To mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on Tuesday, the UN published a landmark report on femicide. It states that a woman or girl is killed by a family member or intimate partner every ten minutes. The numbers are gruesomely high and yet "only the tip of the iceberg" according to the report. Europe's press reflects.
Belgium has been paralysed since Sunday evening by a nationwide strike against the government's reform plans. The work stoppage is expected to continue until Wednesday evening. The multi-party coalition had agreed on various measures to reduce the budget deficit by 9.2 billion euros, including increasing VAT on certain products and services and imposing cuts on pensions and public spending.
Former Greece prime minister and erstwhile head of the leftist Syriza party, Alexis Tsipras (in office 2015-2019) has written a book titled Ithaka. It deals with his turbulent time in office during Greece's debt crisis in the mid-2010s. For the Greek press the book is Tspipras's attempt to launch a political comeback.
Obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease - according to the latest scientific findings, the consumption of UPFs significantly increases the risk of such diseases. In the latest edition of The Lancet, scientists call for action to promote a diet based on minimally processed fresh food. Commentators discuss where the problems lie and how they might be addressed.
Discussions about the future of Ukraine continue on several levels. The 28-point plan presented by the US president has been amended in negotiations with Ukraine and European states. However leading figures in Moscow described the proposals from Europe as "completely unconstructive" on Monday. Meanwhile, Donald Trump and Xi Jinping have also had a phone conversation on the issue. Europe's press examines the interests at play.
The European Commission's Digital Omnibus legislative package aims to simplify EU regulations in the areas of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data protection and data management in response to tech industry demands. Commentators discuss whether the legislation is detrimental to civil rights.
The ratification process for the EU-Mercosur trade agreement has triggered protests by citizens and farmers' associations, as well as in the European Parliament, where 145 MEPs had planned to challenge the deal in court until this was blocked on procedural grounds. The Parliament is due to vote on the agreement in December. Commentators see criticism of the deal as justified to a certain degree.
Slovenians rejected a new law on assisted dying in a referendum on Sunday. With a turnout of 41 percent, around 53 percent of those who cast their ballots voted against it. The law would have legalised assisted dying for terminally ill patients in certain circumstances. Conservative and religious groups campaigned against it.
At a meeting in Geneva, representatives from Ukraine, the European Commission and several European countries negotiated with US officials over changes to the 28-point plan. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke of a "tremendous amount of progress". Now the presidents in Washington and Kyiv must reach a decision, explained Ukrainian negotiator Andriy Yermak. The press debates how much clout Europe has – and how it should be used.
The 30th World Climate Conference (COP30) ended on Saturday in Belém, Brazil. A voluntary platform outside the COP committees to speed up progress on climate protection and a new rainforest protection fund were set up, but no consensus on an action plan was reached. Concrete targets for moving away from coal, oil and gas also failed to materialise. Europe's press takes stock.
Spain's Attorney General Álvaro García Ortiz has been barred from holding public office for two years and sentenced to pay a fine of 7,200 euros for leaking confidential information. He must also pay 10,000 euros in damages to businessman Alberto González Amador, the partner of Madrid Regional President Isabel Díaz Ayuso (PP). Ortiz was found guilty of leaking an email that incriminated Amador.
The 28-point plan drawn up by Russian and US negotiators to end the war in Ukraine has now been presented to Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky has announced that he will work with the US on the plan to achieve a "dignified end to the war". US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the document as a "list of potential ideas" rather than a final proposal. EU Foreign Affairs Representative Kaja Kallas has warned that the Europeans must be involved in the negotiations to ensure that the plan can work.