A court in Pezinok, Slovakia, acquitted controversial businessman Marian Kočner of ordering the murder of journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová. Alena Zsuzsová, who, according to the plaintiff, helped plan the crime, was also acquitted. In the most-watched trial in modern Slovak history, the verdict caused a shock among the survivors and Slovak […]
The French government today unveiled details of its € 100 billion stimulus plan to address the adverse economic effects of the coronavirus crisis in two years. The program includes public investment, subsidies, and tax cuts, Reuters reported. According to the plan, the government intends to spend, among other things, 35 billion euros to strengthen the […]
Facebook’s French branch has agreed to pay €106 million in back taxes and penalties, according to a report by French news magazine Capital. Facebook France is to pay 104 million euros, of which 22 million is for penalties. The decision resulted in a loss of 88 million euros for the French division of the multinational company, […]
Ireland’s prime minister and deputy minister asked European Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan, Ireland’s representative on the EU’s executive, to resign for attending a party in violation of COVID-19 restrictions. The Irish politician was stopped by police last week when he was using a telephone while driving. He escaped only with a reprimand. He was later […]
The number of air passengers in Europe will fall by 60 percent this year, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). As a result, around seven million jobs in the air transport and tourism sectors are at risk. IATA says ongoing travel restrictions and concerns about a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic contributed […]
Polish Conservative President Andrzej Duda, who won the second round of the presidential election last month, was sworn in front of lawmakers today. Duda, a close ally of the ruling National Conservative Party Law and Justice, has taken on a second mandate. Most opposition lawmakers and some former Polish leaders did not attend the Sejm […]
Belarus lost 1.5 billion Belarusian rubles due to disputes with Russia, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said. He also called on Russia to “stop lying” about a group of detained Russians who, according to Belarusian investigators, are suspected of destabilizing the country as mercenaries. In his message to parliament and the people and delivered five days […]
The European Commission (EC) has launched a full investigation into Google’s planned takeover of Fitbit. The EC fears that the agreement could further strengthen Google’s position in the online advertising market, as Google obtains a wealth of data that it can use for personalized advertising, the Commission said in a press release. Competition Commissioner Margrethe […]
The European Union’s economy suffered its worst drop on record in the second quarter. Gross domestic product (GDP) decreased by 11.9 percent compared to the previous three months and 14.4 percent year-on-year, according to European statistical office Eurostat. Thus, using a comparable calculation methodology, Europe experienced a deeper economic downturn than the United States in […]