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Political situation in Germany
Ban on sick leave by phone – reform package to save German economy

Germans will no longer be allowed to take sick leave by phone, and employers will be allowed to require a doctor's certificate from the first day of illness. The legal changes are part of a comprehensive economic reform package presented by the German government on Thursday, writes AP.

Since coming to power last year, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has expressed concern about the country's high sick leave rates. On average, a German is on sick leave for 19 days a year.

“We cannot accept these high sick leave rates in our companies,” Merz said during a press conference.

The reform package contains 34 different proposals to strengthen the German economy. Among other things, tax cuts for low- and middle-income earners and changes to the pension system are proposed.

Nord Stream sabotage
Germany: Ukraine ordered Nord Stream sabotage

Ukrainian authorities ordered the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipeline in the fall of 2022, according to German prosecutors. This is reported by news agencies.

On Wednesday, German prosecutors filed formal charges against the 50-year-old Ukrainian man who was detained for the sabotage. According to prosecutors, the man and others acted "on orders from state authorities in Ukraine".

The 50-year-old, who is said to be a former soldier, is said to have had a leading role in the sabotage. He denies any wrongdoing. 

Strait of Hormuz
Oman at the center of discussions on tariffs in the Strait of Hormuz

Some leading European countries have accepted that ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz may have to pay tariffs to Iran and Oman. Bloomberg writes, citing sources.

The US and a number of countries around the Persian Gulf disagree, citing that the tariffs are not compatible with international maritime laws and that it could lead to the creation of new precedents.

Oman, which has a coastline along the southern part of the strait, is allied with both Iran and the Western countries and is now feeling the pressure from both sides. They are studying the Strait of Malacca as a potential model, where Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore charge fees from ships for help with navigation and security.

The future of the Republicans
Tucker Carlson wants to start a new party: “One-party state”

The conservative profile Tucker Carlson is planning to start a new party, he tells the Columbia Journalism Review, CJR.

Carlson has recently become increasingly openly critical of Donald Trump and his administration, not least since the war in Iran began. At the same time, the 57-year-old does not give much to the Democrats and says that he is too young to accept that the US is governed by the “most unscrupulous people”. The new party would make a sincere attempt to find out what actually benefits Americans, Carlson says.

– The United States has become a one-party state pretending to be a democracy, and it must be crushed.

When asked if he himself wants to run for the third party, the answer is no.

Extreme weather in Europe
Fires rage in France – 3,000 evacuated

The French fire service is battling extensive forest fires in southern France on Thursday.

Around 800 firefighters and 150 vehicles have been deployed in the Aude and Hérault regions, where the largest fires are raging. In total, around 900 hectares of land are burning.

In the neighboring Pyrénées-Orientales region, a fire has spread dangerously near the town of Canet-en-Roussillon. Around 3,000 people have been forced to evacuate and the town's industrial area is threatened, writes Le Parisien.

- Our main battle concerns the industrial area, where there are many industrial buildings. Some contain polluting or flammable substances, and several companies are of great importance for both the economy and employment, says the prefect of Pyrénées-Orientales.

The fires come after several weeks of drought. According to Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, around 7,000 fires have broken out since the start of the summer season.

Political situation in South Korea
Trend: South Koreans buy food that never shows up

In South Korea, the food delivery app “Food never comes” has become immensely popular. The app offers common dishes such as fried rice, pasta and garlic bread – the only difference is that everything is pretend and the food never shows up, reports The Times.

Users place orders and pay with pretend money. They can then follow the orders on a map. The feature is one of a series of so-called “dopamine apps” that are trending in South Korea. The aim is for users to get the same “high” as when making a regular purchase, but without any financial or health consequences.

“So I don’t order anything, but just the thought of being able to do it still feels like it relieves stress a little,” user Kim tells the South Korean newspaper Hankook Ilbo.

According to psychology professor Pamela Rutledge, the anticipation of an experience is often almost as enjoyable as the experience itself. Having something to look forward to can therefore give you a positive feeling even before it actually happens. 

Marburg virus
Suspected case of Marburg virus detected in Uganda

A suspected case of the highly deadly Marburg virus has been detected in Uganda, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced, according to AFP.

WHO's head of health operations, Chikwe Ihekweazu, said at a press conference that Uganda reported the suspected case to the organization on June 30.

He also said that Uganda is well prepared to detect and monitor infectious diseases following the Ebola outbreak in neighboring Congo-Kinshasa, which has also spread to Uganda, and that WHO is supporting the country in that work.

- Right now, we are allowing the national authorities to complete their investigations. We are supporting them on the ground in the country and will report what they find, says Ihekweazu.