Volvo cars communicate on dangers, Geneva to ban single-use plastics, and more top news

The news professionals in Europe are talking about now, curated by LinkedIn’s editors. Join the conversation on today's stories in the comments.

Volvo cars across Europe will soon be able to warn each other about potential hazards. Using cloud-based technology, the cars will be able to share information on dangers such as slippery roads. Volvo’s Hazard Light Alert and Slippery Road Alert system was first introduced in Sweden and Norway three years ago and will expand across Europe this week. It’s the latest safety move by the Swedish carmaker, which recently announced plans to restrict cars’ top speeds and to install cameras to monitor drink driving. • Here’s what people are saying.

Geneva is set to ban single-use plastics. The Swiss city is one of the first in Europe to implement the ban, which will come into effect from January 2020. The move to ban plastic straws, cutlery, cups and other items comes after a recent study found some 50 tonnes of plastic end up in Lake Geneva every year. Businesses that defy the new rules will face fines or could have their licences revoked. The EU has announced it plans to prohibit the plastics from 2021. • Here’s what people are saying.

Google, Facebook and Twitter must do more to combat fake news ahead of the upcoming elections, says the European Commission. In its latest monthly report, it claims there’s been a lack of progress after the tech giants last year pledged to crack down on fake news. The commission says Google has not made enough progress in defining “issue-based advertising”, while Twitter has yet to provide details on how it is tackling spam and fake accounts. The European Parliament will hold its elections next month. • Here’s what people are saying.

Elon Musk wants to give Uber a run for its money. The Tesla CEO announced an ambitious plan at his investors’ meeting on Monday: robot taxis. By the end of 2020, Musk says Tesla owners will be able to press a button in their vehicle, setting the electric car to autonomous ride-hail mode and picking up passengers through an app. Tesla will then collect about 25% to 30% of the fare. Musk also envisions more than 1 million Tesla cars will be able to function without a driver by next year. • Here’s what people are saying.

Office workers shouldn’t rely on their standing desks to mitigate the risks of a sedentary lifestyle. That’s according to a new study, which followed nearly 150,000 people aged over 45 for nine years. It found that standing up more often didn’t significantly reduce health risks — such as cancer, obesity, heart disease and depression — among those who are in their chairs for more than six hours per day. Instead, the study recommends 30 minutes of exercise each day. • Here’s what people are saying.

Idea of the Day: What does success look like for you? It’s different from how it appears to anyone else, Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group founder Laura Gassner Otting tells Gretchen Rubin.

“You can’t be insatiably hungry for other people’s goals, for other people’s definitions of success.”

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— Capucine Yeomans