A leak by Bloomberg is causing a commotion. The media company has published a dialogue said to be a transcript of a telephone conversation between US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Putin aide Yuri Ushakov on 14 October. In a familiar tone, Witkoff tips Ushakov on how Putin should deal with Trump. Europe's press tries to get a handle on the situation.
Same-sex marriages that are registered in one EU member state must be recognised in all other EU countries, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled on Tuesday in Luxembourg. What prompted the decision? A homosexual couple who married in 2018 in Germany tried to register their marriage in Poland after moving there, but their request was rejected by Poland's restrictive legislation.
The Romanian Institute for the Investigation of Communist Crimes (IICCMER) has published a report on how Tiktok is being flooded with pro-totalitarian, nostalgic and extremist videos. More than 200 such videos have ratcheted up some 130 million views, many of them idealising the former dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu as a patriotic and authentic leader.
A British-Australian couple living in a secluded forest in the central Italian mountain region of Abruzzo without access to electricity, gas or running water has lost custody of their children. The eight-year-old daughter and six-year-old twins were taught by a private tutor. Italian commentators weigh in.
To mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on Tuesday, the UN published a landmark report on femicide. It states that a woman or girl is killed by a family member or intimate partner every ten minutes. The numbers are gruesomely high and yet "only the tip of the iceberg" according to the report. Europe's press reflects.
Belgium has been paralysed since Sunday evening by a nationwide strike against the government's reform plans. The work stoppage is expected to continue until Wednesday evening. The multi-party coalition had agreed on various measures to reduce the budget deficit by 9.2 billion euros, including increasing VAT on certain products and services and imposing cuts on pensions and public spending.
Former Greece prime minister and erstwhile head of the leftist Syriza party, Alexis Tsipras (in office 2015-2019) has written a book titled Ithaka. It deals with his turbulent time in office during Greece's debt crisis in the mid-2010s. For the Greek press the book is Tspipras's attempt to launch a political comeback.
Obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease - according to the latest scientific findings, the consumption of UPFs significantly increases the risk of such diseases. In the latest edition of The Lancet, scientists call for action to promote a diet based on minimally processed fresh food. Commentators discuss where the problems lie and how they might be addressed.
Discussions about the future of Ukraine continue on several levels. The 28-point plan presented by the US president has been amended in negotiations with Ukraine and European states. However leading figures in Moscow described the proposals from Europe as "completely unconstructive" on Monday. Meanwhile, Donald Trump and Xi Jinping have also had a phone conversation on the issue. Europe's press examines the interests at play.
The European Commission's Digital Omnibus legislative package aims to simplify EU regulations in the areas of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data protection and data management in response to tech industry demands. Commentators discuss whether the legislation is detrimental to civil rights.
The ratification process for the EU-Mercosur trade agreement has triggered protests by citizens and farmers' associations, as well as in the European Parliament, where 145 MEPs had planned to challenge the deal in court until this was blocked on procedural grounds. The Parliament is due to vote on the agreement in December. Commentators see criticism of the deal as justified to a certain degree.
Slovenians rejected a new law on assisted dying in a referendum on Sunday. With a turnout of 41 percent, around 53 percent of those who cast their ballots voted against it. The law would have legalised assisted dying for terminally ill patients in certain circumstances. Conservative and religious groups campaigned against it.