European Union

German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer on Sunday (5 August) said he hoped for a breakthrough this week in talks with Italy and Greece on taking back asylum-seekers already registered in those countries, as Berlin toughens its migration policies.

The heatwaves currently experienced in Europe should be a wake-up call to stop ignoring summer domestic energy poverty, writes Yamina Saheb.

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The European Union is forging strong economic and political relations with the Republic of Korea. Since the upgrade of relations between the EU and the Republic of Korea to a Strategic Partnership, in 2010, the level of commitment from both sides has been very high. The three key agreements, covering all three pillars of political, trade and security, as well as more specific agreements in several fields, offer a wide scope for cooperation and room for further development of relations between the European Union and the Republic of Korea.

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The mandate for Operation Sophia, the EU's naval mission in the Mediterranean sea, ends in December. Demands to change it, including new rules on disembarkation, are set to be agreed within the next few weeks.

Short-dated Italian government bonds sold off on Friday (3 August) for the second straight day on signs of deepening tension within the Italian government that is raising the prospect of new elections.

Southeast Asia and Europe stressed the importance of pushing back against protectionism and the threat of global trade wars on Friday (3 August), as their ministers work towards the eventual goal of a region-to-region free trade pact.

As Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos headed to Madrid, the European Commission announced Friday (3 August) further 3 million in emergency aid to support Spanish border guards in curbing irregular migration.

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The EU and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) share a commitment to regional integration as a means of fostering regional stability, building prosperity, and addressing global challenges.

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In the row over the American pastor Andrew Brunson, who has been in custody in Turkey since 2016 and is currently under house arrest, the US has imposed sanctions against two Turkish ministers. Ankara accuses the pastor of supporting the Gülen movement which it claims was responsible to the attempted coup. The US insists that Brunson is innocent. Will the dispute escalate?

Pope Francis has toughened the Catholic Church's stance on the death penalty. From now on the Church would campaign "resolutely" for its abolishment across the globe, he said. Up to now the catechism did not on principle rule out the death penalty as a final resort. Most commentators are delighted by this move.

A ban on wearing full-face and body veils in public came into effect in Denmark on August 1, which means that the burqa and the nikab are no longer allowed. What some see as a violation of human rights others praise as an appropriate measure to protect Denmark's national identity.

Forest fires, crop failures, melting glaciers and water shortages even in the Netherlands: for months Europe has been suffering under extreme heat and drought conditions. Scientists see the weather as a visible consequence of global warming. Commentaries from individual countries testify to growing anxiety and often read like urgent appeals.