Eurotopics.net

Austria's Minister of Labour and Family Affairs Christine Aschbacher has resigned after just under a year in office. The politician, who belongs to the governing ÖVP party, is facing allegations that parts of her doctoral thesis submitted to the Technical University of Bratislava in 2020 were plagiarised. Observers link the affair to Austria's penchant for academic titles.

Three days after the storming of the Capitol, Twitter permanently blocked Donald Trump's private account in a bid to stop the president from inciting further violence. Europe's press agrees that some of Trump's recent tweets were unacceptable. However, opinions differ widely as to whether blocking his account was sensible - and legal.

The price of the leading cryptocurrency bitcoin rose to a record high of 40,000 dollars last week. According to experts, the surge has been driven by more and more companies and hedge funds investing in the currency. The central banks' zero interest rate policy and expensive coronavirus aid programmes have also fueled fears of inflation, and cryptocurrencies are often viewed as a safe investment. But commentators explain that they also have clear disadvantages.

Madrid has been hit with 50 centimetres of snow, a first since 1971. Around 1,500 people were stranded on motorways, in some cases for up to 15 hours. The mayor asked the central government for help, and it sent in the military to rescue the stranded and distribute supplies. But the government's slow response is being criticised by media across the political spectrum.