The Turkish government has banned elective C-sections in private healthcare facilities. According to the Ministry of Health, the move aims to lower the number of caesarian section births, which usually require a longer recovery period until the next pregnancy, in order to promote population growth. Commentators look at pros and cons.
After the death of Pope Francis, 135 eligible cardinals under the age of 80, known as cardinal electors, will elect the new head of the Catholic Church from among their ranks. The top candidates include Pietro Parolin from Italy and Péter Erdö from Hungary. Around 80 percent of the cardinal electors were appointed by Francis, but according to Europe's press it is by no means certain that his course will be continued.
Representatives of Ukraine and key European allies are meeting in London today to discuss a potential solution for peace. US special envoy Keith Kellogg will also be attending. Reports in US media according to which Washington would be prepared to recognise Crimea (annexed by Moscow in 2014) as Russian are causing a furore, as is Trump's reported ruling out of Nato membership for Ukraine.
Radical change of course in Spain: Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez wants to increase the national defence budget by ten billion euros this year to meet the Nato target of two percent of GDP for defence spending. The rearmament programme is to be implemented without the approval of his left-wing coalition partners and parliament. The latter in particular draws criticism.
After Pope Francis passed away on Easter Monday, Europe's press looks back on his twelve-year pontificate. Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Francis was known for his commitment to helping the poor and disadvantaged ever since his time as Archbishop of Buenos Aires. His election in 2013 prompted hopes of a fresh impetus for the Catholic Church as a global institution, as well as major reforms.
On Holy Saturday Vladimir Putin unilaterally announced a 30-hour ceasefire, which was accepted by Ukraine. While the truce was only partially observed on the front lines, there were no air strikes on either side. Commentators analyse the situation in light of Donald Trump's threat to withdraw US mediation if the parties refuse to cooperate.
The parliament in Bratislava has passed a controversial law imposing tight restrictions on NGOs. In future such organisations will have to present a detailed account of their funding sources and disclose the names of major donors. Prime Minister Robert Fico's government had planned even stricter regulations but watered them down following mass demonstrations and a warning from the EU Commission.
After two rounds of negotiations on the Iranian nuclear programme, Washington and Tehran have said they want to continue the talks. The negotiations were progressing well, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced after his meeting with US special envoy Steve Witkoff at the Omani embassy in Rome on Saturday. The Arab state is acting as a mediator. Commentators take stock.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will meet US President Donald Trump in Washington today for talks that will presumably focus on defusing the tariff dispute between the US and Europe. The two leaders enjoy a good personal relationship. Europe's press discusses whether the EU will benefit from this encounter - or whether the post-fascist politician only has Italy's interests in mind.
After the traumatic experiences of the Covid-19 pandemic, the 194 member countries of the World Health Organisation (WHO) have agreed on a treaty aimed at improving responses to future pandemics, for example in the procurement and distribution of protective equipment and vaccines. Commentators assess its prospects of success.
In a landmark judgement, the UK's Supreme Court has ruled that when it comes to gender equality, the biological sex and not the social gender is decisive. The decision affects issues such as whether trans women are categorised as women in gender quotas and to what extent they have access to women's refuges and changing rooms.