UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer wants to open up a new chapter in relations between his country and Germany. However this new start does not aim to reverse Brexit, he explained during his inaugural visit to Berlin. Closer cooperation is planned, particularly in the areas of trade, defence and migration. Commentators consider what this means for the two countries and for Europe.
Following the extensive attack on large areas of Ukraine by Russian missiles and drones, the Nato-Ukraine Council met on Wednesday. The Nato states pledged greater support for Kyiv but were still unable to agree on lifting the remaining restrictions on using Western weapons against Russia. Russia launched the attacks in response to Kyiv's offensive in Kursk and is also advancing further in the Donetsk region.
The Ukrainian parliament has passed a law banning religious organisations from having links with Russia. They have been given nine months to put an end to such ties, failing which they will face a ban. The law first and foremost targets the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - not to be confused with the Orthodox Church of Ukraine - which has been formally independent since 2022 but is considered to be affiliated with Moscow.
On the pretext that Ukraine has stationed up to 120,000 troops on the border to his country Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenka has now deployed his military in the Gomel region, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has reported. Kyiv has warned Minsk not to make a tragic mistake and succumb to pressure from Moscow, demanding that the Belarusian troops be pulled back beyond the firing range of their missiles.
A good two months ahead of the US presidential elections, European commentators are debating what candidate Kamala Harris stands for. At the close of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, she explained that she wanted to overcome the divisive conflicts of the past and to bolster the middle classes in particular. Harris called for a ceasefire in the Middle East and said that she would not pander to tyrants like Kim Jong-un.
The radical Islamist Taliban, who after returning to power have ruled Afghanistan for the past three years, have continued to restrict freedom and human rights. A new law 'to prevent vice and promote virtue' prohibits women from singing or reading aloud in public. The law also introduces stricter dress codes for women and men and bans homosexuality, music and extramarital relationships.
The Hezbollah militia says it has fired more than 320 rockets at Israel in the 'first phase' of the announced response to the killing of Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr just under a month ago. Immediately before the attack, the Israeli military launched pre-emptive strikes against dozens of militia positions in Lebanon. Europe's press weighs up the risk of further escalation.
Three people were killed and several more injured at a festival celebrating diversity and the 650th anniversary of the city of Solingen in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia in western Germany on Friday. The suspected perpetrator, a Syrian national thought to be a supporter of the Islamic State, is said to have deliberately stabbed the victims' necks and upper bodies. A heated debate about the causes and consequences has ensued.
Forecasts anticipate record numbers of tourists and tourism revenues in Europe for 2024. Yet a growing number of holiday destinations are complaining about the negative consequences of the boom, for example for the environment and the housing market, but also for the experience of tourists themselves. Commentators weigh up possible countermeasures and existing role models.
After visiting Warsaw, India's prime minister Narendra Modi has continued on to Kyiv for talks. India maintains good contacts with both the West and Moscow and is calling for a peaceful solution to the Ukraine war through dialogue. This has provoked speculation about whether Modi might want to act as mediator. Commentators discuss the pragmatics.
The US, Qatar and Egypt will meet in Cairo to continue negotiations to prevent further escalation in the Middle East. The peace plan envisages a ceasefire with an exchange of hostages and prisoners, followed by a withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Gaza Strip. Commentators voice more doubts than hope.
