European Union

The European Union said Wednesday (5 August)  it would rush rescuers, search dogs and equipment to Beirut to look for any survivors trapped in rubble after the massive blast that struck the city.

Since former Spanish king Juan Carlos's departure rumours are rife that his son King Felipe VI forced him out of the royal palace. In a speech on Tuesday Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez praised the royal house for distancing itself from the ex-regent, but among Sánchez's left-wing coalition partners and on the streets, calls for the abolition of the monarchy are growing louder. Has the time come for this move?

A huge explosion in Beirut has destroyed the city's port and surrounding area, claiming more than 100 lives. The exact cause of the blast is not yet known; according to Prime Minister Hassan Diab, ammonium nitrate which is used to make fertiliser and also explosives had been stored unsafely at the port. The disaster has hit a country that is already facing enormous challenges, commentators observe.

After two relatively stable months the Turkish lira has plummeted again, hitting a record low against the euro last week. To reverse the trend and avert a serious economic crisis that has been looming for years, far-reaching reforms in business and politics are needed, commentators warn.

The global death toll from the coronavirus surpassed 700,000 on Wednesday (5 August), according to a Reuters tally, with the United States, Brazil, India and Mexico leading the rise in fatalities.