French transportation company BlaBlaCar has announced it will discontinue its own network of long-distance buses. The company cited a highly competitive market and rising operational costs as reasons for the service no longer being profitable.
Dutch provinces are calling on the national government to implement urgent crisis measures to address the increasing overload of the electricity grid. The Interprovinciaal Overleg (IPO) suggests allocating more funding toward hydrogen projects and heating networks to help manage grid congestion.
The Dutch cabinet and the House of Representatives are debating a package of measures to address the ongoing energy crisis. Opposition parties, led by GroenLinks-PvdA, are negotiating a deal to include lower public transport costs in the government's final plan.
Ukraine has completed repairs on the Druzhba oil pipeline, allowing Russian oil deliveries to Hungary and Slovakia to resume within a few hours. The pipeline had been out of service since January after sustaining damage during the ongoing conflict.
Consumer confidence in the Netherlands has experienced its second-largest decline since 1986, driven by financial concerns and the conflict in the Middle East. According to data from Statistics Netherlands (CBS), this sharp drop is surpassed only by the record decline recorded at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump claimed on Truth Social that Iran is facing a financial collapse due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. He stated that the country is losing approximately $500 million per day and is desperate for funds.