The EU ought to take care of 121 people, including 32 children, recently rescued at sea, European Parliament president David-Maria Sassoli has said to outgoing European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker in a letter. If Europe did not help "it'll mean it has lost its soul", he said. Spanish charity Open Arms saved them one week ago but they are stuck on a ship because no EU state will take them.

The European Union has nominated a record three women for its top posts, following the European Parliament elections in May, by choosing Bulgaria's Kristalina Georgieva to lead the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Last month Germany's Ursula von der Leyen was nominated president of the European Commission and France's Christine Lagarde picked to lead the European Central Bank. Georgieva is a former EU commissioner and currently World Bank chief executive.