| MADRID The Sumar party, an ally of Spanish acting Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in the country’s future government, called out the EU’s ‘double standards’ on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on Monday. Read more. Nearly half of Spaniards want to redo elections: survey. Almost half of Spanish citizens would prefer a repeat of the general elections after noting the enormous difficulty of the country’s two main political formations, the Socialist Party and Partido Popular, to form a stable government, a fresh poll published by El Pais revealed on Monday. Read more. /// ROME Italy expresses solidarity for Israel helps boost Lebanon’s stability. The Italian government has expressed solidarity with Israel and confirmed its plans to work with international partners, including Lebanon, pledging continued support for the country’s security to prevent the conflict from escalating. Read more. /// LISBON Europe can only prosper if all regions prosper, says Portugal’s EU commissioner. For Europe to thrive, all regions must also thrive, Portuguese EU Commissioner Elisa Ferreira argued on Monday, emphasising the importance of cohesion policy for Europe’s regions and cities. Read more. Air Force C-130 to pick up Portuguese nationals in Israel. The Portuguese Air Force C-130 is on its way to Tel Aviv to pick up at least 150 nationals wishing to leave Israel due to the conflict with Hamas, the Foreign Affairs Ministry affairs announced on Monday. Read more. /// VALLETTA Commission silent over Maltese driving licence racket. The European Commission has refused to answer questions on the EU implications of the recently revealed Maltese driving licence racket, which saw high-ranking officials and ministers push those loyal to the ruling Labour Party to the front of the queue for exams or ensure they received ‘help’ to pass. Read more. | 