European Union

In order to avoid the 30-percent fee charged by Apple and Google for offering apps in their stores, Epic Games, the producer of the video game Fortnite, integrated an alternative payment option into the latest version of the game. This prompted Apple and Google to remove Fortnite from their stores, and Epic responded with a lawsuit. Are the tech giants making too much profit at the expense of developers?

On 17 August 1945 Indonesia, which had been occupied by Japan during the Second World War, declared its independence from its colonial power the Netherlands, which however did not accept this. Thus began four years of war, ending in 1949 with the recognition of Indonesian independence. Today, 75 years later, the Netherlands is still grappling with its role during those times.

EU leaders will hold an emergency video summit on Wednesday (19 August) to discuss the crisis in Belarus, where protests are swelling against the disputed re-election of longtime President Alexander Lukashenko.

EU leaders are holding an extraordinary summit online on Wednesday on Belarus, where hundreds of thousands protest the fraudulent re-election of longtime president Alexander Lukashenko. European Council president Charles Michel called for the special summit, saying in a tweet that "the people of Belarus have the right to decide on their future and freely elect their leader". MIchel added: "Violence against protesters is unacceptable and cannot be allowed."

Some 220,000 people gathered in central Minsk in opposition to rigged elections last Sunday, the BBC reported. "We are in the majority. We are power," Maria Kolesnikova, an opposition leader said. About 30,000 people also gathered at a rival rally in the city by president Aleksander Lukashenko, who called protesters "rats". Russia has offered to help impose security, with Russian propaganda comparing events to 'Western plots' Ukraine in 2014.

The EU must back pro-democracy protesters in Belarus, French president Emmanuel Macron has said Sunday: "The European Union must continue to be mobilised in support of the hundreds of thousands of Belarusians who are protesting peacefully for the respect of their rights, liberty, and sovereignty". Most Western leaders stayed quiet for now, amid Belarusian state propaganda that events were a Western plot linked to ongoing Nato drills in the region.

EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell on Sunday called on Turkey to halt its drilling activities in disputed Mediterranean waters off Cyprus. Turkey said its Yavuz energy drillship would extend operations there until mid-September, which Borrell said "fuels further tensions and insecurity". A standoff has intensified between Turkey and EU-member Greece over oil and gas exploration at sea. Turkey's new drilling plan covers a zone delineated by Cyprus and Egypt.

After almost one year and three months since the elections, it seems that Belgium is further away than ever from a new government. On Monday the leaders of the two biggest parties, Bart De Wever (NVA) and Paul Magnette (PS) are resigning as so-called pre-formateurs in what is thought to be a final push to find a new government. King Philippe will decide what the next step will be.

More than 10,000 Thai protesters chanting “down with dictatorship” and “the country belongs to the people” rallied in Bangkok on Sunday (16 August) in by far the biggest anti-government demonstration since a 2014 coup.

The EU agreed to buy at least 300 million doses of AstraZeneca's potential Covid-19 vaccine in its first such advance purchase deal, Reuters reported. The European Commission, which is negotiating on behalf of the 27 member states, declined to disclose the terms of the accord with the British drugmaker. The move expands a preliminary agreement by a group of EU member states reached with the drug firm in June.