The municipality of Jumilla in south-east Spain has banned Muslims from using public facilities to celebrate religious festivals. The ban, which was introduced by the conservative People's Party (PP) and facilitated by the right-wing populist Vox, clearly violates the Spanish constitution. The Spanish Episcopal Conference has also protested the decision.
Representatives from around 170 countries have been attending a meeting in Geneva since Tuesday to discuss how to reduce the environmental impact of plastic waste. The last UN conference on the subject failed mainly due to resistance from oil-exporting countries. European commentators examine the options for an agreement.
The Japanese city of Hiroshima has commemorated the victims of the atomic bombing eighty years ago with the ringing of the Peace Bell and a minute's silence. Tens of thousands of people were killed when the US deployed a nuclear bomb as a war weapon for the first time. Against this backdrop, European commentators debate the dangers and the logic of deterrence.
Romania's first post-communist president Ion Iliescu died on 5 August aged 95, and will be buried in a state funeral today. He was under investigation for committing crimes against humanity during the 1989 revolution until recently. The national press gives conflicting accounts of his historical role.
Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff has landed in Moscow shortly before the US's deadline for Russia to end its war in Ukraine expires. Details of his agenda are not known at present, but a meeting with Putin has not been ruled out. European commentators speculate on the results of his visit.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki, who was elected at the beginning of June, will be sworn in today. Like his predecessor Andrzej Duda, who was president for ten years, Nawrocki represents national conservative positions. The media concludes that the confrontation between the head of state and Donald Tusk's government will continue.
Just eight months after taking office, Lithuania's Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas has resigned amid allegations of corruption and conflict of interests. Both President Gitanas Nausėda and his coalition partner had urged him to take this step. Finance Minister Rimantas Šadžius has been appointed as acting prime minister.
Israeli media are reporting that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to expand the military operations and take full control of the Gaza Strip. Europe's press debates the latest developments, including a declaration signed by the key Arab states Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan calling for the disarmament and disempowerment of the terrorist group Hamas.
Reports of a large drone entering Lithuania's airspace from Belarus triggered a massive search in Lithuania last week. The unarmed Russian Gerbera drone was eventually found on a military training site deep in Lithuanian territory. During the search the military and government authorities had voiced doubts about whether the reported object was actually a drone and not just a flock of birds or a cloud. The media are scathing in their criticism.
The European Court of Justice has tightened the requirements for authorities in accelerated asylum procedures. In future, the governments of EU countries must disclose which sources their classification of a country as a "safe country of origin" is based on. The court also ruled that for a country to receive this designation its entire population, including groups such as homosexuals, must be deemed to be safe there.
Following a verbal exchange with former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, US President Trump has announced that he will send two US nuclear submarines to "appropriate regions". The details remain confidential. Prior to this, Medvedev had criticised the US ultimatum to Russia to end the war in Ukraine, saying it was a threat and a step towards war, which Trump in turn described as "foolish and inflammatory". The European press takes stock.