Europe North Macedonia Employees of the Ministries of Culture, the Environment, European Affairs, Digital Transformation, Transport and Communications and the Economy staged a protest, demanding a 30% salary increase and the signing of a collective labour agreement
Europe United Kingdom Railway regulator Transport Focus urged rail companies to adopt a system of 'yellow cards' for passengers travelling without the correct ticket, rather than handing out penalties or prosecution that should only be used in the event of a relapse
Europe Slovakia President Peter Pellegrini conferred State honours on 18 personalities from social, cultural and sporting life, nine of them posthumously
Europe Spain Gastronomy contributed €374 billion to the Spanish economy in 2023, generating 27% of the gross domestic product in 2023 and providing 7,2 million full-time jobs, representing 37% of the country's entire labour market
Europe Liechtenstein The new grid usage tariff model, effective from 1 January 2025, is already attracting criticism, with grid usage tariffs being described as 'a punishment' for owners of photovoltaic systems
Europe Monaco The Centre Scientifique de Monaco officially appointed Sylvie Tambutté, a distinguished marine biologist known for groundbreaking research on coral calcification and the challenges they face in the era of climate change, as its new scientific director
Europe Russia The first prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine in 2025 took place: 25 Ukrainian civilians and military personnel and 25 Russian soldiers were freed
Europe France France is the most fertile country in the European Union, despite reaching an all-time low in terms of fertility in 2024, with 1,62 children per woman, compared to 1,4 for the European average
Europe Germany A major reform of the Advisory Commission for Cultural Property Looted by the Nazis has been announced; it is specifically designed to deal with claims for compensation for works of art looted during the Nazi era
Europe Kosovo For the first time ever, Kosovo and Serbia met in Brussels to discuss the fate of people who disappeared during the 1998-1999 Kosovo war; joint commission has been agreed within the framework of the Declaration on Missing Persons
Europe Switzerland Johnson & Johnson plans to reduce its workforce in Switzerland, as the Company goes through reorganization and the business must adapt to a "complex and rapidly changing external environment"
Europe Estonia Funding for extracurricular education has decreased by a third in the last five years, and most hobby schools are now concentrated in larger municipalities; the Saare County has seen a 60% decline
Europe Czech Republic The fruit harvest dropped by 65% in 2024 to 48.058 tonnes, the lowest in 100 years according to a number of sources, after heavy frosts in April damaged flowering crops; frost-related losses are estimated at CZK 1,3 billion, or € 51.382.500