Eurotopics.net

Thousands of people have taken to the streets in Havana since Sunday to protest against the government, its handling of the pandemic and the rampant economic crisis. They risk being sent to prison because such rallies are illegal in Cuba. More than 100 people have been arrested or gone missing, including foreign journalists, and at least one person has died.

The Action and Solid Party (PAS), which has close ties to pro-EU president Maia Sandu, won a clear victory in Moldova's parliamentary election on Sunday with 52.8 percent of the vote. The pro-Russian communists and socialists under Sandu's predecessor Igor Dodon trailed behind with just 27.2 percent. With their previous parliamentary majority, Dodon's supporters had blocked the formation of a government for months.

The Kremlin has published a long historical article in Russian and Ukrainian in which Putin evokes the common roots of Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians in the 'Ancient Rus' and portrays any division of this great people into several states as an accident of history. He fiercely opposes the positioning of Ukraine, supported by the West, as an antipole to Moscow.

As the US and Nato troops withdraw from Afghanistan, the Taliban are expanding their sphere of influence. They have now taken control of large swathes of the country and are fighting the Afghan security forces in several cities. The countries of Europe will not be able to avoid further engagement in the region, commentators write.

Racist abuse has given the Euro 2020 football championship final a bitter aftertaste. After three young black members of the England team failed to score in the penalty shoot-out against Italy, they were targeted with a slew of racist abuse online. Calls for violence against black people led to several assaults, according to media reports.