Calls for Flags Commission to be suspended until the Northern Ireland Executive is restored.  The Commission on Flags, Identity, Culture and Tradition (FICT) had been set up under the Fresh Start Agreement and consists of 15 members, co-chaired by Dr Dominic Bryan of Queen’s University Belfast and Neville Armstrong, a community relations worker. It was scheduled to report back within 18 months, but has yet to publish its findings. In an interview with the BBC Sinn Féin MLA Linda Dillon stated that it was her party’s position that in the absence of an Executive, the political situation was “not conducive to reaching an accommodation or agreement on the outstanding issues.” However, on the contrary, the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) leader Robin Swann expressed his concern over the closure of the commission stating the whole issue of flags in Northern Ireland would ultimately “disappear into a political vacuum at a cost of nearly £650,000.”

Simon Coveney says calls for border polls “unhelpful.” The Irish foreign minister said such calls on the issue of a pending Irish border poll was seen by the Irish government as being “an unnecessary distraction” in comments made at a high level seminar on the ongoing issue of Brexit by members of the Irish civil service. Moreover, the Tánaiste reinforced the need to avoid destabilising the peace process in Northern Ireland. Although Coveney did emphasise the important fact that people in Northern Ireland do have separate constitutional viewpoints, he erred on the side on caution that all sides should “focus on the task at hand.”He argued that both the Republic and Northern Ireland should be focused on overcoming the challenge posed by the delivery of Brexit. Lastly, Coveney also used this opportunity to outline the continued importance of the civil service in Ireland by showing that by working together they could help ensure that outstanding Brexit issues were completed in an effective manner.

Pedro Sánchez is sworn in as Spain’s new prime minister. The leader of the main socialist party, the PSOE, was sworn in as Spain’s new Prime Minister in an Oath of Office ceremony led  by King Felipe after the ousting of Mariano Rajoy earlier in the week. Mr Sánchez, who is seen as being anti-church, took the oath to protect the constitution without a Bible.He plans for his administration to see out the remaining two years of the parliamentary term though he is unlikely to call an early general election in Spain due to the continuing political instability. With only a minority of the seats in Spanish Parliament, the new administration has already faces a significant challenge. These have included Sánchez now has to decide who to include in his cabinet and is expected to name ministers next week. Rajoy’s departure marked the first time in recent Spanish history for a prime minister to be defeated in a no-confidence motion since the reestablishment of democracy after the collapse of the Franco Junta in 1975.

Giuseppe Conte to lead populist coalition government in Italy. The Italian prime minister designate presented his preferred cabinet to President Sergio Mattarella for the second time in a week after there being some disagreement over initial nominations; the new government will be formally sworn in on Friday. The new government encompasses the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) and the right-wing League. Due to President Mattarella’s rejection of Conte’s original eurosceptic choice for economy minister a different candidate was agreed on Thursday. The populist parties decided to back down and accept the president’s veto. Their newly chosen minister, Giovanni Tria, is in favour of Italy’s continued membership of the single currency.

President Trump launches trade war ahead of G7 Summit.Fulfilling a campaign pledge to increase tariffs on steel and other products, Donald Trump’s move – made in the name of “national security” – drew immediate criticism from allies in North America and across the Atlantic. “The idea that we are somehow a national security threat to the United States is quite frankly insulting and unacceptable,” said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker warned the United States that retaliatory tariffs would be imposed. After filing a complaint with the World Trade Organisation, the EU’s trade commissioner expressed frustration. “We are not in a trade war, but we are in a very difficult situation caused by the United States,” she said. “The US is playing a dangerous game here,” she added. The trade dispute comes as G7 finance ministers meet in Canada ahead of next weekend’s main G7 summit.