News summary for
European prosecutors launch fraud investigation into Guy Verhofstadt
Fiscal realities are catching up with political promises, and governments are generally choosing the path of least resistance. Ireland's Taoiseach froze a planned carbon tax on home heating oil, calculating that green targets are less urgent than cold voters. Malta's administration is agonizing over whether to fund fuel subsidies or issue a pre-election bonus. Romania remains one step above junk status as rating agencies wait for a credible budget plan. In Belgium, a shared fear of the financial alternative is the only thing keeping five coalition partners at the negotiating table.
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In more detail
European prosecutors launch investigation into Guy Verhofstadt
European anti-fraud and prosecution offices have directed the federal police to investigate the former prime minister and long-time MEP. The probe arrives precisely as the current federal coalition struggles to finalize its own fraught budget.
Police order mass DNA screening of women after child's death
An investigation into a child's death has led authorities to collect DNA samples from every woman in a single city. Detectives have not ruled out extending the mandatory screening to the entire male population.
Voting technology malfunctions delay general elections
The nationwide debut of biometric voter identification and ballot scanners was meant to modernize the democratic process. Instead, polling stations in Mostar and Bijeljina spent the morning debating whether to revert to pen and paper after the new machines failed to start, though officials say the initial problems were resolved.
Mediterranean hurricane kills one in Catalonia
A rare 'medicane' brought Barcelona its heaviest rainfall in two decades, trapping drivers in rising floodwaters and causing a fatal wall collapse in Tordera. The storm battered the coast just as new polling showed the combined right-wing opposition would comfortably secure an absolute majority.
Key themes Fraud investigation Mass DNA screening Election technology Carbon tax freeze Mediterranean hurricane