Portugal has been slow to implement new measures to combat corruption in government and law enforcement, a top European anti-graft monitoring body said on Wednesday, amid new concerns about the transparency of government-backed business deals. The report by the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO), part Europe's main rights watchdog, the Council of Europe, is the result of its fifth round of evaluation of Portugal launched in 2017. Prime Minister Antonio Costa resigned in November over an investigation into alleged illegalities in his administration's handling of several large investment projects and the country faces a snap general election on March 10.
Ukraine's parliament adopted an updated draft law on national minorities to implement the latest recommendations by the Council of Europe, lawmakers reported on Dec. 8.
Strategic metals are key for the European Union as it looks to reduce its dependence on Chinese or Russian raw materials. However, a flagship mining project in Bosnia and Herzegovina is stirring anger among some residents.
The Russian Presidential Human Rights Council has called on the United Nations, the Council of Europe, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to take note of the situation regarding the rights of Russians in Latvia, who may be evicted from the country for failing to pass the Latvian language exam.