Europe Latvia On 1 and 2 February, Ģertrūdes Street Theatre will host 'Avots' language festival with thematic lectures, discussions and workshops exploring the languages in the context of the relationship between the individual and society, and lesser-used languages
Europe Luxembourg The Marga Centre, a new women's shelter in Neudorf, offers drug addicts a space where they can feel safe with an all-women team providing support
Europe Malta A full year of paid leave - between maternity and parental - has been proposed by the Nationalist Party within a package of 10 work-life balance measures to provide flexibility for families
Europe Bosnia and Herzegovina A second programme loan for health sector development policies worth $75 million has been approved by the World Bank Board of Directors to support the implementation of policies to improve the financial stability of healthcare institutions
Europe Belgium In 2024, 411.021 counterfeit articles were seized in Belgium, almost double the previous year's total of 217.053, announced the Ministry of Economic Affairs
Europe Switzerland The country is set to ban international adoptions: a draft law proposal is to be handed in by the end of 2026; the move aims to prevent potential abuses, as an independent panel of experts found that even the strictest adoption laws can’t fully prevent it
Europe Ukraine The historic buildings at the centre of Ukraine’s Black Sea port of Odesa, a UNESCO World Heritage site, were damaged by Russian missiles that also injured seven people, in what President Zelenskyy calls “a deliberate strike”
Europe Romania Cluj-Napoca and Sibiu topped History T.R.A.I. index in 2024: the former has the highest total score based on objective indicators such as traffic, air quality and property prices, and the latter on 13 subjective criteria assessed by city residents
Europe Poland The annual number of births in Poland once again reached an all-time low, according to the state agency Statistics Poland; 2024 marked the 12th consecutive year in which deaths exceeded births
Europe North Macedonia North Macedonian social media users are calling for a boycott of local markets today 31 January 2025, in protest against rising prices; similar boycotts have been organized in Croatia
Europe Netherlands The increase in wages resulted in over €616 billion savings in 2024, an increase of €24,2 billion over the previous year, Nederlandsche Bank reported
Europe Moldova Moldovan Prosecutor General Ion Munteanu filed a notification with Constitutional Court asking it to verify the constitutionality of the appointment procedure of the Chief Prosecutor of the Autonomous Territorial Unit Gagauzia and subordinate prosecutors
Europe Portugal Portugal’s average net salary saw a 9,6% rise in 2024, reaching 1.142 euros, the largest increase in a decade; the rise was fueled by a 22% jump in the salaries of the Armed Forces, the strong rise in public sector wages, solid gains for farmers