Eurotopics.net

In a TV debate before the repeat election for the post of Istanbul mayor opposition candidate İmamoğlu faced off against his rival Yıldırım from the ruling Islamic conservative AKP party. This was the country's first televised debate since 2002, the year the AKP took power. What does the contest for the top post in Istanbul portend for Turkey as a whole?

US President Donald Trump has announced at a rally in Orlando that he will run for re-election, kicking off his presidential campaign almost a year and a half ahead of election day in November 2020. Observers see him using the same tactics as always but point out that he could have a tougher time prevailing this time around.

The Iranian government has threatened to breach key points of the nuclear agreement. A spokesman announced that the country will exceed the uranium stockpile limit stipulated in the deal by the end of June. With this step Iran is increasing the pressure on other countries to take steps to preserve the nuclear deal. Since its unilateral withdrawal from the agreement in May 2018 the US has imposed new sanctions on Iran. How can a further escalation be avoided?

United behind purple banners, hundreds of thousands of protesters have gone on strike across Switzerland for equal rights and equal pay for women and men. Organisers say the rally is the biggest political demonstration in the country's recent history. Media outlets point out parallels with another of today's big protest movements.

Just two days after stepping down as Slovakian president Andrej Kiska established a new centre-right party on Monday. Commentators believe Kiska aims to become prime minister as the leader of Za ľudí (For the people) in next spring's elections and take differing views of the plan.