European Union

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan joined thousands of worshippers at Hagia Sophia on Friday for the first prayers there since he declared the monument, revered by Christians and Muslims for almost 1,500 years, a mosque once again.

Following Theresa May's resignation Boris Johnson became British Prime Minister a year ago today, on July 24, 2019. Since then he has led the country out of the EU and survived new elections. The negotiations on the UK's post-Brexit trade relations continue, as does the fight against Scottish independence. 2020 has brought the coronavirus pandemic and most recently a major row with China. What do commentators think of Johnson's performance so far?

"You are ours from all eternity, and we are yours", Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced in a video message posted on the occasion of the reopening of the Hagia Sophia as a mosque. Today, for the first time in more than 80 years, Friday prayers will be held in the building that was first a basilica, then a mosque, and most recently a museum. Commentators are unconvinced by the ceremonious reopening.

Shortly before the presidential election in Belarus on August 9, three women have formed an alliance against Alexander Lukashenko, who has been president for 26 years. Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, Maria Kolesnikova and Veronika Zepkalo are running in place of their husbands, who were either not admitted as candidates or are in prison. Their election campaign events have turned into protest rallies. Observers see big changes ahead.

Szabolcs Dull, chief editor of Index, Hungary's most influential anti-government news website, has been fired. A media entrepreneur with close ties to Orbán had acquired 50 percent of the company that handles Index's advertising business in March. Observers fear an end to independent reporting.

The number of coronavirus infections is rising in many places in Europe. The French and Belgian governments have introduced strict laws enforcing the wearing of masks to counter this trend. In Austria such a law was introduced and then abolished, only to be introduced again soon afterwards. Many commentators also take the view that wearing masks should be made compulsory to avert a second wave and a new lockdown.

After the murder of a 27-year-old student by her ex-boyfriend the campaign group We Will Stop Femicide has called for nationwide protests in Turkey. According to the organisation 474 women were murdered in Turkey in 2019, but the real figure is likely to be far higher. Turkish commentators try to explain the roots of the violence.