Europe

Luxembourg’s companies with global revenues of at least €750 million will pay a minimum effective tax rate of 15% with the start of 2024 as lawmakers passed the new law in parliament’s last session of 2023

Ahead of federal elections later this year in which the far-right is expected to do well, President Alexander Van der Bellen in his New Year's message encouraged people to engage more with those who have different viewpoints

North Macedonia weathered a series of ethnically-charged incidents in 2023, a relatively calm period despite economic hardships, and opens 2024 with the prospect of a politician from the country’s ethnic Albanian minority becoming prime minister

A new law granting himself permanent immunity from criminal prosecution has been signed by President Lukashenko; it also prevents opposition leaders living in exile from running in future presidential elections

The country recorded its lowest temperature in 25 years for the month of January: minus 43,6 degrees Celsius at the Kvikkjokk-Årrenjarka station in the far north

Around one million counterfeit Swiss watches were confiscated worldwide in 2023, says the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry despite a constant monitoring for fake "Swiss Made" on websites or socials and training for customs officers in many countries

Junior doctors demanding better working conditions have begun an unprecedented six-days strike expected to bring massive disruption of non urgent care and tens of thousands services cancelled, amid flu peaks and a surge in the need of hospital care

In a series of indictments announced over the New Year period, 15 suspects were charged with various wartime crimes including attacks on villages that left dozens of Bosniaks and Croats dead and executing hundreds of men from Srebrenica

Moldova is officially a member of the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism, an initiative of coordination in crisis situations and natural dangers, since the beginning of this year

More than 20 primary schools who reported to be in financial difficulty due to rising costs sought contingency funding from the Department of Education last year; just one school was successful in securing additional funding

Russia reportedly launched 500 missiles and drones at Ukraine in three days; two of the biggest cities have been hit in a wave of heavy air strikes and at least five civilians have been killed