Eurotopics.net

US President Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit for 10 billion dollars in damages against the BBC. He accuses the British broadcaster of editing a documentary about the storming of the Capitol to portray him in a false and malicious way. The BBC has announced that it intends to defend itself.

Belarus's authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko released 123 political prisoners on Saturday and expelled them from the country. Among those pardoned were civil rights activist Maria Kolesnikova, former presidential candidate Viktor Babaryko and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Beliatski. The move came after the US announced it was lifting its sanctions against the Belarusian potash industry.

On Tuesday, the European Commission presented new proposals for automotive industry regulations, including an easing of the ban on combustion engines which would allow the registration of vehicles with combustion engines even after 2035 under certain circumstances. Car manufacturers would have to guarantee that the carbon emissions of their new cars are on average 90 percent lower than in the reference year 2021. The move elicits mixed reactions from commentators.

A decision is to be reached on a "reparations loan" for Ukraine secured by frozen Russian state assets at an EU summit taking place this Thursday and Friday. According to a plan put forward by the EU Commission, the initial loan would be for 90 billion euros. However, Italy, Bulgaria and Malta have now joined Belgium – where most of Russia's capital is held by the financial services – in voicing objections.

A Hong Kong court has found pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai guilty of "conspiracy to collude with foreign forces" following a two-year trial. The sentence will be handed down to the 78-year-old at a later date. For Europe's media, the verdict highlights the dictatorial nature of the Chinese system.