The voyage marks a symbolic step in Russian women’s quest to play a more active role in the armed forces, an institution dominated by men. The navy still holds barriers to entry for women.
The Netherlands’ lower chamber of the legislature voted 124-26 to add “sexual orientation” to the list of protected categories in its constitution.
The 15 Percent Pledge is calling on retailers to make space on their shelves for Black-owned brands. Sephora proved their commitment to the cause by becoming the first brand to officially endorse the Pledge.
Germany’s Bundestag passed a bill banning coal as a power source. The country will abandon nuclear energy by 2022 and coal by 2038, and will aim for 55% cuts in GHG emissions by 2030 over 1990 levels.
The Tour de France was delayed until August 29 due to the pandemic, but a virtual version of the race will begin as scheduled in July. The virtual race will include women for the first time in the event’s history. Organizers also plan to have an in-person large-scale female race by 2022.
Sephora just banned all fur eyelashes including mink and will instead produce synthetic and faux fur alternatives. The decision follows pressure from PETA and over 280,000 emails from concerned consumers.
The unprecedented showing for Europe Écologie Les Verts, a once minor political party, means Green mayors will take charge in Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux and Strasbourg. The party also came out on top in mid-sized cities such as Tours, Besancon, Annecy and Poitiers, while retaining control of Grenoble.
Germany is banning the sale of single-use plastic straws, cotton buds and food containers, bringing it in line with a European Union directive intended to reduce the amount of plastic garbage that pollutes the environment.
Seven of the 15 coal plants still working in Spain will cease operations today, after their owners – the electricity companies – decided that it does not make financial sense to adapt them to European regulations. Four more will shut down soon.
The project near Manchester, U.K., will use spare green energy to compress air into a liquid and store it. The new liquid air battery is due to be operational in 2022 and will be able to power up to 200,000 homes for five hours, and store power for many weeks.
