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Debate: What do the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia mean?

14 October 2026 at 11:13
After a week of attacks on airports and industrial facilities in Saudi Arabia, the Iran-backed Houthi militia is threatening further escalation. Saudi Arabia supports the internationally recognised government in Yemen, which is fighting the Houthi. The US and the Mecca Alliance have so far been cautious in showing support for Riyadh.

Debate: Burnham: Russia interfered with Brexit vote

13 October 2026 at 11:14
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said in an interview that it is "clear" that Russia interfered in the 2016 Brexit referendum, but did not provide further details about the nature or impact of the interference. He warned, however, that voters in Germany and France should "understand that some of this politics is instigated via our enemies, namely Russia."

Debate: Hegseth wants Fort Hood attacker publicly executed

13 October 2026 at 11:14
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced plans for the country's first military execution in more than 60 years. The execution by firing squad of Nidal Hasan, who killed 13 people in an attack on the Fort Hood military base in 2009, is to be livestreamed. Human rights activists, as well as Democratic and Republican politicians, have sharply criticised the plan. Commentators are also appalled.

Debate: US-Russia diesel deal: what's the big idea?

13 October 2026 at 11:14
US President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he had reached a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin on diesel shipments and a temporary easing of US sanctions against Russia. The deal, which is aimed at bringing down domestic fuel prices, foresees an initial shipment of 300,000 tonnes of Russian diesel in October, with further deliveries to follow. Europe's media discuss wider implications and the impact on the US's credibility as an ally.

Debate: US – Russia: can the diesel deal solve any problems?

12 October 2026 at 11:32
US President Donald Trump on Friday announced he had reached a deal on diesel deliveries with Vladimir Putin and a temporary easing of US sanctions against Russia. The US is to receive an initial shipment of 300,000 tonnes of Russian diesel, with further deliveries of millions of tonnes planned. The deal is a bid to bring down high fuel prices in the US. Europe's media discuss the ramifications for Ukraine and the credibility of the US as an ally.

Debate: Judge Navi Pillay wins the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize

12 October 2026 at 11:32
South African lawyer and human rights activist Navanethem "Navi" Pillay has been announced as the winner of this year's Nobel Peace Prize. Pillay served as a judge at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague from 2003 to 2008 and then as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights until 2014. Just a few hours after the Nobel Prize Committee in Oslo announced its decision on Friday, the US tightened its sanctions against the ICC.

Debate: France: Glucksmann elected as presidential candidate

12 October 2026 at 11:32
In France, MEP Raphaël Glucksmann has won the social democrats' primary to become the centre-left's presidential candidate. In a joint primary organised by his party, Place Publique, and the Socialist Party (PS), he secured around 66 percent of the vote, finishing well ahead of PS leader Olivier Faure and former minister Ségolène Royal. What does his victory mean for the left?

Debate: Hungary: Népszabadság back in circulation

12 October 2026 at 11:32
Ten years after its sudden closure, the Hungarian daily Népszabadság has been relaunched and will now be published as a weekly paper and news website. In 2016 the owner at the time, Austrian investor Heinrich Pecina, closed down what was Hungary's highest-circulation newspaper without warning and sold the publishing house to a businessman with close ties to Viktor Orbán. Four Hungarian private investors are behind the relaunch.

Debate: France: what do the school protests tell us?

9 October 2026 at 11:23
In response to the school protests in France, Education Minister Edouard Geffray announced on Thursday that more than 3,000 supply teachers would be recruited at short notice. The protests against poor school conditions, which began in September at a secondary school in Créteil, have quickly spread across the country, with riots breaking out in several towns. The press takes stock.

Debate: Italy's parliament approves controversial electoral reform

9 October 2026 at 11:23
Italy's Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, has successfully steered her "Stabilicum" electoral reform bill through parliament after it was passed by the Chamber of Deputies by 227 votes to 164 in the final vote. The Senate – the second chamber of the Italian parliament – had already approved the bill in mid-September.

Debate: Turkey: İzmir’s mayor defects to ruling AKP

9 October 2026 at 11:23
Cemil Tugay, the mayor of İzmir, on Tuesday switched alliegences from the opposition CHP to the ruling party AKP. President Erdoğan welcomed him personally at a parliamentary group meeting and presented him with a party pin. Tugay's switch is the latest in a series of defections across Turkey, and has sparked protests in İzmir, a CHP stronghold. Reactions in the Turkish press vary.

Debate: Tragic death of evicted pensioner Maricarmen

9 October 2026 at 11:23
Two weeks after her eviction from the Madrid home she had lived in for seven decades, 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal has died. Her eviction sparked nationwide protests against the housing crisis in Spain. A general strike has been called for 11 November to protest the problem. The media examine the symbolic power of Maricarmen's death.

Debate: How real is the threat of war in Europe?

8 October 2026 at 11:56
A growing number of official bodies are warning of the possibility of Russia launching military operations against Europe. Germany's Federal Intelligence Service said on Monday that there was an increased risk of hybrid attacks by Moscow, and Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken has said the continent faces a "dark winter" and called for drone defence to become top priority. Denmark's intelligence service has also warned of the growing risk of a limited military attack on a Nato country in the coming months.

Debate: France: school protests spreading

8 October 2026 at 11:56
Children at secondary schools in France have been protesting against the deplorable conditions in their schools since September. In several towns, school blockades have led to riots and clashes with the police, who have arrested hundreds of young people. On Tuesday, large-scale demonstrations backed by trade unions were held across the country. The media shed light on the political, social and economic background to this wave of protests.

Debate: Evicted pensioner Maricarmen has died

8 October 2026 at 11:56
Two weeks after her eviction from the home she lived in for seven decades, 87-year-old Spanish pensioner Maricarmen Abascal has died. Her eviction sparked nationwide protests against the country's housing crisis, and a general strike has now been called for 11 November. For the Spanish press, Maricarmen has become a key symbol for the housing protests.

Debate: Romania: President nominates diplomat for PM

8 October 2026 at 11:56
After the collapse of the government of Ilie Bolojan in May this year, President Nicușor Dan is now making a fourth attempt to form a new government. He has nominated the diplomat Luca Niculescu, who has been coordinating Romania's accession process to the OECD, as a candidate for the post of PM. Opinions in the national media are divided as to Nicolescu's chances of success.

Debate: Portugal: whistleblower Rui Pinto in mortal danger?

8 October 2026 at 11:56
Portuguese whistleblower Rui Pinto is facing the prospect of losing his state witness protection. The founder of the website Football Leaks exposed illegal practices in professional football, but was found guilty of cybercrimes and attempted extortion in 2023 and given a four-year suspended sentence. The Portuguese press debates whether or not the state should continue to protect him.

Debate: Three years after the attack on Israel: what remains?

7 October 2026 at 12:03
On the third anniversary of the Hamas attack, Israel is commemorating the victims. On October 7, 2023, terrorists from the Gaza Strip invaded Israel, murdering 1,221 people and taking 251 hostage. Israel reacted with a war which has claimed at least 70,000 lives in the Palestinian territories. Commentators explore how that day changed the country and its people.

Debate: Saxony-Anhalt: first ever AfD parliamentary speaker

7 October 2026 at 12:03
After the AfD's election victory in Saxony-Anhalt, a member of the party – which is classified there as far-right extremist – has, for the first time in Germany, been elected as parliamentary speaker in the state parliament. Tobias Rausch received 48 out of 82 votes during the parliament's first constituent session. In addition to the AfD and BSW parliamentary groups, four representatives from other parties also voted for Rausch. Commentators take stock and examine the possibility of the AfD forming a government.

Debate: Suspected case of plague in Siberia

7 October 2026 at 12:03
A laboratory worker at a plague research institute in Irkutsk, Russia, has died from a suspected case of pneumonic plague. As a result, several hospitals have been placed under quarantine for at least three weeks. According to official sources, no further cases of infection have been recorded, but the Russian authorities have disclosed very little information so far. The press discusses the risk of infection and calls for more transparency.
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