European Union

The CDU leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (AKK) has been sworn in as the new German defence minister. She takes over from the designated EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The opposition criticises AKK's nomination because up to now she had publicly ruled out cabinet changes. Commentators discuss whether she is the right woman for the job.

In the gas dispute the leader of the Cypriot Turks Mustafa Akıncı proposed setting up a joint committee to monitor the drilling and to divide the profits between both groups on the divided island. Previously the EU had imposed sanctions against Ankara because of Turkish drilling. Nicosia should think long and hard about the proposal, commentators say.

Unknown hackers in Bulgaria have stolen the data of millions of people and businesses, leaking it to several media outlets. This is the biggest case of data theft in Bulgaria's history. A number of commentators are calling for the resignation of those responsible. But further action must be taken, others stress.

The Italian bestseller author Andrea Camilleri died on Wednesday in Rome at the age of 93. He wrote more than a hundred books, but it was only in the 1990s, when he was almost 70, that he got his big breakthrough with the creation of the character Inspector Montalbano. The novels were translated into more than 30 languages. Commentators remember an author who had a special relationship with his readers.

EU regulators imposed a €242m fine on US chipmaker Qualcomm, the second penalty in 18 months, for breaching antitrust rules. Competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager said on Thursday that Qualcomm, which disputes the allegation, had abused its dominant position to drive a competitor out of business in the so-called baseband chips market, which connects smartphones and tablets to cellular networks. In 2015 a British chipmaker alleged that Qualcomm used "predatory pricing".

The G7 listed on Thursday (18 July) the requirements Facebook’s new ‘coin' Libra should meet, as regulators are increasingly wary of the “serious risks” posed by this digital currency.

Public decision-makers want to see progress on the energy refurbishment market. This means that EU member states need to take measures to enable the emergence of energy transition operators.

The members of the European Parliament's employment committee elected Slovak MEP Lucia Duris Nicholsonova as chairwoman on Thursday. Nicholsonova was put forward by the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group after their Beata Szydlo, former Polish PM, was twice rejected, leading to a spat where Szydlo's PiS party initially refused to back Commission president candidate Ursula von der Leyen. Nicholsonova received 38 votes in favour and 14 against.

Romania’s EU presidency was partly defined by factors beyond its control, such as the European elections and the ongoing Brexit issue. But the first-time Council chair still managed to do its job: broker agreements on EU legislation. Here are some of the most notable hits.

France is eager to claim the position of Secretary-General at the European Commission that will be left vacant after the departure of Martin Selmayr at the end of July. But Emmanuel Macron's quest for control in Brussels could be met with opposition. EURACTIV France reports.

Britain's Brexit negotiators behaved "like idiots", a senior EU figure has said, amid both comical and "terrifying" scenes in London.