For the first time since the start of the war, protests have broken out in Ukraine, directed against a new law concerning the hitherto independent anti-corruption bodies. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (Nabu) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office are to be put under the control of the Prosecutor General's Office. Observers criticise President Zelensky and see Ukraine on a dangerous path towards authoritarianism.
Portugal's conservative government has announced that sex education will be removed from the curriculum of the subject citizenship and development, leaving it unclear how the topic is to be taught at schools. Critics accuse the government of shifting to the right on socio-political issues and adopting the positions of right-wing populist party Chega.
According to a recent survey, two-thirds of Romanians have a positive image of Nicolae Ceaușescu, the dictator who was overthrown in December 1989 after ruling the country with an iron fist for 24 years. With the help of the much-feared secret police, the Securitate, he systematically eliminated his political opponents. The national press looks at where this positive image hails from.
A petition initiated by a student against a new French agricultural law two weeks ago has already gathered 1.7 million signatures, upping the pressure on the government. The "Loi Duplomb" relaxes environmental regulations governing the use of pesticides, including acetamiprid. The product has been banned in France for several years, but not in any other EU country.
At a Coldplay concert in Boston, a "kiss cam" was displaying couples when it panned to a man and woman who didn't want to be shown together on the big screen. Instead of kissing the two ducked away. The video quickly went viral and as a result the man in the video, who happened to be CEO of IT firm Astronomer and was at the concert with the company's HR chief, lost his job. Europe's press reflects.
The interior ministers of six EU member states met at the summit of the Zugspitze mountain in Germany on Friday, hoping to reach an agreement on tightening Europe's asylum and migration policy. The proposed measures include more deportations and the transfer of asylum procedures to third countries. Against this backdrop and in light of the recent far-right riots in Spain, commentators debate whether Europe's migration policy is on the right track.
During his election campaign, Donald Trump promised to release secret files on the Epstein scandal. Now his supporters are insisting that he keep his promise, with some questioning his integrity over his failure to do this so far. Sex offender Jeffrey Epstein died in prison six years ago, and the case has given rise to numerous conspiracy theories. European commentators discuss to what extent they now pose a threat to the president.
The EU Commission has proposed a new budget of two trillion euros for the 2028-2034 period - around 700 billion euros more than the current budget. At the same time, less money is to be allocated to fixed areas in a bid to increase flexibility and allow for quicker responses in a crisis. Europe's press discusses the size of the budget and funding priorities.
Israel bombed government buildings in Damascus on Wednesday, intervening in a conflict between Druze and Sunnis in the southern Syrian province of Suwayda that had degenerated into brutal clashes. A ceasefire has since been agreed, after which Syrian government troops withdrew from the Druze stronghold. Commentators assess the situation.
Many observers are concerned about the harmful effects of artificial intelligence on humanity. A new study by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is now fuelling fears that AI is slowing down human development progress. Commentators make suggestions as to how governments and leaders can steer the influence of AI in the right direction.