Category: General Interest

Watermelon not only tastes good, but it is also packed with health benefits that are often underestimated. Hardly any other fruit is as synonymous with summer, sunshine, and refreshment as watermelon. Its bright red flesh, sweet taste, and juicy consistency make it the perfect companion on hot days. Here are five good reasons why we love eating watermelon even more. With a water content of around 90%, watermelon is one of the best natural thirst quenchers. Especially in summer, when the body loses more fluid through sweating, it is essential…

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Manny Pacquiao’s comeback attempt fell just short of reclaiming championship glory on Saturday night, as his bout with Mario Barrios ended in a majority draw, allowing Barrios to retain his WBC welterweight title. The judges scored the fight 114-114, 114-114, and 115-113 in favor of Barrios. Pacquiao, 46, showed flashes of his vintage form early in the contest, drawing loud cheers with each punch landed in the opening round. The boxing legend captivated the crowd, proving he still commands attention inside the ring. Even Barrios appeared to admire Pacquiao’s performance…

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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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