The 2026 World Cup final will take place on July 19. Meanwhile, researchers at the University of Liverpool have already used a supercomputer and machine learning to predict the most likely outcome of the tournament.

The Ministry of Energy has published the annual report on the activities of the Board of Directors of the state-owned enterprise Moldelectrica for 2025.

Europeans buy their first home at an average age of 31.3, but the age gap between countries ranges from 28 in Malta to 34.7 in Switzerland and Greece. This is according to data from the RE/MAX European Housing Trend Report, provided by Euronews Business.

The International Monetary Fund has released its April forecast for global inflation in 2026. Venezuela remains the clear leader at the bottom of the rankings, while deflation is expected in Costa Rica. At the same time, the gap between countries is enormous.

A presentation of the “e-Zilier” platform—an electronic registry of day laborers in agriculture—took place today at the Moldovan government. The platform officially launched on June 1 of this year. To date, more than 2,000 day laborers (seasonal workers) have already registered on the platform. By the end of 2026, the country’s authorities expect that at least 6,000 workers in this sector will be covered by the online registry in this electronic database. In the future, the “e-Zilier” platform will also be extended to the forestry sector.

Gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 0.4% year-on-year in real terms in the first quarter of 2026, marking a significant slowdown following 3.6% growth in the previous quarter. Economic growth was driven by increases in final consumption and foreign trade. The positive trend was supported by growth in household final consumption, as well as an increase in gross value added across a number of sectors.

Between June 8 and 14, 2026, revenue from the Customs Service to the state budget totaled more than 807.8 million lei, and since the beginning of this year, approximately 18.4 billion lei has been collected, representing 102.8% of the target.

In May 2026, gasoline imports into Ukraine rose by nearly 30% compared to the previous month, reaching 90,300 metric tons.

Greece’s tourism sector is entering the new summer season amid strong demand for vacations and continued growth in accommodation prices. According to data from the analytics firm AirDNA, demand for short-term rentals in the country has risen by 9.3% compared to the same period last year. At the same time, the average rental price during the high season reached €174 per night, compared to €113 during the low season—a 55% increase, reports the Greek Reporter.

The proportion of workers who are members of trade unions in European Union countries has roughly halved since 1985, falling from 30% to 15% by 2023–2024.

The wealth gap among European retirees has reached record levels: in Luxembourg, the median wealth of households aged 65–74 exceeds €1.2 million, while in Latvia it is just €36,300. Thus, elderly residents of the richest country in the ranking hold more than 34 times as many assets as their peers in the country at the bottom of the list.

Armenia is seeking to obtain special economic status in the EU, following the example of Moldova and Ukraine. This was announced by Armenian Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan in the country’s Parliament on June 12.

Today, June 14, Switzerland is holding a referendum on limiting the country’s population to 10 million by 2050. According to preliminary forecasts, the proposal put forward by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP) is unlikely to receive the support of a majority of voters.

In the first quarter of 2026, Portugal (234), Italy (190), Spain (108), and France (105) recorded the highest number of strikes in the EU. The strikes were caused by issues in transportation, education, healthcare, and government agencies.

In 2026, Russian will rank 11th in terms of prevalence worldwide. It is used as a primary language in daily life by 210 million people.

Thailand’s capital is shifting its tourism strategy. Instead of competing for mass tourism, Bangkok’s hotel market is focusing on affluent guests, premium service, and international luxury brands.

The Republic of Moldova ranks among the European countries with the lowest levels of forest cover, according to a ranking based on World Bank data. Forests cover only 12% of the country’s territory, placing the Republic of Moldova 37th out of 41 European countries.

Moldova will adopt a new Classification of Economic Activities (CAEM) that closely aligns with the European Union’s statistical classification of economic activities. Its full implementation is scheduled for January 1, 2027.

The popular website Numbeo has ranked Moldova eighth from the bottom in its list of the safest countries in Europe. One spot below is Sweden (presumably experiencing problems with crime due to an influx of not-so-peaceful migrants). One spot above is Greece. Above it is “more peaceful” Turkey.

The housing market in Moldova is losing momentum. Following the construction boom of 2021, the number of new properties being completed has dropped by a factor of four, falling to its lowest level in decades. This was stated by Vyacheslav Ionita, an economic policy expert at IDIS Viitorul.
