Eurotopics.net

Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume has announced that the company will axe up to 50,000 jobs – in addition to the 50,000 already agreed on. The aim is to slash the costs of Europe's largest car manufacturer to a 'competitive level'. Four German plants are reportedly at risk of closure. Commentators debate the implications beyond Germany and what steps to take next.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has suffered a defeat in parliament over a key point in her planned electoral reform. With 188 votes to 187, the Chamber of Deputies rejected a draft amendment proposed by her ruling party, Fratelli d'Italia. The amendment would have allowed voters to use preferential votes to rank individual candidates within a list.

Border controls between Spain and the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar have been abolished. A post-Brexit agreement negotiated between London and Brussels that came into force on Wednesday also provides for the removal of the border fence erected in 1908. For commuters in particular, this means an end to hours of waiting at the border. Commentators take a closer look at the ramifications.

The latest film by star director Christopher Nolan (the Batman trilogy and Oppenheimer) is now screening in cinemas. By choosing Homer's Odyssey – a classic more than 2,500 years old – as the basis for his story, Nolan has sparked a vigorous discussion: can an ancient epic be brought to life with the spectacular animation fantasy worlds of a contemporary Hollywood blockbuster? The Greek press weighs in.

Several European countries have agreed in Paris to form an alliance with Ukraine for joint missile defence, with the declared aim of deterring and neutralising threats. In addition, the Coalition of the Willing declared its readiness to guarantee Ukraine's security in the event of a ceasefire and announced multinational military exercises in Poland.