Ash Wednesday begins with tradition, tragedy and a billion-dollar Bayer settlement
Good morning, North Rhine-Westphalia!
Ash Wednesday marks the start of Lent • Bayer settles glyphosate lawsuits • Our survey: Are specialists exploiting the billing system? Here's your news roundup.
Good morning from Sabine Meuter and Tim Scholz in the [our website] newsroom.
TOPIC OF THE DAY
Ash Wednesday marks the start of Lent • Carnival is over, and everyday life resumes. Today, on Ash Wednesday, revelers gather one last time. In Düsseldorf, the "Hoppeditz" jester figure will be ceremonially buried amid lamentations, while in Cologne, the straw effigy "Nubbel" was burned last night—serving as a scapegoat for all the sins committed during the festive days, like excessive drinking. Catholic and some Protestant believers will attend church services today, receiving ashes on their foreheads in the shape of a cross.
Political parties will also engage in their traditional "Ash Wednesday" verbal sparring, taking sharp aim at opponents—including here in NRW.
In Mönchengladbach, authorities are investigating how a serious accident occurred during the Violet Tuesday parade. A woman was run over by a public transit bus taking part in the procession. She was resuscitated and rushed to the hospital, where she remains in critical condition with life-threatening injuries. Mönchengladbach's Lord Mayor Felix Heinrichs praised the swift response of emergency services.
Ash Wednesday also signals the beginning of the 40-day Christian Lenten season. This year, it coincides with the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, with the first day of fasting falling on Thursday. Many people fast for reasons other than religion—but there are common mistakes to avoid. Here's how to do it right:
MORE NEWS
Bayer settles glyphosate lawsuits • The Leverkusen-based chemical giant Bayer has reached a settlement in the U.S. over its controversial weedkiller glyphosate. The company will pay up to $7.25 billion to resolve lawsuits alleging that the herbicide causes cancer. Bayer's subsidiary Monsanto has also finalized additional billion-dollar settlements. The company stresses that the agreement does not constitute an "admission of guilt."
[Our website] survey: Are specialists exploiting the billing system? • Specialists are suspected of abusing the billing system to boost their earnings. The issue revolves around so-called "urgency codes," which general practitioners can assign to help patients get faster specialist appointments. According to a non-representative [our website] survey of hundreds of GPs, many specialists demand these codes—even for routine check-ups.
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