Europe

The country is preparing to become the world epicentre of viticulture and oenology from 16 to 20 June 2025, hosting the 46th World Congress of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine

A group of French and foreign private investors committed to invest €109 billion in the country's artificial intelligence sector in the coming years, mainly in infrastructure, said President Macron

Spain's economy grew by 3,2% in 2024, while the economy of the rest of the European Union is stagnating; this is the highest GDP increase in 2024 among the richest countries in the world: that of the USA increased by 2,8%

According to data from the 'Halo, Inspector!' platform, which organised the shop boycott in Croatia, spending in the country fell by a total of €108 million over three weeks, of which €75 million was lost in just three Fridays of the boycott

The shadow economy remains high, at 33% and Bulgaria shows the highest tolerance for the shadow economy compared to the rest of the European Union according to a study by the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology of Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

Opioids will become the most severely punished drug category in Denmark as the government intends to significantly toughen penalties for opioid-related crimes, increasing sentences by more than 400%, announced Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard

In the parliamentary elections, the ruling party Vetevendosje!, 'Movement for Self-Determination!', led by outgoing Prime Minister Albin Kurti, won a relative majority of seats

176 World War II unexploded bombs were discovered under a children's playground in Wooler, Northumberland, and it is feared that more will be unearthed; it is believed that the area was used as a Home Guard training camp

In 2025, the country will allocate almost EUR 32 million to support the education of Ukrainian refugees who arrived in Lithuania between 2022 and 2023 and are regularly enrolled in higher education institutions

A Polish couple, devoted to the Virgin Mary, is building a large statue of the Mother of God near the Shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows in Konotop; it will be a total of 55,6 metres high and will be the higher in Europe when it wiil be finished in half 2026

Students gathered in front of the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina because of the tragedy in Jablanica in which 19 people died, demanding that the authorities be held accountable and making demands of those responsible

The secretary of the left-wing Democratic Party Elly Schlein is the first signatory of a bill, signed by all opposition leaders, to increase the maternity allowance and introduce equal leave for fathers

A new electricity supply model for public institutions will be introduced in a cost-cutting strategy, said Marko Bislimoski, Chairman of the Energy and Water Services Regulatory Commission