Eurotopics.net

Russia's Ministry of Education has taken an economics textbook that has been used in upper secondary education for more than 20 years off its list of recommended books. The author was requested to make his book more patriotic: criticism of government decisions was inappropriate and the current economic policy was to be commended, he was told. Commentators say the state is interfering in matters that don't concern it.

According to media reports the EU Commission will forbid a merger between the train divisions of Siemens and Alstom. The producers of the ICE and TGV wanted to fuse to be able to compete against their Chinese rivals and had the backing of the governments in Paris and Berlin. Are the Brussels competition watchdogs making the right decision?

US President Donald Trump has held his second speech on the State of the Union - before a Congress no longer dominated by the Republicans. Prompted no doubt by the fact that the Democrats won a majority in the House of Representatives in November, Trump's speech writers incorporated signals of compromise. But commentators are unconvinced.

Several European countries and institutions have joined the push for a changeover of power in Venezuela. They have recognised parliamentary speaker Juan Guaidó as interim president and set up a contact group with other Latin American countries. But the European states are far from united on the issue, which has prompted a lively discussion among commentators.

Francis has become the first pope to visit the Arabian Peninsula. On Monday in Abu Dhabi he and the grand imam of al-Azhar university, Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, signed a declaration against war and terror. Observers take a closer look at how the United Arab Emirates presents itself to the world and at the Church's alliances in the Middle East.

The withdrawal by the US and Russia from the INF Treaty on the use of land-based mid-range nuclear missiles has stoked fears of a new arms race. Both sides accuse each other of violating the terms of the treaty. Commentators examine who could be hardest hit by the decision.