This places the country among a cluster of nations that now formally criminalise communist ideology, symbols, or parties.

The newly enacted amendment underscores a symbolic reckoning with the country's 20th-century past. The Czech Republic, once part of communist Czechoslovakia until the Velvet Revolution of 1989, has long wrestled with the legacy of communist oppression.

The new law bans the public promotion of communist ideologies, equates it legally with Nazism, which has long been criminalised under European post-WWII jurisprudence and penalises support for any totalitarian regime with up to five years in prison.

This legislative decision mirrors similar laws passed in the region over the last two decades, particularly in Eastern and Central Europe, where countries seek to distance themselves from their Soviet past.

The Czech Republic joins a growing list of countries that have already banned or restricted communist ideology, including Poland, Hungary, Ukraine, and the Baltic states (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia).

Each of these countries has laws criminalising the public display of communist symbols or the promotion of communism, often justified by historical trauma and national security concerns.

Georgia and South Korea also cited ideological threats from the past or ongoing geopolitical tensions as grounds for their bans. Indonesia also implements strict censorship and legal penalties on communist ideology since the 1965 anti-communist purge.

Countries such as Croatia and Slovakia also enforce similar legislation, while Germany, the United States, and others formerly banned such symbols but now generally allow them under protected free speech.

This landmark decision, confirmed during a joint summit and reported by Reuters , underscores the alliance’s heightened concern over geopolitical threats, particularly from Russia and China.

The newly released estimates for 2024 show that some member states are already pushing well beyond the old 2% goal.

Top NATO defence spenders in 2024 (by % of GDP)

This surge in military investment reflects a collective response to evolving security threats, especially in Eastern Europe, where Poland and the Baltic States are now on the front lines of NATO's strategic posture.

As reported by Reuters , NATO’s revised 5% defence target comes amid ongoing warfare in Ukraine, increased cyber threats, and growing instability in the Indo-Pacific region. Leaders emphasised the need for stronger deterrence and rapid military modernisation.

While the United States continues to dominate in raw military spending (with a massive global footprint), European allies like Poland, Estonia, and Latvia are now contributing a significantly higher percentage of their GDP toward defence.

Poland's 4.12% commitment reflects its proximity to Russia and Ukraine , as well as a massive military modernisation plan that includes purchasing U.S.-made Abrams tanks, F-35 fighter jets, and HIMARS missile systems.

At the lower end of the spectrum, Spain (1.28%), Slovenia (1.29%), Belgium (1.30%), and Canada (1.37%) remain below both the former 2% threshold and the new 5% goal. These nations may face growing pressure to accelerate defence reforms and increase contributions to NATO operations.

According to IMF projections for 2025 , Poland’s nominal GDP is set to hit $979 billion, outpacing the total economic output of Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Moldova, which collectively reach $927 billion.

Here’s the breakdown:

Despite having only 38 million residents, Poland generates more output than these seven countries combined, which together are home to over 77 million people .

The contrast is even more staggering in GDP per capita: $26,800 in Poland versus an average of $13,300 among its neighbours.

This economic edge is no accident. Poland’s early integration into the European Union, coupled with sound institutions, investor confidence, and a robust manufacturing sector, has fuelled steady growth.

Meanwhile, many of the surrounding nations continue to wrestle with structural weaknesses, ranging from post-Soviet economic legacies and political instability to, in some cases, active conflict zones.

Poland’s position today marks a dramatic transformation from the 1990s and underlines its emergence as Eastern Europe ’s most dynamic economy.

"In March, the Ukrainian president said in Jeddah that he agreed to an unconditional ceasefire. And yesterday, the Ukrainian president said he had decided to meet (with Vladimir Putin) in Istanbul. This is the second time he has made major concessions. We must all be reasonable now. Either Russia, Mr Putin, is serious and wants peace, or it is not serious and we must impose even tougher sanctions ," Macron told the press on Monday, May 12.

Western leaders, including those from the United States , issued a firm demand on Saturday, May 10, for Moscow to implement an unconditional 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine beginning Monday, warning that failure to comply would trigger intensified sanctions targeting Russia’s banking and energy sectors.

Putin, however, on the same day, countered with a proposal to engage in talks in Istanbul.

“We are committed to serious negotiations with Ukraine … to remove the root causes of the conflict,” he said at a news conference. “I do not exclude that during these negotiations it will be possible to agree on some new ceasefire.”

Russia is preparing to hold a military parade on May 9 to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Nazi Germany's defeat—an event President Vladimir Putin aims to use as a demonstration of national strength.

Some residents welcomed any temporary lull in fighting as a chance to seek safety, reconnect with family, or access basic supplies.

"Today, at least I slept. The night before last, no. I think today was calmer," Nastya, a resident, told AFP.

Kateryna, on the other hand, shared, "They say we have a ceasefire, like, 'we’re not firing heavy weapons,' but at the crossing zone, everything is the same as it was. They are inconsistent in their actions. It seems that no one is paying attention to this — we are. After the other day, when we had 12 Shahed drones , I even thought about boarding up my windows. Those are the kinds of thoughts I have. I’m not even thinking about a ceasefire."

The order, which is expected to last from May 8 to May 10 , is met with suspicion by many Ukrainians who recall previous truces being violated or used as cover for repositioning troops.

For Andriy Yermak, Zelenskiy's chief of staff, "The Kremlin's proposal for a three-day truce is not about peace , but about safely holding the parade in Moscow. This is political manipulation."

"An invitation for Ukraine to join NATO is necessary for our survival," Zelenskyy declared.

During the press conference , Zelenskyy also argued that integrating Ukraine into the alliance would not only enhance the country's security but also contribute to regional stability in Eastern Europe. "Our membership in NATO is not just about Ukraine; it is about the security of the entire region," he stated.

The call for NATO membership comes as Ukraine continues to face significant challenges on the battlefield. Despite international support, the conflict has taken a heavy toll on the country's infrastructure and civilian population.

On the other hand, the EU's newly appointed top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, and the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, arrived in Kyiv on Sunday as a show of support for Ukraine on their first day in office.

"We came to give a clear message that we stand with Ukraine, and we continue to give our full support," Costa was quoted by AFP.

However, before the historic American was scintillating the world with her acrobatics, a certain “Sparrow from Minsk” captured attention by winning 3 gold medals and a silver medal at the 1972 Munich Games competing for the Soviet Union aged just 17 years old.

Korbut, standing at 4 ft 11 is described on the Olympics website as the one who “ushered in an era of gymnastics dominated by young, lithe women.”

The Eastern European athlete became the standout of the Munich Games. After her breathtaking routine on the uneven parallel bars, Korbut recalled, "It was amazing. One day, I was a nobody, and the next day, I was a star."

Korbut is regarded as one of the female gymnasts who revolutionised the sport. She became the first gymnast to perform a back flip to catch on the uneven bars when she was 17. In her honour, the move has since become known as the Korbut Flip, a recognition of her impact on the sport. She was also the first to do a backward somersault on the beam.

Korbut managed two Olympic appearances during her time: the first being the 1972 Munich Olympics aged 17 and the final being the 1976 Montreal Olympics aged 21.

Despite her short-lived career where she retired in 1977 at the age of 22, the Belarusian gymnast won 4 Olympic gold medals.

She has since settled in the United States with her family mentoring a new generation of gymnasts as a coach after migrating in 1991 from Minsk to New Jersey, fearing the long-term health effects of the nearby Chernobyl nuclear reactor accident in Ukraine.

Dean Tavakoli, CEO of Sea Enerji, forecasts that Turkey's strategic location puts the country on a path to becoming one of the world's top 10 economies.

According to the expert, Turkey's economy is expected to surpass $1 trillion due to two key catalysts. The first is the Bosphorus Strait, a vital international waterway that connects Eastern European nations to the Mediterranean Sea and the second catalyst is energy and food security, which he asserts is as crucial as military security.

“The strait also serves as an integral part of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR). On average, around forty thousand ships pass through the Bosphorus Strait annually. Turkey aims to increase the number of ships able to pass from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea by approximately forty thousand vessels per year through the construction of the Istanbul Canal. This will strengthen Turkey's position by offering a new maritime route, which will have a significant impact on the country's economy,” he asserts.

“Energy security is an important challenge for Europe, and its interest in an additional supply route through Turkey has been increasing rapidly. Turkey's geographical location is close to 70% of the world's primary crude and gas producers. Therefore, Turkey is destined to become an energy hub, regardless of the current Russian proposal,” he added.

Turkey has diversified its energy suppliers by enhancing the capacities of the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) and the Southern Gas Corridor. This strategic move allows Turkey to supply more gas from Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, reducing dependency on a single source, according to Tavakoli. Turkey's own Sakarya Gas field in the Black Sea contributes to achieving its goal of becoming an energy hub.

In terms of real GDP, the top five economies in the world are the US, China, Japan, Germany, and India. The US led the world in real GDP in 2021 with a value of $18.6 trillion, followed by China at $12.7 trillion. Japan's real GDP ranked third in the world during that same period, reaching $6 trillion. Germany and India have the other two largest economies with real GDPs of $3.8 trillion and $2.9 trillion respectively. Between 2010 and 2021, Turkey's real GDP increased at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.7%, with its real GDP in 2021 at $1.4 trillion, up 11.0% from the year before.

GDP Annual Growth Rate in Turkey is expected to be 2.50% by the end of the first quarter of 2024, according to analysts' expectations . In the long term, Turkey's GDP Annual Growth Rate is projected to trend around 4.50% in 2025.

Navalny, a former lawyer, aged 47, had been convicted of promoting extremism amidst other crimes and was serving a 30-year prison sentence. His untimely death occurred after he fell unconscious following a walk at the "Polar Wolf" Arctic penal colony.

Navalny emerged as a prominent opposition figure over a decade ago, speaking publicly about the widespread corruption within Putin's Russia, international media Reuters reported.

Assassination attempts against Putin’s critics have been distressingly frequent during his nearly quarter-century tenure. From poisoning by polonium-laced tea to fatal shootings, the victims and few survivors of these incidents have often blamed Russian authorities, despite Kremlin denials.

Unresolved deaths

Opposition deaths in Russia came to global attention following the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko in 2006. Litvinenko, a former Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) member turned Putin opponent, was killed in London with polonium-210-laced tea. Before his death, he had told journalists the FSB was still operating poison laboratories dating from the Soviet era. A British inquiry into his death implicated Russian agents.

Former head of the Wagner paramilitary, Yevgeny Prigozhin died in a plane crash on August 23, 2023, two months after he led a failed mutiny in Moscow. The rebellion, triggered by disagreements about the war in Ukraine, briefly shook Putin’s authority. His death is viewed as a retaliation and a stark warning to potential challengers. Despite the fiery crash, no official investigation findings were ever disclosed.

“I have known Prigozhin for a long time, since the 1990s. He made some serious mistakes in life, but he also achieved the necessary results for himself but also for the greater good when I asked him,” Putin was quoted by The Guardian when he appeared to eulogise the warlord.

In 2018, Sergei Skripal, a former Russian double agent, and his daughter Yulia fell victim to poisoning in the UK, believed to involve the same Novichok nerve agent later used against Navalny. Putin later scorned Skripal as a traitor to his homeland.

The assassination of Boris Nemtsov in 2015, a prominent opposition figure and former deputy prime minister under Boris Yeltsin was tragic. Nemtsov was fatally shot four times just within sight of the Kremlin. A collaborative investigation by BBC and Bellingcat uncovered that he had been shadowed by Russian Federal Security Service agents in the year leading up to his murder. The investigation also revealed that some of the same agents were implicated in the poisonings of other prominent Kremlin critics.

Yuri Shchekochikhin, an investigative journalist, died of a sudden and violent illness in 2003 while probing corruption and the possible involvement of Russian security services in the 1999 apartment house bombings blamed on Chechen insurgents. Anna Politkovskaya, another journalist known for her critical reporting on Putin and Ramzan Kadyrov, a Chechen leader, was shot dead in 2006.

The likes of opposition figure Ilya Yashin, Vladimir Kara-Murza, and Igor Girkin have been given respective sentences in prison of eight-and-a-half, twenty-three, and four years.

Navalny’s aides, Liliya Chanysheva, Vadim Ostanin, and Ksenia Fadeyeva have also been sentenced to seven-and-a-half, nine, and nine-and-a-half years in prison respectively. Independent media organizations are now operating from locations such as Latvia, Turkey, and various other parts of the region.

Russia's $25 billion loan to Egypt in 2016 facilitated the construction of the country's inaugural nuclear power plant.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in a statement said that the loan would span 35 years, carrying an annual 3% interest rate.

Egypt's official gazette outlines instalment payments commencing on Oct. 15, 2029.

"The loan will be used by the Egyptian side for a period of 13 years between 2016-2028 the Egyptian side will repay loan amounts used over 22 years in 43 instalments," the gazette said.

Rosatom, Russia's state-owned nuclear energy corporation, will train 2,000 Egyptian technicians for the operation and maintenance of the Dabaa station, set to create 50,000 jobs in the Matrouh governorate over a seven-year construction period, according to Egypt Today .

Burkina Faso's energy aspirations

Burkina Faso, in October 2023 entered a memorandum of understanding with Russia during the Russian Energy Week in Moscow, solidifying plans for a nuclear power plant.

The military junta in a statement said, "The government of Burkina Faso has signed a memorandum of understanding for the construction of a nuclear power plant. The construction of this nuclear power plant in Burkina Faso is intended to cover the energy needs of the population."

As of 2021, only 19% of the population in the West African nation had access to electricity, the World Bank reported.

South Sudan's hydropower initiative

A recent agreement between Russia and South Sudan materialised in the activation of plans for a hydropower plant, highlighting South Sudan's severe electricity scarcity, with over 90% of its 12 million citizens lacking access, according to local media Eye Radio .

The memorandum of understanding, initially delayed since 2018, signals renewed commitment, aligning with South Sudan's ambitions for infrastructural development.

"We were supposed to sign this memorandum of understanding in 2018 but this memorandum will be renewed, and the company has agreed that it will be signed in Juba," South Sudan Ambassador to Russia, Chol Tong Mayay said in a televised report on state-owned SSBC.

Uganda's nuclear power station ventures

In August 2023, Uganda announced collaborative efforts with Russia and South Korea to construct two nuclear power stations using Uganda’s uranium, potentially generating a total of 10,700 megawatts of power, local media the New Vision reported.

President Yoweri Museveni confirmed the plan at the G-25 Africa Coffee Summit held in Uganda.

“Just imagine two power stations will produce 10,700 megawatts. One 7,300 megawatts and the other 3,400 megawatts,” the East African leader is quoted by local media the New Vision.

The Moldovan Minister of Labour and Social Protection has announced that pregnant women in the country will no longer be required to submit a file to enjoy maternity benefits. Starting next year, families will receive allowances without a request, based on data collected from the public system, he said on a show on the local channel Agora md . “We work from the point of view that if we have certain data in the public system, it is our responsibility to collect this data,” he is quoted by Agora md.

EU accession

Moldova's President, Maia Sandu, has expressed hope that accession negotiations with the EU will be completed by 2030. According to local media Timpul , the Moldovan President believes the Eastern European nation can become a full EU member due to significant steps taken in less than two years. "We have made commitments from our side because we are in control here, we have to fulfill all commitments and reach European standards by 2030 and we hope that the EU will be ready to accept us," she is quoted by Timpul.

Digital ID cards

The Moldovan Parliament has approved a project to promote electronic services, developed by the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization with the support of the Electronic Government Agency. The project will make identity cards, driving licenses, and registration certificates available in digital format, with a digital identity card generated on a holder's phone or tablet, local publication Ziarul de Gardă reports. According to Ziarul de Gardă, the project also proposes the use of unique electronic identifiers for extracts from state registers, allowing electronic verification of document authenticity.

Romania citizenship support

Romania's President, Klaus Iohannis, has passed a law increasing child allowances that also benefits Moldavan children with Romanian citizenship from January 1, 2024. The state allowance will be indexed annually with the average inflation rate. Currently, the state allowance is 631 Romanian lei ($137) for children aged 0 to 2 and 256 lei ($55.9) for those aged 2 to 18. The new allowances will be 718 lei ($156) for children aged 0 to 2 and those disabled up to 18, and 291 lei($63) for those aged 2 to 18, Moldavan national newspaper Ziarul National reported.

German energy investment

The German government plans to invest five million euros in energy efficiency projects in Moldova over the next three years. According to local media IPN the Moldova Minister of energy said, the initiative aims to accelerate the country's decarbonisation agenda, because around 50% of energy consumption in Moldova comes from building maintenance. The funds will be allocated through the German International Cooperation Agency (GIZ Moldova), IPN reports.

The Romanian National Institute of Statistics (INS) has reported that Romania's GDP increased by 0.2% in the third quarter of this year compared to the same quarter in 2022, with a 2.1% increase on the seasonally adjusted series. The first nine months of 2023 saw a 1.1% increase in the gross series in comparison to last year and 1.9% in the seasonally adjusted series. The seasonally adjusted series of the quarterly GDP was recalculated due to the inclusion of estimates for the third quarter of 2023, being revised compared to the version published on October 12, 2023, local media Cotidianul reported.

Pension increase

Romania's Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has expressed the need for sustainable pension reforms, stating that increasing pensions is the main objective of the governing coalition. He stated that the current average pension is inhumane and that it is not possible to continue with an average pension of 1980 lei ($426), local media Bursa reported.  According to Bursa, Ciolacu also stated that the increase in pensions will have a 25 billion lei ($5.382 billion) budget impact in 2024 and a 33 billion lei ($7.1 billion) budget impact in 2025.

Presidential tour of Africa

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis is set to visit several African countries, including Kenya, Tanzania, Cape Verde, and Senegal, between November 14-23. The press statement released on November 7 by the presidential administration stated that the visits are part of the first political-diplomatic approach in the last 30 years and aim to relaunch Romania's relations with the African continent. The president will have meetings with President Samia Suluhu Hassan, President Jose Maria Neves, and former students from Cabo Verde who studied in Romania.

Heated houses

The Ministry of Energy in Romania has signed a partnership to combat energy poverty, aiming to support over 1000 needy households during the winter season. The "Heat houses for needy families" project, launched with the Intelligent Energy Association (HER), aims to cover at least 1,000 households with heating supplies for the entire winter, Bursa reports. According to Bursa, the Ministry of Energy will provide approximately 1 million lei ($215,438) for support for over 1,000 households, with beneficiaries chosen based on income, marginalisation, and distance from main access roads and supply sources.

Draft law on public pension

The Romanian Senate will debate and vote on the Government's draft law on the public pension system on November 14. The executive approved the draft law on November 9 which means the pensions of over 4.7 million Romanians are to be recalculated, Bursa reported. "All the aspects related to the Pensions Law, including those regarding the funding sources, were clarified in the Coalition meeting this afternoon. Therefore, the Law enters the Parliament in a straight line, being supported by the entire Coalition,” Romania’s Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said in a post on Facebook.

The Russian Ministry of Defence has labelled information in the media about the regrouping of Russian troops in the Dnieper region to advantageous positions as false. “The sending of a false message about the “regrouping” of troops in the Dnieper region, allegedly on behalf of the press centre of the Russian Ministry of Defence, is a provocation,” the Russian Ministry of Defence told Russian news channel RBC .

Gaza evacuation

The first batch of Russian citizens left the Gaza Strip on Sunday. A representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Vladimirovna, in a live radio show on Russian channel Komsomolskaya Pravda said that about 70 Russian citizens have been evacuated from Gaza. "About 70 people have left, according to the lists that were generated, initially there were more than a thousand people who signed up for evacuation. Now the Ministry of Emergency Situations is working with those released. And this joint work will continue," she said.

Salary indexation

The Russian State Duma Committee has recommended a bill to suspend salary indexation provisions until January 1, 2025. The bill, approved by deputies in the first reading, includes provisions for civil servants, judges, parliamentary assistants, police officers, military personnel, and employees of various services. However, at the second reading, the relevant committee supported the amendments, stating that military personnel and employees of the Federal Penitentiary Service, Federal Customs Service, internal affairs bodies and the State Fire Service would not be suspended, local media Moskovskij Komsomolets reported.

Labelling of canned food

The Russian government has decided to start labelling canned food to eradicate counterfeit goods, which are being found in large quantities. It is intended to begin as an experiment on December 1, 2023, and from September 1, 2024, it will become a requirement for all businesses, local media Izvestia reported. This decision will affect certain supermarket product categories, such as chips, crackers, nachos, and sauces, as well as meat products, meat by-products, vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, and berries. Breadcrumbs, vanilla crumbs, and baby food up to one year old are suggested to be excluded from the pilot experiment, according to Izvestia .

Sports nationality switch

Eight-time ski orienteering world champion, Andrei Lamov has changed his Russian nationality to Swedish. The vice-president of Russia’s orienteering federation, Viktor Elizarov announced this sports nationality switch. He is quoted by Moskovskij Komsomolets saying,“ Andrey Lamov will now play for Sweden, he has lived in Sweden for many years and his wife is Swedish.”

At its meeting on November 9, the Ukraine parliament adopted the country’s draft state budget for 2024. The budget approved by 276 parliamentarians saw the Eastern European country cut down on capital expenditures to support the nation’s security defence. Head of the parliamentary budget committee, Roksolana Pidlas is quoted by Ukrainian news media Delo saying, "We reduced almost all capital expenditures, we removed expenditures for the repair of the facades of various state bodies." Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal also told reporters, "The priorities are set in the budget. All our internal resources will be used to resist and defeat the enemy. Practically 50% of our expenses are for the defence and security of Ukraine. There will be more weapons and equipment, drones, ammunition, and missiles. Every hryvnia of taxpayers’ taxes will go to the army."

40,000 Ukrainians face travel ban

About 43,000 Ukrainians have been denied permission to leave the country in the last ten months. The majority of the people who have been denied travel out of the country have been men, the spokesman of the State Border Service of Ukraine, Andriy Demchenko reported. "Several factors led to the rejections. Mainly, because the individuals did not fulfil the requirements to cross the border, it is primarily male Ukrainian citizens," said Demchenko on Thursday during a news conference in Kyiv.

Extension of martial law

The parliament of Ukraine on Wednesday extended the martial law and general mobilisation in Ukraine for 90 days until February 14, 2024. Ukrainian politician, Yaroslav Zheleznyak announced this decision on November 8 via telegram . "Parliament approved the laws (#10211 and 10212) on Decrees on the continuation of martial law and general mobilisation. For - 329 and 322. From November 16, 2023, the effect of martial law and mobilisation was extended for 90 days, “he wrote.

Ban on fireworks

The Ukrainian parliament has banned the use and sale of pyrotechnics in the country. The bill that forbids the use of fireworks and pyrotechnic devices with loud sound effects was passed in April, local media Ekspres reports. Zoya Vovk, head of the communications department of the Cherkasy Regional State Administration of Ukraine is quoted by Ekspres saying “In the conditions of a full-scale war, when the country wakes up after another night of shelling, it's definitely not the time to set off fireworks and salutes.”

$11.8 billion from the US

The US administration has urged its Congress to back Ukraine with $11.8 billion in direct financial support. This has been outlined in the presidential request and is currently being reviewed by Congress, local media Ukrayina Moloda reports. The US Department of the Treasury in an official message stated, "Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and USAID Administrator Samantha Power sent a letter to Congress urging them to approve the Biden administration's request to provide $11.8 billion in direct budget support to Ukraine as part of the president's supplemental package to meet national security needs."