Eurotopics.net

The Danish government presented a labour market reform on Monday. Among other things it includes measures aimed at encouraging more migrants to seek work: those who have been receiving unemployment benefits for a long time will in future be obliged to do up to 37 hours of community service a week. The country's press welcomes the initiative but suspects that it will be difficult to implement.

Xavier Novell, a Catalan bishop known for his strict stance and hate speeches against homosexuality and abortion as well as for supporting Catalan independence, has resigned his post, reportedly because he fell in love a woman and now lives with her. According to the Spanish Bishops' Conference the ex-bishop has been possessed by Satan.

With just two and a half weeks to go before Germany's federal elections, the SPD has further increased its lead against the conservatives. The Social Democrats are polling at 25 percent while the CDU/CSU is trailing behind at 19 percent and the Greens at 17 percent. Europe's press is sceptical that the CDU/CSU can still turn the tide, and discusses what will happen after the election.

The Taliban have announced that they have taken complete control of Panjshir - the last Afghan province still held by resistance fighters. Heavily armed Taliban fighters posed outside the governor's residence there, but the NRF resistance front has contradicted these claims. Meanwhile, the Taliban has appointed the first ministers of its new government. But not all commentators believe the resistance to Taliban rule is broken.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced a 1.25 percent increase in social insurance contributions to provide more money for the UK's overburdened public health system. The Conservative government is thereby breaking its election promise not to increase taxes. How will voters react?