Western Europe is currently in the grip of an unusually early heatwave. In France and the UK, meteorologists have recorded new record temperatures for the month of May, with highs of up to 36 degrees Celsius. In some parts of Spain, temperatures have soared to 40 degrees, and there have already been several heat-related deaths. Commentators point to past failures and warn of what lies ahead.
The Spanish police have raided the headquarters of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's ruling Socialist Party (PSOE) in Madrid. The Civil Guard said the search was prompted by allegations of illegal party financing. Just last week, former socialist Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero was placed under investigation over alleged influence-peddling in connection with a bailout loan for the airline Plus Ultra.
The US and Iran are engaged in talks in Qatar aimed at resolving the complex conflict. Washington is sending mixed signals: US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the two countries were close to an agreement, but the next day he warned he wouldn't be rushed into a deal. And despite the ceasefire in the Strait of Hormuz, there have been mutual attacks on ships and land-based positions in recent days.
The number of respondents in a poll in Saxony-Anhalt who said they intend to vote for the AfD in the next state elections rose to above 40 percent for the first time in early May. Although the elections in this economically weak eastern German state are not due to take place until 6 September, the prospect of a clear AfD majority gives the media food for thought. Why have right-wing populists gained so much support? And how can their political rivals counter this trend?
After Russia issued a warning to foreign diplomats, telling them to leave the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, the Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha has urged the Western partners not to yield to "Russian threats". Late on Saturday night Russia launched a massive missile and drone attack on the greater Kyiv area. Commentators, however, see the strikes as a sign of the Kremlin's weakness.
Cuba faces a "humanitarian catastrophe", its Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla told the UN Security Council on Tuesday. The Communist Caribbean state has been struggling under a US oil blockade for months. President Trump has threatened to "take" Cuba and charges have also been brought in the US against the 94-year-old former president, Raúl Castro. The media discuss how this crisis could unfold.
The birth rate in the EU has dropped to a record low. The statistical average number of children per woman is now 1.34, compared to 2.62 in 1964. This downwards trend is making it increasingly difficult for governments to maintain stable tax revenues and sustain pension and healthcare systems. Commentators look into how to make Europe more family-friendly.
In Sweden, the price of monthly travel passes for public transport is due to be halved in the second half of 2026. The decision by the right-wing government is expected to cost 6.5 billion kronor (around 605 million euros). Ebba Busch, Minister for Energy, Business and Industry, justified the move citing "the worst energy crisis the world has ever seen".
In his first encyclical, presented in the Vatican at the weekend, Pope Leo XIV focuses on the risks posed by artificial intelligence. Titled Magnifica Humanitas, the document warns of the consequences of uncontrolled use of AI. Commentators praise the relevance of his analysis and call for more such clear positioning.
The traditional Sudeten German Congress was held for the first time in the Czech city of Brno over Whitsun weekend. The meeting of Germans who were displaced after the end of World War II took place under the slogan "Alles Leben ist Begegnung" [Life is about encounters] and was intended to foster reconciliation. There were critical voices in the run-up to the event and protests over the weekend. But the press is positive in its assessment.
In the parliamentary elections in the Republic of Cyprus, the conservative DISY and the left-wing AKEL remained the strongest parties, with 27 and 24 percent of the vote respectively. However, right-wing populists and two new political movements that entered parliament for the first time made significant gains. This will likely make it harder for the directly elected conservative president, Nikos Christodoulidis, to secure a majority for his proposals, notes the country's press.
Incursions by large drones are causing concern in the three Baltic states: on Tuesday, for the first time, Nato fighter jets shot down a drone over a lake in Estonia. On Wednesday, there was an official air raid alert in Lithuania's capital, Vilnius. A row over drone strikes in Latvia in the early May even led to the collapse of the country's coalition government.