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European news, 15 Oktoober 2026 — Russia: Novaya Gazeta editor-in-chief questioned after home search
prometheus.fr 🇪🇺 EUROPE | 7 European stories to know on 15 October
🗞️ Freedoms and society: In Russia, the editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta is taken in for questioning following a search of his home. In Portugal, a police operation targeting a camp set up by housing rights activists in Porto leaves 37 people injured, according to the movement.
💻 Technology and justice: In Italy, Lombardy is preparing stricter rules for data centre development in response to their energy demands. In Hungary, the European Court of Justice rules against a scheme allowing certain prison sentences for human trafficking to be replaced with a rehabilitation regime requiring those concerned to leave the country.
⚡ Energy, security and heritage: Switzerland authorises the release of strategic kerosene reserves to maintain fuel supplies to Zurich Airport. In Germany, drinking alcohol is banned across Deutsche Bahn’s 5,700 railway stations. In the Netherlands, Rotterdam’s poetry-adorned rubbish trucks are recognised as part of the country’s intangible cultural heritage.
📲 Discover the key facts and implications of these seven stories in this carousel.
PromethEUs | Making sense of European affairs.
Sources
2. Novaya Gazeta Europe
3. Euronews
4. Reuters
5. Court of Justice of the European Union
6. Swiss Confederation, Reuters
7. Deutsche Bahn
8. The Guardian
Read this carousel as text
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Freedoms
Russia: Novaya Gazeta editor-in-chief questioned after home search
Police searched the home of Sergei Sokolov, editor-in-chief of the independent newspaper, before taking him in for questioning. The investigation is linked to a case involving his colleague Oleg Roldugin, who was arrested in April. Sokolov had not been charged at the time of publication. The case comes amid continued pressure on Russia’s independent media.
Source : Novaya Gazeta Europe
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Society
Portugal: Police operation against housing rights camp leaves dozens injured
In Porto, police moved in during the night of 14–15 October to clear tents set up by housing rights activists in Praça D. João I. The movement reported 37 people injured, two of whom were hospitalised.
Police confirmed the operation but said some participants had resisted. Porto’s mayor defended the action, while protesters denounced what they described as a disproportionate use of force.Source : Euronews
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Technology
Italy: Lombardy seeks to curb data centre expansion
Lombardy, the region around Milan, is preparing to tighten its rules on data centres amid a surge in proposed projects. More than 60 applications, representing a combined capacity of around 11 GW, have been submitted since the regional law came into force. According to estimates cited by Reuters, this capacity could require 90 TWh of electricity a year, compared with the region’s current annual consumption of around 65 TWh.
The proposed changes would prioritise former industrial sites, limit the use of agricultural land, and encourage renewable energy and water-efficient systems.Source : Reuters
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Justice
Hungary: European Court rules against scheme altering sentences for human trafficking
The Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that Hungary had breached EU law by automatically converting certain final prison sentences for human trafficking into a “special reintegration detention” regime. The scheme allowed those concerned to leave the country within 72 hours of their release and barred them from returning for the specified period. The Court found that the mechanism did not amount to an effective, dissuasive and proportionate penalty.
The decree in question was repealed in August 2025. The Court stated that 2,525 people had been subject to the scheme.Source : Court of Justice of the European Union
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Energy
Switzerland: Zurich draws on kerosene reserves amid looming shortage
Swiss authorities have temporarily authorised the release of 30,000 m³ of kerosene from compulsory reserves to maintain supplies to Zurich Airport. Deliveries have been disrupted by major delays in rail freight, particularly from Germany. Low water levels on the Rhine have diverted more goods onto an already overstretched rail network.
Source : Swiss Confederation, Reuters
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Health
Germany: Alcohol banned at around 5,700 Deutsche Bahn stations
From 15 October, drinking alcohol is prohibited in the concourses and on the platforms of the state-owned railway company’s stations. Station restaurants and alcohol consumption aboard trains are generally exempt. The stated aim is to reduce conflict, violence and litter; the company’s security staff will play a key role in enforcing the ban.
Source : Deutsche Bahn
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Heritage
Netherlands: Rotterdam’s poetry-adorned rubbish trucks recognised as intangible cultural heritage
Since 1988, poems have been printed on Rotterdam’s waste collection vehicles. This tradition has now been added to the Dutch inventory of intangible cultural heritage, alongside hundreds of other national practices and traditions. The initiative aims to bring poetry into everyday life, beyond traditional cultural venues.
Source : The Guardian