Europe Belarus On the occasion of the appointment of new heads of district administrations, President Lukashenko drew attention to the work of village councils, criticising rural councils for poor performance
Europe Slovakia The Ministry of Information recently presented a 'blueprint' for national regulation of illegal content and online hoaxes; many other public institutions commented pointing out flaws in the plan
Europe Portugal The country will adopt a new defence strategy by the end of the year; the Defence Minister has assured that compulsory military service will not return
Europe North Macedonia Work on road markings in Kichevo has begun and will be completed by the end of May; the director of the utility company emphasised how the road markings are a great contribution in reducing traffic in the city and have increased pedestrian safety
Europe Malta Infrastructure Malta is completing the laying of the high-voltage underground cables that will power the shore-to-ship electrical systems for cruise ships, reducing their emissions by 90%, relieving residents of emitted pollution
Europe Bulgaria The sixth national meeting-seminar, organised by the Ministry of Health and the National Centre for Public Health and Analysis, with academics and industry organisations, reported on the progress of food reform to reduce added sugars in fizzy drinks
Europe Romania According to a new government bill, public institutions and authorities will no longer be allowed to use IT security software and services produced by Russian companies or controlled by Russian companies or persons for the duration of the war in Ukraine
Europe Belgium The popularity of rock climbing is growing in Brussels and soon enthusiasts will be able to practice it in the Saint-Antoine church in the Forest district, which will be used as a climbing hall
Europe Denmark Dansk Folkehjælp has reported a sharp increase in the number of families applying for summer holiday support - around 10.000 - although only a tenth of applicants will receive the subsidy
Europe Monaco The Monegasque Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies in its latest document on the health crisis, reported that 1 in 4 people in Monaco have been infected since the start of the pandemic; almost 1/3 are still unvaccinated
Europe Austria The Austrian government unveiled more than 20 measures to improve working conditions for care professionals, with €1 billion invested in the next steps of the reform that aims to make the sector more attractive to workers
Europe Sweden To help Ukrainian refugees start work by streamlining administrative processes, a coordination number will soon be issued by the Migration Board to Ukrainian refugees who have obtained a residence permit with temporary protection
Europe United Kingdom The government wants to cut up to 91.000 civil service jobs to save money, with the aim of returning to 2016 staffing levels within three years, with realistic annual savings of £3,75bn