PRESS EUROPEAN

Denmark

Card sharp

FINANSFORBUNDET, the trade union that represents employees working in Denmark’s finance sector, reported that 2022 was the country’s first year without a bank robbery. As more people use cards, banks are keeping less cash on their premises, relieving workers of the ‘extreme stress’ they experienced during robberies, the union said.

The Netherlands

Fire hazard

THE Netherlands should prepare to fight more wildfires owing to rising temperatures and increased periods of drought, experts from the Institute of Public Safety (NIVP) and meteorological institute, KNMI, warned. Fire departments, used to dealing with burning buildings, will need more training in extinguishing wildfires in rural areas, they said.

Belgium

Strong arm

A 2022 by the Le Soir newspaper and broadcaster RTBF found that many Belgians were disenchanted with parliamentary democracy, with 70 per cent preferring referendums on key issues. A further 69 per cent said that they would back a strong leader who ‘understood people’ and was capable of ‘restoring order’.

Germany

Zebras crossing

A RESIDENT in Geldern in Germany’s Lower Rhine-Westphalia area alerted the police after he had spotted two zebras wandering loose. Assisted by members of the public, they were able to round up both animals and return them unharmed to their owners who welcomed them home with a bucket of carrots.

France

Unequal rights

A FRENCH government report found that sexism remained in all areas and the situation was worsening, especially for younger women. Investigators observed that women were targeted via new types of harassment which included online violence, abuse on social media and pornography with ‘barbaric’ content while discrimination had reached ‘alarming proportions’.

Norway

Paint query

BERGEN University research into whiteness and paint is examining whether the Norwegian-developed pigment, titanium dioxide, has contributed to white supremacy and ‘has made the world whiter’. Although not a conventional colonial power, the project will investigate whether Norway has helped to establish white as a ‘superior colour’, university sources said.

Finland

Be ready

FINLAND risks more power cuts this winter than other EU countries but is also better-prepared thanks to the Defence Ministry’s annual brochure. This advises the population to store sufficient food, water and medicines to see them through 72 hours during the coldest months and to invest in a battery-operated radio.

Ireland

Spare time

IRELAND’S president Michal D Higgins called for a ban on homework. Speaking on national broadcaster RTE, Higgins, a former Arts minister, argued that school activities should end at the school gate and eliminating homework would provide extra time for young people to engage in more creative pursuits outside school hours.

Italy

London’s loss

THERE is an increasingly buoyant market for luxury properties in Milan, the financial capital of Italy, as bankers, fund managers and private equity investors are choosing to abandon London following Brexit. They have also been enticed by the offer of generous tax breaks introduced in 2017 to attract new arrivals.

Portugal

Come hither

A SHORTAGE of doctors in Portugal’s National Health Service (SNS) prompted the government to launch an incentives programme in hopes of attracting them to sparsely populated areas. Sweeteners include higher salaries and free accommodation for resident doctors who decide to carry out their specialist training in hospitals in the interior.

Ukraine

Build it up

UKRAINE’S president Volodymyr Zelensky and Larry Fink, CEO of Blackrock Inc, the New York-based multinational investment company agreed to coordinate and channel investment in rebuilding the country. Ukraine’s Economy Ministry and Blackrock’s Financial Markets Advisory division signed a memorandum of understanding in November.

Sweden

Stay loyal

SWEDISH newspaper Dagems Nyheter allegedly received documents revealing that before leaving China more than 30 doctoral students bound for Lund University had first to sign a pledge. They were reportedly obliged to promise to ‘serve the regime’s interests’ and never participate in activities ‘that flouted the wishes of the authorities’.

STAT OF WEEK €56.7 million

is the amount of the fine that on-demand courier service Glovo will have to pay for employing foreigners without work permits and imposing work conditions on the self-employed.