Europe Romania State aid schemes for companies affected by US customs tariffs have been announced; support measures for all affected industries would be as efficient and easy to implement as possible so that they can take effect as soon as possible, PM said
Europe Spain Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti, Italian, appeared in a Madrid court at his trial for alleged tax evasion; prosecutors have accused him of a tax fraud with shell companies in 2014 and 2015 and are seeking a prison sentence of over four years
Europe Poland A count ruled that Zakopane, a popular mountain resort, is unjustified in charging tourists a “climate fee” given how bad the air quality is in the area; Zakopane disagrees and says will change local laws to charge the fee which brings €1.2 million a year
Europe France Hungary’s Orbán, Italy’s Meloni, the Kremlin, US President Trump and Elon Musk have all been very critical towards the judges that found Marine Le Pen guilty of embezzlement and sentenced to an immediate five-year ban from running for public office
Europe Albania Opposition leader Sali Berisha is borrowing MAGA-style rhetoric for his campaign in view of May’s elections - many experts doubt that will work as corruption charges he faces in court and his age (81) weigh against his chances of victory
Europe Greece A draft law would abolish the special statute for offenses and crimes committed by ministers: limitation period would be 5-8 years for misdemeanors and 15-20 for felonies; now offenses expire if prosecution isn't initiated within 2 parliamentary sessions
Europe Bosnia and Herzegovina The Republika Srpska assembly adopted a draft constitution and law allowing for the formation of a separate army and judiciary; according to OHR, which oversees the accords that ended the 1992-95 war, it is a violation of the Dayton Peace Agreement
Europe Finland Restaurant Palace in Helsinki has been voted the best restaurant in Finland for the sixth consecutive year; in the Suomen 50 Parasta Ravintolaa /Finland’s 50 Best Restaurants list BasBas and Grön follow and new entries Jason and Teller are 4th and 5th
Europe Hungary 67% of Hungarian voters oppose Ukraine's accession to the EU according to latest poll by the Nézopont Institute and this decisive position spans all demographic categories
Europe Iceland The education system is not yielding the expected results according to OECD, which conducts the PISA assessments; Icelandic students receive high grades that don't accurately reflect performance, raising concerns about the country’s academic standards
Europe Kosovo Kosovo signed a defence agreement with Croatia and Albania, calling for joint responses to common security challenges; the pact has drawn a furious response from Serbia, which called it a threatening move
Europe Moldova The abrupt suspension of USAID forced the Moldovan government and NGOs to seek alternative funding from Europe as salaries are cut and people laid off; the country had received nearly 2,5 billion dollars over the past 30 years for democratic development
Europe Croatia Radio and tv workers have rallied against layoffs: employees at Croatia’s public broadcaster protested against a government ‘consolidation plan’, which includes cutting 700 to 800 employees – about a third of the total staff