Europe Greece A €9,5 million contract was signed for the rehabilitation of the port of Volos, Thessaly, which was heavily damaged by storms Daniel and Elias in September last year
Europe Estonia Services accounted for 68% of Estonian GDP 15 years ago and this year they will reach 74,5%; the service sector of the economy is growing steadily, while the share of industrial activities is declining
Europe Albania Social network TikTok will be made unavailable for at least a year across the country starting in early 2025; the government will launch a series of programmes to 'foster the education of students and help parents track their children's education'
Europe Sweden Swedish environmental technology company Chromafora has received a European Investment Bank loan of €22,5 million to advance technology to remove 'chemicals forever' from water
Europe Slovenia Nazi and fascist symbols will be banned under the amendments passed by the National Assembly; the opposition failed to pass the proposal to extend the ban to communist symbols
Europe Moldova A 60-day state of emergency began last week over the prospect of a halt to gas supplies to the Cuciurgan power plant, which is located in Transnistria and supplies the rest of Moldova with some 80% of its electricity
Europe Germany The Bundestag has approved an amendment to the Basic Law to protect the Federal Constitutional Court; key provisions regarding the structure and functioning of Germany’s supreme court have now been incorporated in the constitution
Europe Switzerland The world’s steepest cable car has opened, connecting the villages of Stechelberg and Mürren in the Bernese Oberland; the iconic aerial cable car climbs 775 metres of altitude difference in 4 minutes on a track of 1.194 metres with 159,4% gradient
Europe Vatican City New webpage "Work with Us", job applications for laypeople who wish to apply for vacancies at the Holy See, has been launched by the Secretariat for the Economy; appropriate competence, motivation, and an ethical sense are required for all positions
Europe North Macedonia The Constitutional Court will not rule immediately over the disputed constitutionality of the country’s language 2018 law, but will hold a preparatory meeting soon, to hear international experts’ opinions before making any decisions
Europe Kosovo Latest report “Challenges of Terrorism Prevention Mechanisms in Kosovo” says limited progress was made in implementing counter-terrorism strategy, which relies on prevention, coordination between stakeholders, early identification of vulnerable people
Europe Italy The Vasari corridor, a narrow 760m-long passageway on the Arno River in Florence is now open to the public; commissioned in 1565 and completed in just five months, it connects the Uffizi Galleries with the Pitti Palace and the Boboli garden
Europe Spain The working week will be shortened for equal pay from the current 40 hours to 37 ½ hours by the end of 2025 following an agreement reached by the government with the country's two main trade unions