Spanish dictator Francisco Franco died on 20 November 1975. The death of the "Caudillo" marked the end of his nearly 40-year fascist regime and Spain embarked on the path to democracy as a constitutional monarchy. Commentators examine how the country has changed since then and what remains of the Franco-era legacy today.
In the wake of the corruption scandal in Ukraine's energy sector, the investigations into the dealings of close associates of President Volodymyr Zelensky continue. Justice minister German Galushchenko and energy minister Svitlana Hrynchuk have tendered their resignations. The president denies any involvement and has announced a radical restructuring of the energy sector.
Sanna Marin, prime minister of Finland from 2019 to 2023, has presented her autobiography entitled Hope in Action - A Memoir About The Courage To Lead. In it, the 40-year-old recounts among other things how she and other female members of the government were confronted with misogyny and sexism. Commentators share their impressions.
The European Parliament has voted in favour of easing the EU Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence, or supply chain act, with a majority consisting mainly of conservatives and far-right groups, after a compromise between the European People's Party (EPP) and the Social Democrats, Liberals and Greens collapsed. Green and Social Democrat politicians accuse the EPP of "breaking the firewall". Commentators examine the vote and its consequences.
The Finnish tax authority has published a list of all citizens who earned more than 120,000 euros in taxable income last year. For the third year in a row, Mikko Kuusi, co-found of food delivery company Wolt, tops the list, having earned more than 80 million euros in 2024. The company's approximately 450,000 couriers deliver food orders in more than 1,000 cities across the world.
US President Donald Trump welcomed Syria's interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa to the White House in Washington on Tuesday. He praised the former head of the now disbanded terrorist militia HTS as a "strong leader" who could turn war-torn Syria into a successful country. The press reacts to the visit and the rapprochement between the two countries with surprise and admiration.
Climate protection targets are the main focus of the COP30 World Climate Conference which began in Brazil on Monday. UN Secretary-General António Guterres kicked off the conference with a call for stronger measures against climate change, stressing that every tenth of a degree of warming means more hunger, displacement and losses. Commentators discuss the challenges and ways to tackle them.
Just under eight months after the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu, President Erdoğan's main political rival, Turkish prosecutors have charged him with offences that could carry a penalty of up to 2,430 years in prison. The charges include corruption and leading a criminal organisation. The arrest of the CHP politician last spring triggered mass protests across the country.
El-Fasher, capital of North Darfur State in Sudan, is in a catastrophic state following its capture at the end of October by RSF militia. There are reports that the RSF has murdered at least 1,500 civilians there within just three days, with more than 460 killings having been carried out at a hospital, according to the World Health Organisation. European media take the international community to task over its inaction.
The BBC is under fire again after the resignation of its Director General Tim Davie. US President Trump has now threatened to sue for one billion dollars in damages following allegations that the British broadcaster misleadingly edited a speech he gave shortly before the storming of the Capitol for one of its documentary programmes. What does the crisis say about the BBC and public service media?