Investigators are now working on the assumption that the Bondi Beach attack was motivated by antisemitism and that the perpetrators were influenced by the ideology of the terrorist group Islamic State. The two gunmen opened fire on people participating in a Chanukah celebration on Sydney's famous beach on Sunday. Fifteen people were killed and 40 others injured. A glance at the European press reveals just how close Australia is to us.
After two days of talks aimed at finding a peaceful solution for Ukraine, the participants at the meeting in Berlin were optimistic: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz spoke of a "real chance" for peace, saying that the US had offered "considerable legal and material guarantees". And Ukraine's European allies proposed a "multinational force" to secure peace with Russia.
José Antonio Kast has won the runoff election for the Chilean presidency. The right-wing populist secured just over 58 percent of the vote, leaving his communist rival Jeannette Jara trailing behind with around 42 percent. Commentators discuss what the new president's ultra-conservative views portend for the country.
With all ministers sworn in at Prague Castle on Monday, the formation of the new right-wing populist government consisting of ANO, the Motorists' Party as well as Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) in the Czech Republic is now formally complete. Commentators discuss how the cabinet under Prime Minister Andrej Babiš will position itself, particularly vis-á-vis Russia and Ukraine.
Belarus's authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko has released 123 political prisoners. Among those pardoned were civil rights activist Maria Kolesnikova, former presidential candidate Viktor Babaryko and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Beliatski. The freed prisoners were taken out of the country and are not allowed to return. The move comes after the US announced it was lifting its sanctions on the Belarusian potash industry.
Following mass protests against the draft budget and corruption, the Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov and his entire government have resigned. "We hear the voices of the people who are protesting against the government," said Zhelyazkov, who formed a minority multi-party coalition government last January. The options now: an attempt to form a new government or snap elections.
"Captured Justice", a documentary by the investigative news platform Recorder, has sparked major controversy in Romania. Garnering millions of clicks on YouTube, the Youtube video shows how judicial proceedings have been delayed and prosecutors and judges stonewalled in numerous corruption cases. Angry citizens have been demonstrating in Bucharest and other cities since Wednesday.
In response to US President Donald Trump's comment that it was time for elections in Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said the country is ready to hold elections if the United States and Europe can guarantee its security. Commentators examine the prospects for a fair vote – and see the ball in Trump's court now.
Tensions between the United States and Venezuela have escalated again after the US military seized the fully loaded oil tanker Skipper off the coast of the South American country on Wednesday. Washington said the Venezuelan tanker was being used illegally to transport "sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran". The regime of Nicolás Maduro has accused the US of committing an act of "international piracy".
Greece's finance minister, Kyriakos Pierrakakis, has been elected as the new head of the Eurogroup for the next two and a half years. This informal council of economic and finance ministers from the 20 countries of the Eurozone meets once a month to coordinate economic and financial policy. The Greek press sees the nomination as a major success.
In Lithuania, proposed amendments to the laws governing public broadcaster LRT have sparked major concerns about press freedom. Introduced in parliament by the right-wing populist ruling party Nemuno Aušra, the amendments aim, among other things, to ease the dismissal of LRT's Director General. Critics warn that this could weaken the broadcaster's editorial independence and facilitate political interference.
Donald Trump has reiterated the criticism of Europe recently expressed in the US National Security Strategy. In an interview with Politico, he said that Europe's top politicians were too "weak" and too "politically correct", and that their efforts to control migration and end the war in Ukraine had failed. European commentators make suggestions as to how the bloc should position itself.