Category: General Interest

Languages shape how we connect, trade, and share ideas across borders. But which ones have the largest global reach? 1. EnglishEnglish dominates with over 1.4 billion speakers, including native and second-language users. It’s the main language of business, science, and international media. Its global spread is due to colonial history and the dominance of the U.S. in culture and economics. 2. Mandarin ChineseMandarin is the most spoken native language, with around 940 million native speakers and over a billion total speakers. As the official language of China—the world’s most populous…

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Sustainable nutrition is associated with a statistically significant reduction in cancer risk and a corresponding decrease in cancer mortality. This was the finding of an extensive systematic review of the scientific literature evaluating data from 2.2 million people. The researchers involved came from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Sustainable nutrition is increasingly recommended as a strategy for reducing noncommunicable diseases and promoting health worldwide. Current unhealthy dietary patterns are considered to contribute to the global cancer burden, while certain types of production further exacerbate environmental problems. “Investigating the…

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These five tips will help you avoid unpleasant surprises on vacation and ensure greater safety and comfort when traveling. 1. Check your travel documents in good time Without valid travel documents, your dream vacation can quickly turn into a nightmare. Therefore, check early on whether your passport is still valid for entry—in many countries, this is six months before expiry. A driver’s license is not considered a travel document! Find out in good time about any visa requirements for your holiday destination or countries you will be traveling through. If…

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The Association for Consumer Information (VKI) has fact-checked various summer myths. Isotonic drinks in extreme heat? “For everyday life and normal physical activity, even in sweaty summer temperatures, the tried-and-tested classics of water, mineral water, and unsweetened tea are sufficient,” explains VKI nutritionist Teresa Bauer. During intense physical activity lasting longer than an hour (e.g., long hikes or extended bike rides), the body loses not only fluid but also essential minerals through increased sweating. “Isotonic drinks can help to compensate for this loss quickly,” says Teresa Bauer. “However, expensive sports…

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The first full moon of the astronomical summer is known as the Hay Moon in our region. Its origins go back a long way. It’s worth taking a look at the night sky today. At 9:17 p.m., the so-called Hay Moon or Buck Moon will rise over Vienna. It will be fully illuminated by the sun at 10:36 p.m. The July full moon is one of the lowest of the year; only the Strawberry Moon on June 11 was lower above the horizon. The reason is that after the summer…

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The Asian hornet (Vespa velutina) is spreading at an alarming rate in Europe, as several local institutions have recently reported. The insect was first sighted in France in 2015, and its spread is increasingly threatening biodiversity and agriculture in Portugal, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and Hungary. In Austria, the first case was documented on April 9, 2024, in the city of Salzburg. The threat posed by the Asian hornet to native honeybees is particularly worrying. The invasive species specifically hunts honey bees—and does so in a ruthless manner, lurking in…

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Heat alert: June 2025 breaks records again, becoming the hottest month in Western Europe since records began. According to the EU Earth observation program Copernicus, last month was the hottest June in Western Europe since measurements began. Worldwide, June 2025 was the third warmest June, trailing only June 2024 and coming close to the heat of June 2023. This means that record average temperatures have been measured for the third consecutive year. In Europe, which is warming twice as fast as the global average, particularly “extreme” temperatures were measured. Hottest…

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If so, you’re not alone. A woman recently posted in a Facebook group with 1.3 million members and asked the question: “Why do some chips have green edges?” It turns out that there is a plausible explanation for the green discoloration, and members of the group quickly provided possible explanations. This was reported by the British media outlet Mirror. Various explanations Some immediately pointed out the obvious: the part of the potato from which the chip was cut must have been green. Others, however, gave a more detailed, scientific explanation.…

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Fancy a short break? If you want to save money and don’t want to be away for too long, you should take a look around Europe. Here is an overview of the cheapest cities for travelers. If you want to spend a short break in Europe as cheaply as possible, we recommend the following ranking. The vacation home portal “Holidu” has compiled a list of the cheapest cities in Europe for travel-loving bargain hunters. The top 20 cheapest cities in Europe Budapest Barcelona Prague Szczecin Krakow Madrid Seville Zagreb Porto…

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