At its summit in Rio de Janeiro, BRICS states condemned the military attacks on its member state Iran and the war in Gaza. Brazil's President and host, Lula da Silva, also criticised Nato's armament plans, spoke of "false priorities" and demanded more engagement in development aid. Commentators debate the relevance of the alliance.
Elon Musk has announced he is forming a new political party. The tech entrepreneur was a presidential adviser in the initial months of Trumps’s second tenure and head of the controversial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Then the two fell out over Musk's criticism of a recently approved tax bill. Europe's press assesses the potential impact of Musk's America Party on the mid-term elections in November 2026.
Indirect negotiations between Israel and the radical Islamic organisation Hamas are currently underway in the Qatari capital, Doha. Together with international mediators, representatives of the two conflict parties are discussing a ceasefire and the release of the remaining Israeli hostages. US President Donald Trump, who is meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today, is pushing for a 60-day ceasefire.
Large swaths of the Czech Republic were left without power for several hours on Friday. About one million people in Prague, central, northern and eastern Bohemia were impacted. A number of businesses were unable to operate, people were trapped in lifts and public transport and trains ground to a halt. The outage was triggered by a phase conductor failure. Local press discuss causes and consequences.
The US government plans to halt deliveries of certain weapons to Ukraine. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said on Wednesday that a comprehensive review was underway to determine which weapons systems would be affected, but that there were still robust options for the provision of military aid to the country. Commentators discuss motives and potential consequences.