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Euronews
a day ago
- Automotive
- Euronews
Tesla drivers in France sue EV maker for becoming ‘far-right symbol'
Several Tesla customers in France are suing the electric vehicle (EV) maker run by Elon Musk, alleging that the cars have become 'extreme right' symbols that are harming their reputation, the law firm representing them said this week. Around 10 Tesla leaseholders are asking to terminate their contracts and recover legal costs at the Paris Commercial Court, saying that the cars turned into 'far-right totems' following Musk's support for Donald Trump's presidential bid and Germany's far-right AfD Party. "Because of Elon Musk's actions... Tesla-branded vehicles have become strong political symbols and now appear to be veritable extreme-right 'totems,' to the dismay of those who acquired them with the sole aim of possessing an innovative and ecological vehicle," the GKA law firm said in a statement cited by French media. The statement also referenced when the billionaire sparked outrage when he took to the stage and appeared to perform a salute affiliated with Nazis. Musk denied the gesture was a Nazi salute and described criticism as a 'tired' attack. The plaintiffs said that his actions now meant they are prevented 'from fully enjoying their car'. Tesla offers the option to lease a car and later buy it, or opt out of the lease. Owning a Tesla was once a symbol of status, but the vehicles in Europe and the United States have been targeted and defaced by vandals. Some Tesla owners have reportedly been putting stickers on their cars reading "I bought this before Elon went crazy". Sales of the vehicle have also plummeted since Musk entered politics. Until last week, Trump and Musk were seemingly close allies, with Musk having supported Trump both financially and publicly during his 2024 presidential campaign. Musk was also involved in the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a drive by Trump's administration to slash government programmes. However, the richest and the most powerful men's relationship came to blows very publicly after Trump's 'big beautiful bill,' which aims to fast-track policy around spending. It has hundreds of proposed changes that would impact health care and other changes to social benefits. Musk argued the bill's spending would increase the "already gigantic budget deficit" and "burden American citizens with crushingly unsustainable debt". Trump said that Musk knew about his plans for the bill but only opposed it when he learned it would impact Tesla. Musk has now backpedalled on comments he made on his social media platform X that Trump should be impeached and that the president is mentioned in the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's files. Euronews Next has contacted Tesla but did not receive a reply at the time of publication. Every year, millions of tonnes of electronic waste end up in landfills, largely because small devices are built from materials that are nearly impossible to separate and recycle efficiently. At just 24 years old, Austrian industrial designer Franziska Kerber is working to change that: She has developed PAPE, a sustainable, paper-based alternative to plastic and fibreglass used in the casings of small electronic devices. Thanks to her work on PAPE, Kerber has been recognised as one of the top ten winners – called Tomorrow Shapers – of the 2025 Young Inventors Prize, awarded by the European Patent Office. 'Electronic waste is the fastest-growing waste stream worldwide and most electronic products are not designed in a way for them to be recycled,' Kerber explained. 'So I was aiming to create a product that not only improves recyclability, but creates a full circular system around it.' Unlike conventional plastics, which often trap valuable materials inside a device, PAPE is designed to dissolve in a targeted process. This allows manufacturers to retrieve electronic components without the need for shredding or chemical separation. PAPE is made from unused paper fibres, is durable and biodegradable, and was designed from the ground up with material recovery in mind. Kerber's commitment to sustainable design was shaped by both family and education. Her father, a physicist and award-winning inventor, introduced her to dissolvable electronics at a young age. While studying industrial design at FH Joanneum, she became increasingly focused on circular systems and material reuse – realising that solving e-waste requires more than just one recyclable component. 'Even if researchers create dissolvable, recyclable circuit boards, it doesn't really change anything if the rest of the product just ends up as waste again. The whole design has to evolve – otherwise, we're just shifting the problem instead of solving it,' she said. To develop PAPE, Kerber experimented with compressed paper fibres, refining the product through iterations that tested heat resistance, airflow, and durability. PAPE was specifically created for small consumer electronics like WiFi routers and smoke detectors, which are widespread but rarely recycled properly. 'I hope that this invention reaches a point when people talk about which WiFi router they should buy next, they will think about PAPE because it's just the better sustainable option and I love the design,' Kerber added. She is now working with startups and companies developing recyclable PCBs to bring PAPE to the market, aiming to shift the consumer electronics industry toward truly circular solutions. Moreover, Kerber's work contributes directly to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) – highlighting how thoughtful design can reduce waste and help shape a more sustainable future.
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Leader of Germany's far-right AfD hails 'historic' election result
STORY: :: Leader of Germany's far-right AfD says the party has 'achieved a historic result' in the country's election :: Berlin, Germany :: February 23, 2025 :: Alice Weidel, AfD Party co-chair "We have achieved a historic result. We have never been stronger in the federal government. We have become the second strongest force as an alternative for Germany. And we have now firmly established ourselves as a people's party. // And I have to say one thing: our hand will always be outstretched for government participation, to implement the will of the people, the will of Germany. We are ready to participate in government. Our hand is always outstretched to implement the will of the people." Following a campaign roiled by a series of violent attacks, and interventions by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, the conservative CDU/CSU bloc won 28.7% of the vote, followed by the AfD with 19.8%, the projection published by ZDF public broadcaster showed. Merz is heading into what are likely to be lengthy coalition talks without a strong negotiating hand. While his CDU/CSU emerged as the largest bloc, it scored its second worst post-war result. It remains unclear whether Merz will need one or two partners to form a majority. A three-way coalition would likely be much more unwieldy, hampering Germany's ability to show clear leadership. All of the mainstream parties have ruled out working with the AfD. As such coalition negotiations are certain to be tricky, especially after a campaign which exposed sharp divisions over migration and how to deal with the AfD in a country where far-right politics carry a particularly strong stigma due to its Nazi past.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Michigan priest defrocked for imitating Elon Musk's ‘Nazi' salute
A Michigan priest was relieved of his duties after giving what appeared to be a Nazi salute inspired by Elon Musk at a political rally last week. The Anglican Catholic Church condemned Father Calvin Robinson for making 'a gesture that many have interpreted as a pro-Nazi salute' at the end of an address to an anti-abortion, right-wing contingent in Washington, D.C. 'While we cannot say what was in Mr. Robinson's heart when he did this, his action appears to have been an attempt to curry favor with certain elements of the American political right by provoking its opposition,' the church wrote in a statement on its website Wednesday. Robinson, who's originally from the United Kingdom, had previously been warned about participating in online trolling and was reportedly told to stop engaging in such provocative behavior. 'Clearly, he has not, and as such, his license in this Church has been revoked. He is no longer serving as a priest in the ACC,' the church said, adding that mimicking the Nazi salute is 'harmful, divisive, and contrary to the tenets of Christian charity.' Robinson responded to being defrocked by insisting he's not a Nazi and boasting the speech he delivered to his audience in D.C. was well-received. 'The joke at the end was a mockery of the hysterical 'liberals' who called Elon Musk a Nazi for quite clearly showing the audience his heart was with them,' Robinson wrote on X. He said he'll accept the consequences of his actions because people who share his ideology are protected by the 'full armour of God.' Musk meanwhile — known to dabble in suggestive and often juvenile humor on his social media platform — insisted the gesture he gave during a speech following Trump's inauguration wasn't an homage to Adolf Hitler's far-right movement. But days later, he appeared in a short video played at a rally for Germany's ultra-conservative AfD Party, where he told supporters to be proud of their German past. _____
