Eurotopics.net

Spain's government is faced with the difficult decision of whether to pardon the separatists imprisoned over the Catalan referendum held in October 2017. The separatist parties have won several recent elections in the region, prolonging their government there. This could facilitate dialogue or lead to new crimes, depending on how one sees the situation.

Videos of the Turkish exiled mafia boss Sedat Peker continue to cause controversy in Turkey. In now seven Youtube videos which have been viewed over 70 million times, Peker has accused high-ranking AKP politicians of more and more involvement in organised crime, from drug deals to rape and contract killings. Peker has been considered a key supporter of the president since his release from prison in 2014. What is going on here?

On Thursday night Israel and Hamas agreed on a ceasefire which has been observed by both sides so far. UN Secretary-General Guterres welcomed the move and called for talks to begin without delay. Europe's press, however, doubts that lasting peace can be achieved.

The Arctic Council, which has the task of balancing the interests of the Arctic states and the indigenous peoples of the region, convened in Iceland on Thursday. Both the US and Russia, which has taken over the chairmanship of the body for the next two years, are intensifying their activities in the area surrounding the North Pole. Commentators call for climate protection to be given precedence over geostrategic interests.

At a meeting with his Serbian counterpart Alexandar Vučič, Czech President Miloš Zeman apologised to Serbia for the Nato bombing in 1999 - as a purely personal gesture, he said. Although the Czech Republic did not take part in the attacks, under then Prime Minister Zeman it did grant US fighter jets the right to fly over the Czech Republic. The nation's press is nonplussed.