nder The Radar is a special series and newsletter offering from Diplomatic Courier bringing you compelling, under–the–radar stories from around the world over the past month. This month across Europe: France faces criticism for a new hijab ban for sports, lab–grown meat for sale for the first time in the UK, and Turkey’s honey reputation. , a treasure trove of ancient artifacts in Iraq, and ramped-up crackdowns against LGBT people in Tunisia. You can sign up to receive the newsletter here.
Amnesty International is publicly rebuking France’s consideration of the “hijab ban” bill. For the 2024 Olympics Games in France, the country banned Muslim women from wearing any form of religious headgear, including hijabs, when they competed for France in the Olympics. At the time, Amnesty International spoke out against the decision, pointing out that France is the only European country to have implemented such bans. The organization also documented how discriminatory the ban was, as some French sports federations have also implemented similar religious headgear bans that prevent Muslim women from competing or even training to take part in the Olympics for another country.
In February 2025, Amnesty International once again criticized France’s consideration of a bill that would ban all athletes from wearing “ostensibly religious” clothing and symbols in all sports in France. The bill is colloquially referred to as the “hijab ban” bill given the previous discriminatory rulings that seem to target Muslim women. Amnesty International is urging French lawmakers to vote against the bill.
Previously, except for the Olympic Games ruling, French sports federations controlled the implementation of such bans, but the new bill would remove federations’ oversight in favor of a blanket ban. The bill aims to separate sports from any form of religion and also prohibits any form of prayer in a sports facility.
The French Senate has already voted in favor of the bill—210 to 81—but the bill still needs a majority vote from the National Assembly to become law.
Lab grown meat on sale in UK supermarkets in world first
In February 2025, the UK became the first European country to put lab grown meat on the shelves of supermarkets, specifically for pets.
According to a professor of veterinary science, countries like the UK, which have a large number of pets, have pets eat 20% of all meat consumed by these countries. Given ongoing concerns with consuming meat and its impact on the climate crisis, beginning to reduce the amount of meat consumed by first supplementing lab grown meat for pets could be beneficial. However, while cultivated meat reduces some types of greenhouse gas emissions, some preliminary studies suggest increased CO2 emissions from cultivating meat.
The UK was the first country in Europe to legalize lab grown meat. Pet food brand Meatly launched its cultivated dog treats, claiming to use “less carbon, land, and water” than competitors using real meat products. The new Meatly Chicken product is reported to have the same nutritional value as real chicken, but all of the treats come from a single sample of a chicken egg, which is then used to cultivate the plant–based meat in a lab.
While only time can tell the effects of lab grown meat in the UK, multiple other European countries have voiced concerns about the possible harm lab grown meats might cause to the European farming model, the environment, and food safety. These countries call for more research to be done and regulations to be put in place before they will consider allowing lab grown meats.
Is Turkey damaging its honey reputation?
Turkey’s honey sector is valued at around €270 million in the global market. But in 2021 Turkey sustained a massive hit to its vital honey economy after multiple substantial wildfires killed bees. And now, in 2025, the second largest honey supplier in the world is facing another crisis: counterfeit honey. Reportedly, the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture has seized around €25 million in fake honey (also called adulterated honey) in the past few months and identified 43 producers of adulterated honey. The Ministry of Agriculture publicly listed these producers and shamed their business practices.
Adulterated honey uses sugar substitutes like glucose, fructose, and corn syrup. Using sugar substitutes to flavor honey is cheaper than producing honey without artificial sweeteners. Thus, Turkey’s economic situation is likely the cause of the turn to adulterated honey, with producers able to manufacture the honey at a lower cost, allowing the honey to be sold to consumers at a cheaper rate than real honey. However, the Turkish Beekeepers Association president does not want Turkey to gain the reputation of “a paradise for fake honey.” Instead, he is calling for stricter regulations and penalties for honey sellers, so that Turkey’s reputation will not be damaged by the increase in adulterated honey in the market.
Notably, adulterated honey is shockingly common in honey production worldwide, not just in Turkey. Many countries have exposed different adulterated honey producers, including a shocking set of companies that sold honey mixed with Viagra.
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France again faces criticism for latest proposed ‘hijab ban’
Photo by Pierre Blaché via Pexels.
March 6, 2025
Diplomatic Courier staff writer Stephanie Gull brings you three under–the–radar stories from Europe: A furor over a 'hijab ban' in France, lab-grown meat in the UK, and honey in Turkey.
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nder The Radar is a special series and newsletter offering from Diplomatic Courier bringing you compelling, under–the–radar stories from around the world over the past month. This month across Europe: France faces criticism for a new hijab ban for sports, lab–grown meat for sale for the first time in the UK, and Turkey’s honey reputation. , a treasure trove of ancient artifacts in Iraq, and ramped-up crackdowns against LGBT people in Tunisia. You can sign up to receive the newsletter here.
Amnesty International is publicly rebuking France’s consideration of the “hijab ban” bill. For the 2024 Olympics Games in France, the country banned Muslim women from wearing any form of religious headgear, including hijabs, when they competed for France in the Olympics. At the time, Amnesty International spoke out against the decision, pointing out that France is the only European country to have implemented such bans. The organization also documented how discriminatory the ban was, as some French sports federations have also implemented similar religious headgear bans that prevent Muslim women from competing or even training to take part in the Olympics for another country.
In February 2025, Amnesty International once again criticized France’s consideration of a bill that would ban all athletes from wearing “ostensibly religious” clothing and symbols in all sports in France. The bill is colloquially referred to as the “hijab ban” bill given the previous discriminatory rulings that seem to target Muslim women. Amnesty International is urging French lawmakers to vote against the bill.
Previously, except for the Olympic Games ruling, French sports federations controlled the implementation of such bans, but the new bill would remove federations’ oversight in favor of a blanket ban. The bill aims to separate sports from any form of religion and also prohibits any form of prayer in a sports facility.
The French Senate has already voted in favor of the bill—210 to 81—but the bill still needs a majority vote from the National Assembly to become law.
Lab grown meat on sale in UK supermarkets in world first
In February 2025, the UK became the first European country to put lab grown meat on the shelves of supermarkets, specifically for pets.
According to a professor of veterinary science, countries like the UK, which have a large number of pets, have pets eat 20% of all meat consumed by these countries. Given ongoing concerns with consuming meat and its impact on the climate crisis, beginning to reduce the amount of meat consumed by first supplementing lab grown meat for pets could be beneficial. However, while cultivated meat reduces some types of greenhouse gas emissions, some preliminary studies suggest increased CO2 emissions from cultivating meat.
The UK was the first country in Europe to legalize lab grown meat. Pet food brand Meatly launched its cultivated dog treats, claiming to use “less carbon, land, and water” than competitors using real meat products. The new Meatly Chicken product is reported to have the same nutritional value as real chicken, but all of the treats come from a single sample of a chicken egg, which is then used to cultivate the plant–based meat in a lab.
While only time can tell the effects of lab grown meat in the UK, multiple other European countries have voiced concerns about the possible harm lab grown meats might cause to the European farming model, the environment, and food safety. These countries call for more research to be done and regulations to be put in place before they will consider allowing lab grown meats.
Is Turkey damaging its honey reputation?
Turkey’s honey sector is valued at around €270 million in the global market. But in 2021 Turkey sustained a massive hit to its vital honey economy after multiple substantial wildfires killed bees. And now, in 2025, the second largest honey supplier in the world is facing another crisis: counterfeit honey. Reportedly, the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture has seized around €25 million in fake honey (also called adulterated honey) in the past few months and identified 43 producers of adulterated honey. The Ministry of Agriculture publicly listed these producers and shamed their business practices.
Adulterated honey uses sugar substitutes like glucose, fructose, and corn syrup. Using sugar substitutes to flavor honey is cheaper than producing honey without artificial sweeteners. Thus, Turkey’s economic situation is likely the cause of the turn to adulterated honey, with producers able to manufacture the honey at a lower cost, allowing the honey to be sold to consumers at a cheaper rate than real honey. However, the Turkish Beekeepers Association president does not want Turkey to gain the reputation of “a paradise for fake honey.” Instead, he is calling for stricter regulations and penalties for honey sellers, so that Turkey’s reputation will not be damaged by the increase in adulterated honey in the market.
Notably, adulterated honey is shockingly common in honey production worldwide, not just in Turkey. Many countries have exposed different adulterated honey producers, including a shocking set of companies that sold honey mixed with Viagra.
