Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed European Council President António Costa and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to the EU-China summit in Beijing on Thursday. Relations between the two sides are extremely tense, with Brussels accusing Beijing of unfair trade practices and supporting Russia militarily in its war against Ukraine. Observers examine the relationship between the two unequal partners.
Volodymyr Zelensky will restore the independence of Ukraine's anti-corruption authorities. Following fierce criticism from both Ukrainians and his Western allies, the president announced that he would submit a new bill to parliament repealing the regulations passed this week. What conclusions can be drawn from this sudden reversal?
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned of widespread starvation in the Gaza Strip. According to the organisation, the lack of aid deliveries and violence and chaos during food distribution are leading to ever more deaths. The dire situation was also sharply criticised in a statement published on Monday in which 30 countries called for an immediate ceasefire. Commentators discuss whether the circumstances warrant more than just appeals to Israel.
For the first time since the start of the war, protests have broken out in Ukraine, directed against a new law concerning the hitherto independent anti-corruption bodies. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (Nabu) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office are to be put under the control of the Prosecutor General's Office. Observers criticise President Zelensky and see Ukraine on a dangerous path towards authoritarianism.
Portugal's conservative government has announced that sex education will be removed from the curriculum of the subject citizenship and development, leaving it unclear how the topic is to be taught at schools. Critics accuse the government of shifting to the right on socio-political issues and adopting the positions of right-wing populist party Chega.