Eurotopics.net

In some of Mallorca's main tourist resorts hundreds of people partied away without masks and without any regard for distancing rules last weekend. The regional government is now cracking down: all clubs and restaurants in the main party zones of Palma and Magaluf were forced to close on Wednesday, initially for two months. Is the politicians' reaction excessive or justified?

An EU court in Luxembourg has quashed a European Commission order and ruled that Apple does not have to pay a record 13 billion euros in back taxes. The court said it had not been "shown to the requisite legal standard" that the tax benefits granted by Ireland to the US tech giant constituted illegal state aid. This is a bitter blow for the EU, commentators stress.

Covid-19 has changed European cities. Outdoor activities have becoming increasingly popular and more people are cycling to work to avoid cramped conditions on public transport, often benefitting from wider bicycle lanes. Commentators argue that these changes are worth preserving even after the pandemic and call on politicians to provide incentives.

Another serious train accident occurred in the Czech Republic on Tuesday when a mail train and a regional train crashed into each other. The driver of the regional train was killed. On July 8 two people were killed in a collision near Pernink, and there were two more minor accidents on July 10 and 12. The Czech press demands action.