Europe

In the north of the Hérault region, the courts have ordered the dismantling of a wind farm whose turbines were causing harm to birds and residents; the decision is the first in France, although the developer has appealed to the French Supreme Court

The municipality of Prizren provided a total of 1100 families with social assistance for the winter season with 3 cubic metres of wood

The Vatican court has concluded the judicial proceedings that began in July 2021 on the sale of a property in London; with 10 defendants, 69 witnesses and millions of files and documents, it is the longest trial ever experienced by the Holy See

Electric passenger vehicles market grew by 104% between January and November 2023, with 8.843 plug-in and electric hybrid passenger cars registered in November, 60,2% more than in the same month last year

As of next year, the state will contribute funds to help eligible persons cope with the increase in mortgage instalments; the amount of the new state social benefit will be 75% of the increase in housing loan instalments, up to a maximum of €150 per month

Centre-left party SPÖ wants to suspend the price of carbon dioxide emissions to soften the blow of high inflation; 'we demand that the CO2 tax be suspended until energy prices are reduced to a reasonable level,' said Kucher, head of parliamentary group

One in three Swedish elected officials have experienced some form of threat, violence or harm from ordinary citizens and more frequent perpetrators dubbed 'systemic threat actors' in previous year, the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention found

The UK has sought to salvage its agreement with Rwanda on funding for asylum seekers by signing a new treaty with the country, while ministers hope the revised pact will be a 'model for collaboration' on immigration control with EU states

Housing is becoming increasingly expensive in Switzerland: rents rose in almost all municipalities in the third quarter, with the strongest rise in the Zurich area

A major exhibition has been open at the Hamburger Kunsthalle to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the birth of romantic painter Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840); Berlin and Dresden will also be dedicating thematically independent exhibitions next year

Employees of the provincial Agriculture Payments and Interventions Agency centres will begin an indefinite general strike starting 21 December, announced the Agrostar Federation, affiliated to the National Trade Union Bloc

A bill on post-flood reconstruction and development was voted for reconstruction after the August floods; to help fund the effort, corporate income tax is being raised and a tax on bank assets introduced over a five year period