According to European Commission statistics, tobacco and nicotine consumption is the biggest preventable health risk and the leading cause of premature deaths. Member states are being called upon to expand smoke-free zones and ban new products that appeal to young consumers. Europe's media take a closer look at national strategies.
The Romanian Constitutional Court has ordered a relaxation of regulations on financial transparency for public officials. Politicians and civil servants are currently required to publish details of their assets - both their own and those of direct relatives. Under the new ruling the legal provisions must be amended to stipulate that the data must be submitted to the ANI inspection body, but not made public, and information about relatives' assets will no longer required.
Scandal-plagued tech multibillionaire Elon Musk is leaving politics. His role as head of the controversial Department of Government Efficiency, which was tasked with streamlining the state apparatus and cutting government costs, was limited by law to 130 days. Prior to his exit his initially close relationship with Trump had already visibly cooled in recent weeks and his electric car company Tesla had also run into difficulties due to a slump in sales.
After millions of tonnes of rocks and rubble broke off from the unstable Kleines Nesthorn mountain above, large parts of the Birch glacier in the Swiss canton of Valais collapsed and almost completely wiped out the village of Blatten in the valley below. Thanks to early warnings by experts, the village's 300 inhabitants and their livestock had been evacuated a few days before.
The Russian government has proposed resuming negotiations on a ceasefire in Istanbul on Monday and said it will set out its terms in a memorandum. Meanwhile, at a meeting in Berlin on Wednesday German Chancellor Friedrich Merz assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that Germany would provide five billion euros in military aid.
Since he was first sworn in, US President Donald Trump has caused a stir on an almost daily basis with new announcements of extreme measures in politics and the economy. Many of them - including major tariff hikes - have been cancelled or postponed a few days after being announced. Others, such as mass redundancies or deportations, have been put on hold by the courts. Europe's press takes stock of this erratic style of government.
Romania's new president, Nicușor Dan, has held initial consultations with the parties represented in parliament, with particular focus on the country's large budget deficit and the formation of a new government. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu of the Social Democratic Party resigned after his coalition's presidential candidate, Crin Antonescu, came third in the first round of the elections.
A majority of the French National Assembly has voted to abolish the green zones, or LEZs (low emission zones), which around 40 cities had introduced to improve air quality. Members of the Assembly criticised the ban on heavy and polluting vehicles as anti-social, arguing that low-income earners can't afford low-emission cars. The national press is incensed.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday lifted restrictions on Ukraine's use of Western weapons against military targets in Russia, saying that this was necessary for the country to be able to defend itself effectively. With this move Berlin has aligned itself with other allies whose weapons systems have already been approved to this end. However, although it has long-range weapons in the form of Taurus cruise missiles, Germany has refused to deliver them to Kyiv so far.
Poles will head to the polls on Sunday to choose between the liberal Mayor of Warsaw Rafał Trzaskowski and right-wing conservative Karol Nawrocki as their next president. In the first round of voting the two candidates were almost neck and neck, with roughly 31 and 30 percent of the vote, respectively. Several far-right politicians were surprisingly successful and their votes will now be crucial. Commentators see repercussions far beyond Poland.
Twenty EU member states have published a joint declaration calling on the EU to exhaust all sanction options against Hungary if Budapest refuses to withdraw restrictions on LGBT rights adopted in March and April. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has also brought sanctions against Hungary and Slovakia into play over their Ukraine and Russia policies, which deviate from those of the majority in the bloc.
King Charles III has delivered his throne speech at the opening of the new parliament in the Canadian capital of Ottawa. Although he didn't make direct reference to President Donald Trump's proposal to make Canada the 51st state of the US, his speech contained a few side blows. "The true north is indeed strong and free," said the British monarch in reference to Canada's national anthem. Commentators discuss the royal visit.