Europe Sweden Several youths in Vallentuna were poisoned by isopropanol after drinking alcohol bought from a "vodkabil" that they got in touch with via Snapchat; according to Poison Information Centre the substance, used to clean electronics, is dangerous if ingested
Europe Czech Republic Today marks the 80th anniversary of the October 19, 1945, first organised transport of settlers from Prague to the Czech borderlands, beginning post-war efforts to resettle areas that had been left deserted after the expulsion of German-speaking citizens
Europe Malta The 2025 autumn trapping season for the song thrush (malvizz) and the golden plover (pluviera), that will run from 20 October to 31 December 2025 and from 1 November 2025 to 10 January 2026, with quotas set at 5.000 song thrushes and 700 golden plovers
Europe Luxembourg Entrepreneurship in Luxembourg is increasing, but new figures from STATEC suggest that enthusiasm for artificial intelligence is matched by growing anxiety about its risks
Europe Albania Alert has increased over money laundering and more focus is given to the phenomenon in the 2026-2030 guidelines as cross-border transactions have increased
Europe Belarus New bill “On amending the laws on the granting of loans” was signed to protect the property rights of citizens in relation to borrowing money; among other measures it prohibits having only residential property as collateral for loan contracts
Europe Belgium A new plan to combat antimicrobial resistance will be launched amid a global rise in infections resistant to common antibiotics; the WHO calls the occurrence a “silent pandemic”
Europe Italy The value of "unobserved" economy has grown by €15,1 billion, marking a 7,5% increase on 2022 data, reaching €217 billion; the net value of illegal activities stands at just under €198 billion, up €14,9 billion on previous year, 9,2% of GPD in 2023
Europe Greece Competition Commission has identified inefficiencies and potential distortions in coastal shipping; with 299 vessels operated by 216 companies the sector remains concentrated, with Attica Group and Seajets controlling about 60% of total passenger capacity
Europe Iceland Laugarás Lagoon opened to the public; the new bathing facility extends over around one thousand square meters and offers a view over the river Hvítá and the surrounding countryside
Europe Netherlands 20.000 Dutch men a year travel abroad with the intention of sexually abusing a child, a recent study commissioned by the Scientific Research and Data Center found; the anti-abuse organization Offlimits launched a campaign aimed at stopping the phenomenon
Europe Montenegro State prosecutors have accused and arrested former minister Predrag Boskovic, an opposition official, of being part of a criminal organisation that targeted political opponents using the media and social networks
Europe Ukraine Emergency power cuts have been imposed in all but two regions of Ukraine following an increase in Russian strikes that have weakened the country's energy system