarea politică CNN Maggie Haberman explică raționamentul din spatele atacurilor lui Donald Trump asupra judecătorului și a familiei sale în timpul unui discurs la stațiunea sa din Mar-a-Lago, după ce a fost pus sub acuzare pentru infracțiuni grave.

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Sursa: CNN

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Sursa: CNN

CNN  — 

The escalating climate crisis is shifting many people’s purchasing patterns and this extends to the Delay means death': We're running out of ways to adapt to the climate crisis, new report shows. Here are the key takeaways

Strategy and consulting firm Simon Kucher’s Global Sustainability Study 2021 found 60% of consumers around the world rated sustainability as an important purchase criterion, and 35% were willing to pay more for sustainable products or services.

This shift in consumer preferences has propelled many beauty brands to set environmental goals: to move away from single-use and virgin plastics, provide recyclable, reusable and refillable packaging and offer more transparency around products’ ingredients so customers can ascertain how “green” their purchase is.

However, consumers still struggle to understand the sustainability credentials of many products, according to the British Beauty Council. This is because the industry’s clean-up efforts have been inconsistent, and fall short of making a recognizable impact in the absence of collective goal-setting, global strategy and standardized regulations.

Ingredient and branding transparency

There is no international standard for the beauty industry on how much product ingredient information to share with customers — or how to do so. Brands can set their own rules and goals, giving rise to confusion and “greenwashing,” where sustainability claims are often touted but not substantiated.

Companies often use marketing language like “clean beauty” to make it seem like their products are natural, for example, when they may not actually be organic, sustainable or ethically made.

Related article After rebranding in the West, many beauty companies are still offering to 'whiten' skin elsewhere

“The term ‘clean beauty’ has become quite dangerous. It’s used to sell more products,” according to British Beauty Council CEO Millie Kendall, who added that such buzzwords are losing traction in the UK as British customers wise up to their shortcomings. “Customers need better marketing information and certification information.”

In a 2021 report calling on the industry to have “the courage to change” their business practices, the British Beauty Council wrote that, all too often, even natural ingredients involved in manufacturing products give way to “over-consumption, non-regenerative farming practices, pollution, waste and neglect.”

“The only way out of this is transparency,” Kendall told CNN.

Jen Lee, chief impact officer at US-based brand Beautycounter, said she continues to see confusion over ingredients among consumers. (In 2013, the company launched and published “The Never List,” which currently cites more than 2,800 chemicals — including heavy metals, parabens and formaldehyde — it claims to never use in its products.)

“Natural vs. synthetic ingredients has been a conversation. People think natural is safer, but it’s not always the case,” Lee explained. “Natural ingredients formulated in the industry can have toxic load. Heavy metals can occur in natural components of the earth.”

Related article Mother loses peripheral vision from apparent exposure to mercury in beauty creams. Toxic levels in her home put family at risk, say experts

“We used to be more natural and organic,” added Sasha Plavsic, founder of makeup brand ILIA Beauty. “What was challenging is (that) raw materials were difficult to source or would come in inconsistently or products wouldn’t perform.”

Most makeup is created and molded at high temperatures, Plavsic explained. Purely organic materials often fall apart in this heat, leading to inconsistent results and subpar product performance. “Not every synthetic is bad,” Plavsic said. “Sometimes, it helps create the best in class formula.”

Unpacking plastics

The industry’s plastic packaging is a particular sustainability challenge — 95% is thrown away and the vast majority is not recycled, according to the British Beauty Council.

The cosmetics business is the fourth biggest plastic packaging user globally — after food and beverage, industrial packaging and pharmaceuticals — and plastic is about 67% of the industry’s packaging volume, according to Vantage Market Research. Beauty giant L’Oreal used 144,430 metric tons of plastic in its packaging material in 2021, for example, according to the Ellen Macarthur Foundation (EMF). Estee Lauder Companies reported its brands produced 71,600 metric tons of plastic in product packaging that same year.

And only 9% of the global plastic waste is recycled, according to a report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The United States only recycles 4% of its plastic waste.

Related article Single-use plastic is wreaking havoc on the planet. Here's what you can do to minimize your impact

Many brands are trying to phase out harmful plastics from their operations and adopt post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic. (L’Oreal has set a target of 50% PCR plastic usage by 2025, while Estee Lauder is targeting 25% “or more” PCR plastic — but both are far from achieving their targets.)

“Between 60-70 major global brands have made unprecedented progress” in PCR plastic usage across industries, EMF’s Plastic Initiative Lead Sander DeFruyt told CNN. But DeFruyt stressed that PCR plastic must be adopted in conjunction with brands removing single and virgin plastics from their usage cycles to truly make a difference.

However, PCR plastic is not easy to find — low recycling rates around the world mean there is limited supply. Meanwhile, demand for it is growing demand across industries, DeFruyt said. This competition hikes up its price, which is already higher than virgin plastic.

Hair care brand FEKKAI claims that it used up to 95% PCR content in its packaging, but pricing and supply issues posed a challenge, forcing it to currently aim for containers and packaging that feature at least 50% PCR in its packaging.

“PCR plastic is more expensive than stock plastic. The cost is hard and then sourcing it is too,” founder Frédéric Fekkai told CNN. “PCR is close to our heart, but there is a massive demand, so finding recycled plastic is difficult.”

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The weight of retail

Beauty retailers plays a pivotal — and under-utilized — role, with control over stocking decisions and supply chains. But many vary when it comes to the standards they set for brands they sell.

“Smaller businesses do more, full stop,” said Jessi Baker, founder of the technology platform Provenance, which helps brands display their sustainability credentials for customers. “They move more nimbly. Some of them are born-good brands — climate friendliness was part of their setup. They don’t need to restructure their entire supply chain. Their culture already has it compared to the larger brands who need to work hard to change.”

Related article A history of beauty trends — and the standards that shaped them

Sephora launched its “Clean + Planet Positive” initiative in 2021, which labeled products that met its set criteria. (This is separate from the French retailer’s “Clean at Sephora” program, which is currently facing a consumer lawsuit alleging it carries a significant percentage of products understood by customers to be harmful.) Target launched a similar program in 2022, featuring a “Target Zero” icon for both online and in-store offerings that either have reusable, recyclable, compostable or reduced plastic packaging, or feature waterless or concentrated products.

Still, many steps taken by brands and retailers do not even begin to touch on the waste and pollution generated throughout supply chains, manufacturing and shipping, all huge problems for the industry to grapple with.

The missing player

The gaps in standardization in the beauty ecosystem can, to some extent, be filled by certifications such as the US-born B Corporation, or B Corp. This accreditation, one of the most well-known in the beauty space, is issued by the non-profit B Lab, which scores a company on a variety of criteria around ethics and sustainability. However beneficial it may be among eco-conscious consumers, though, it is currently completely voluntary for brands to apply for.

Governments and multinationals enforcing regulations and setting a base line for brands to operate from when making sustainability claims would go a long way to making change, many experts and business leaders believe.

Susanne Kaufmann, founder of her namesake beauty brand, says her efforts in Austria would reap better results if more countries around the world had stricter, more uniform garbage disposal laws.

Related article A trash heap 62 meters high shows the scale of India's climate challenge

“I package our product in a recyclable material,” Kaufmann said. (Her products’ packaging, which is refillable and reusable, is made from 75% recycled plastic — and is 100% recyclable.) If I send this to the US, the garbage is not separated… and it’s not recyclable,” she explained, referring to inconsistencies in recycling laws across the United States.

And when it comes to ingredients, the European Chemicals Agency lists 2,495 substances banned from use in cosmetic products marketed for sale or use in the bloc. But the US Food and Drug administration only lists 11, making it more challenging for American consumers to find safer, greener options. The Environmental Working Group, a non-profit watchdog, studied lab tests of 51 sunscreen products in 2021 and found that only 35% of products met the EU standard, compared with 94% that passed the US standard.

However, while government can set minimum requirements, Mia Davis, vice president of sustainability and impact at beauty retailer Credo Beauty, says the needle will move in the private sector.

Related article Sustainable ships: The world's most eco-conscious cruises

“Regulation can raise the floor a bit. A person who doesn’t know about any (sustainability issues) should still be able to walk into a bodega and get clean products… But that’s never going to be what the market can do,” she said. “Market leadership is key.”

In the absence of bold regulations or global standards on sustainability practices, this “leadership” — undertaken both by brands and customers in the beauty marketplace — is likely to be the most immediately impactful vector for addressing the industry’s climate shortcomings. It will take continued collective advocacy and initiative to see meaningful climate-conscious change.

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Sursa: CNN

Oamenii de știință au capturat specia necunoscută de pește-melc la o adâncime de peste 27.000 de picioare, ca parte a unei expediții în tranșee în largul coastei Japoniei.

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Sursa: CNN

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Cruising at a depth of 8,336 meters (over 27,000 feet) just above the seabed, a young snailfish has become the deepest fish ever filmed by scientists during a probe into the abyss of the northern Pacific Ocean.

Scientists from University of Western Australia and Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology released footage of the snailfish on Sunday filmed last September by sea robots in deep trenches off Japan.

Along with the filming the deepest snailfish, the scientists physically caught two other specimens at 8,022 meters and set another record for the deepest catch.

Previously, the deepest snailfish ever spotted was at 7,703 meters in 2008, while scientists had never been able to collect fish from anywhere below 8,000 meters.

“What is significant is that it shows how far a particular type of fish will descend in the ocean,” said marine biologist Alan Jamieson, founder of the Minderoo-UWA Deep Sea Research Centre, who led the expedition.

Caladan Oceanic

Scientists are filming in the trenches off Japan as part of a 10-year study into the deepest fish populations in the world. Snailfish are members of Liparidae family, and while most snailfish live in shallow water, others survive at some of the greatest depths ever recorded, Jamieson said.

During the two-month survey last year, three “landers” – automatic sea robots fitted with high-resolution cameras – were dropped into three trenches – the Japan, Izu-Ogasawara and Ryukyu trenches – at varying depths.

In the Izu-Ogasawara trench, footage showed the deepest snailfish hovering calmly alongside other crustaceans on the seabed.

Jamieson classified the fish as a juvenile and said younger deep sea snailfish often stay as deep as possible to avoid being eaten by bigger predators that swim at shallower depths.

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Another clip shot at between 7,500 and 8,200 meters in the same trench showed a colony of fish and crustaceans munching at bait tied to an undersea robot.

Images of the two captured snailfish – identified as Pseudoliparis belyaevi – provide a rare glimpse of the unique features that help the deep sea species survive the extreme environment.

They have tiny eyes, a translucent body, and their lack of swim bladder, which helps other fish float, works to their advantage, Jamieson said.

The professor said the Pacific Ocean is particularly conducive to vibrant activity due to its warm southern current, which encourages sea creatures to go deeper, while its abundant marine life provides a good source of food for bottom feeders.

Scientists would like to know more about creatures living at extreme depths, but cost is the constraint, Jamieson said, adding that each lander alone costs them $200,000 to assemble and operate.

“The challenges are that technology has been expensive and scientists don’t have a lot of money,” he said.

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Sursa: CNN