Eurotopics.net

Even after six rounds of voting, the US House of Representatives still has no speaker. This is the direct result of a blockade by 20 Republicans who see their party's candidate, Kevin McCarthy, as too moderate. Even a call by former President Donald Trump to vote for McCarthy failed to convince the "Never Kevins". Commentators are concerned about the way this small group of radicals is influencing US politics.

China will cede the rank of the world's most populous country to India this year - but politically and economically it remains Asia's number one superpower. However, Beijing's confrontation with Taiwan, its alliance with Russia and its political and economic expansionism could take an unexpected turn this year, Europe's press speculates.

Temperatures in the Alps are too warm this winter, and the skiing season is turning into a fiasco. Winter sports are only possible at very high altitudes, and at lower altitudes even the artificial snow is melting away, while in the low mountain ranges and foothills of the Alps there is no sign of snow. Commentators call for new concepts and ponder how the affected regions can respond to the changed conditions.

Turkey will hold parliamentary and presidential elections in June - unless they are brought forward. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is being challenged by a six-party alliance that wants to abolish the current presidential system, which gives Erdoğan enormous power. However, the alliance partners have yet to name their joint candidate.

In Portugal, the government of socialist Prime Minister António Costa is in disarray. Its Minister for Infrastructure Pedro Nuno Santos and two state secretaries have been forced to resign amid a scandal over severance pay paid by TAP Air Portugal, which is majority-owned by the state, to a former Secretary of State for the Treasury. What do the resignations mean for the country?

The Kremlin has raised the number of Russian soldiers it says were killed in a Ukrainian military strike on New Year's Eve to 89. Pro-Kremlin bloggers and MPs have sharply criticised Russia's military leadership over the attack. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian side is busy clearing up the damage wreaked by the most recent spate of missile and drone attacks. Europe's press examines the long-term outlook for the war.