Eurotopics.net

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and China's leading diplomat Yang Jiechi exchanged blows before rolling cameras at their first meeting last Thursday. Blinken accused Beijing of endangering global stability, while Yang blamed Washington for interfering in China's internal affairs. Europe's press says the new US administration has made its future course clear. Commentators speculate on how Europe will respond.

Politicians and human rights organisations inside and outside Turkey are voicing fierce criticism after Turkey pulled out of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against Women at the weekend. The EU's foreign affairs representative Josep Borrell has called on Ankara to reverse the decision. Withdrawing from the 2011 convention sends a dangerous message to the world, he warned. Europe's press is also up in arms.

Israel will elect a new parliament tomorrow, Tuesday, for the fourth time in two years. Once again, coalition-building looks set to be a difficult process. According to the polls, Netanyahu's national conservative Likud will again emerge as the strongest party, but his partners from the right-wing religious end of the spectrum are losing popularity. Commentators discuss his campaign and what changes the election might bring.

Bulgaria's intelligence services have uncovered a network of high-ranking officials suspected of spying for Russia. Five military and ex-military officers were arrested, including one who was in charge of classified information at the Bulgarian parliament, as well as the wife of one of the officers. The latter is suspected of having acted as intermediary. Chief Public Prosecutor Ivan Geshev described this as the biggest case of espionage since 1944. The national press is less impressed.