Compiled by Allegra Taylor
North Macedonia
On Feb. 13, the country of the Republic of Macedonia changed its name to the Republic of North Macedonia. The country has been called Macedonia since 1991 when it declared independence from Yugoslavia. Relations between North Macedonia and Greece have been strained because Greece has a region named Macedonia. Thanks to the name change, North Macedonia will now be able to join NATO and the EU because Greece will no longer block its membership.
(CNN)
UK
Plans for a massive sausage factory called “Sausage World” has been approved in North Yorkshire. Cofounder of the company, Andrew Keeble, said he expects to draw many visitors. “If you have never seen a sausage machine work then it’s worth it. We have a machine that can produce 1,300 sausages a minute. It’s like a Gatling gun,” Keeble commented.
(BBC)
Tahiti
A second meth lab was discovered in the Tahitian village of Tautira in French Polynesia. One person was arrested in a raid last month after months of investigations. Tahiti is facing increased amphetamine use as the drugs have been smuggled into the country from the US.
(RadioNZ)
Canada
Canadian minister Jody Wilson-Raybould has resigned her cabinet post following allegations that she was pressured by officials to ask for leniency towards a firm under charges for fraud. The group, SNC-Lavalin, is an engineering firm. Wilson-Raybould was federal justice minister and attorney general at the time of her resignation.
(BBC)
Finland
Tea Latvala, a dildo maker in Lapland, has drawn criticism for receiving a 200,000 euro business loan from a state agency. Latvala is the founder of a company called Teatiamo that has produced over a thousand wooden dildos and anal plugs in the past year, and last month Business Finland granted her the loan. Latvala has defended herself, saying “I want to be seen just like any other startup out there. I have already proven myself.”
(Yle)
