European Union

The Council of Europe's Commission for Democracy through Law (or Venice Commission) has strongly criticised the 2020 reform of the Russian Constitution. Among other things, the reform enables Vladimir Putin to govern until 2036. According to the Commission's experts, "the changes go far beyond what is appropriate according to the principle of separation of powers" and threaten the rule of law in Russia. The media agree.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has proposed the introduction of a global minimum tax rate on corporate profits - also in view of Joe Biden's plan to increase corporate tax in the US from 21 to 28 percent. Does the proposal have the potential to rein in multinationals that artificially shift their profits to countries with low corporate taxes? European commentators say this is a promising initiative.

In mid-January the EU Commission announced ambitious goals according to which at least 80 percent of people aged over 80, as well as of those working in health and social professions, were to be vaccinated by March. However, by the end of March just under 60 percent of people over the age of 80 had received the first dose across the EU. Many are pinning the blame on the bloc's unwieldy bureaucracy, but is this justified?

Britain’s new regulator for tech giants Facebook and Google launched on Wednesday (7 April) with an initial remit to see if a code of conduct could improve the balance of power between the platforms and news publishers.

Following a meeting in Ankara with President Erdoğan, President Michel reiterated the EU's strategic interest for a mutually beneficial and positive relationship with Turkey.

Voting stations closed in Greenland on Tuesday evening (6 April) in a snap election that could unseat the ruling party and help decide the fate of vast deposits of rare earth metals that international companies want to exploit.

The US said that it is looking to discuss with allies how to proceed with participation in the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics in a coordinated way, amid growing calls for a boycott of the Games over China’s human rights record.

Myanmar troops stormed an anti-coup protest camp on Wednesday (7 April), in a pre-dawn operation that local media said killed and wounded several demonstrators, as activists defied a bloody crackdown and internet blockade by the ruling junta.

As the world looks to rebuild after COVID, we need to change our approach to the environment, particularly the chemicals and single-use plastics involved in food packaging, writes Frédérique Ries.

Taiwan will fight to the end if China attacks, its foreign minister said, adding that the United States saw a danger that this could happen amid mounting Chinese military pressure, including aircraft carrier drills, near the island.

As the United States' vaccination campaign accelerates, so-called vaccine passports are gaining traction despite political divisions and a fragmented health care system that complicates the centralization of data.

The number of people in France being treated at intensive care units (ICU) for Covid-19 is the highest in almost a year. The French health ministry on Tuesday said the number of people in ICU increased by 193 over 24 hours to 5,626 - a peak since 20 April, 2020.