Europe Greece The state's proposal to place offshore wind farms off the Island of Crete has united the island's hoteliers who are opposing it in support of the preservation of the natural and man-made landscape
Europe Iceland Birnir was the most popular name given to newborns in Iceland in 2023 (30 male babies), while Emilía was the most popular name given to baby girls, according to data published by Registers Iceland
Europe Ireland The Dublin City Centre Transport Plan, which aims to end the dominance of cars on city streets by reducing their routes and creating new civic squares, was overwhelmingly approved by the public, with over 80% in favour
Europe Kosovo Germany will double its contribution of around 100 troops to the NATO-led peacekeeping forces in Kosovo
Europe Lithuania A new military facility was officially opened in Rokantiškės, built in 3 years under a public-private partnership agreement worth €74 million; it will house the Duke Vaidotas Infantry Battalion and is the first of three facilities to be opened this year
Europe Germany A German court has rejected an injunction by the far-right Young Alternativ wing of the German AfD party seeking to have its classification as a 'certified' right-wing-extremist organisation dropped
Europe Vatican City Pope Francis expressed his condolences for the death of Antonio Paolucci, former director of the Vatican Museums and prominent art historian
Europe Netherlands Last year, people in need of a new organ had to wait slightly less than in previous years, the Dutch Transplant Foundation reported, from 29 months in 2022 to 27 months in 2023 for kidney transplants, with similar decreases for other organs
Europe Bulgaria A memorial ceremony was held on board the Bulgarian naval research and survey ship Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii (RSV 421) for the Argentinian researchers who lost their lives in Antarctica in 1976
Europe Croatia The new Rijeka University Hospital complex, worth €158 million and the largest government investment in healthcare since Croatia's independence, was inaugurated; construction began in 2019
Europe Finland Finnish forest industry giant Stora Enso has announced a new profit improvement programme that could result in the shedding of around a thousand jobs
Europe Hungary The National Election Office rejected the joint referendum initiative of the opposition party Momentum and Dániel Karsai on end-of-life decisions
Europe Luxembourg Luxembourg's long-awaited return to the Eurovision Song Contest after three decades, with the participation of Tali Golergant, has cost the country's taxpayers over €1 million, government said