PRESS EUROPEAN

Denmark

Own choice

DENMARK is lowering the age of abortion without parental consent from 18 to 15, Gender Equality minister Marie Bjerre announced on the 50th anniversary of the law granting women the right to terminate a pregnancy. “We want young people to choose whether or not to involve their parents,” she said.

The Netherlands

Too darn hot

A GROUP of people with Dutch citizenship living on the Caribbean island of Bonaire, part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, have asked the government to protect the island from global warming. Failing to do so would result in a court case along with Greenpeace, the islanders said.

Belgium

Riot act

LEFT-WING political parties and unions in Belgium are opposing a proposed law banning ‘rioters’ from protests. The new legislation could be misused to curtail the freedom to participate in protests and strikes, they said, voicing doubts shared by the High Court and the Federal Institute of Human Rights.

Germany

Climate crims

GERMAN police swooped on the homes of climate activists from the Last Generation environmental group in Hesse, Hamburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony, Bavaria, Berlin, and Schleswig-Holstein. They are charged with having organised a campaign to raise funds that would have been used to finance ‘criminal actions’.

France

Fizzled out

BORDER police in Le Havre destroyed 35,000 bottles of a bright orange soft drink called Couronne Fruit Champagne originating in Haiti but destined for consumption in France. Only sparkling wine products from the French Champagne region can use the word, according to a ruling accepted by 121 countries.

Norway

Spy whale

NORWAY’S Fisheries Directorate asked the public to protect a friendly beluga whale living in the inner Oslofjord from accidents or injury by limiting contact with him. Hvaldimir became famous in 2019 when he appeared wearing a camera harness, suggesting that he was trained by the Russian military.

Finland

Overpowered

FINLAND produced so much clean electricity on May 24 that the price was “slightly below zero,” energy provider Fingrid announced. The price drop was triggered by an abundance of renewable energy thanks to a new nuclear reactor while spring floods pushed up production at hydroelectric plants.

Ireland

Meta cutback

META, parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, announced that jobs are to be cut at its Irish headquarters. Inside sources revealed that the reductions, thought to number approximately 490, would affect several teams including finance, sales, marketing, analytics, operations, and engineering.

Italy

Bear appeal

MAURIZIO FUGATTI, governor of Trentino, is awaiting a court decision on his latest attempt to put down the bear believed to have fatally attacked and killed Andrea Papi. The 26-yearold runner’s parents oppose Fugatti’s reprisal, arguing that killing the young bear “will not give us back our son.”

PORTUGAL Law row

PORTUGAL’S president Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa signed a euthanasia and assisted suicide bill last week. The law is not yet in force and opposition from the medical and political establishments, including the president himself who is a practising Catholic, could make it difficult to put into practice.

Ukraine

Future plans

EUROPEAN companies are already earmarking locations and planning projects in Ukraine for reconstruction worth hundreds of billions of dollars. Most projects focus on restoring infrastructure damaged or destroyed since the Russian invasion, but also anticipate a wave of investment once fighting ends.

Sweden

Fewer homes

SWEDEN is experiencing its worst construction crisis since the 1990s, affecting young adults hoping to get a foot on the property ladder. Sweden’s Housing minister, Andreas Carlson, blamed the worsening conditions on external factors that were related to rising interest rates, inflation and increased energy prices.