Europe

Belgium’s three regions have announced the introduction of a road tax starting 1 May 2027, affecting both domestic and foreign drivers. The tax requires vehicle registration, with annual fees ranging from €90 for zero-emission cars to €125 for higher polluting vehicles.

The French government has activated the “Orsec extreme heat plan” for nine departments due to a persistent heatwave, with red alerts extended to 24 areas, including Ile-de-France. This unprecedented measure is aimed at protecting vulnerable populations amid increasing wildfires, which have already burned twice as much land as last year.

The ICC has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant. The ICC says both men – alongside a Hamas leader who was killed in July – bore “criminal responsibility” for crimes during the war between Israel and Hamas. The court accuses Israel of using starvation as a war tactic and for intentionally targeting civilians.

Despite Hungary’s resistance, Italy, Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands and France have signalled that they would respect the court’s decision and potentially arrest Netanyahu if he travelled to one of their countries.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Friday he would invite Benjamin Netanyahu to visit his country and that he would guarantee that an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against the Israeli prime minister would “not be observed.”

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