Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in Israel at the weekend to demand a deal with Hamas for the release of the hostages and protest against an expansion of the military operations in the Gaza Strip. Demonstrators blocked major roads and intersections across the country. Thousands also took part in a nationwide strike called by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. Europe's press takes stock.

They're always available for a chat, they're empathetic and they don't talk back: for some people AI chatbots are more than just machines. According to a new survey 370,000 people in Ireland have pursued a romantic relationship with an AI. Commentators discuss the consequences, especially for lonely people.

In the wake of the Alaska summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the leaders of five European states, the EU and Nato convened with Donald Trump at the White House on Monday to seek a solution to the war in Ukraine. According to Trump, following a phone call with Putin preparations for a meeting between the Russian leader and Zelensky are under way. The press response is mixed.

After months of demonstrations, the protests against Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić have reached a new peak. Several cities have seen violent clashes, including Valjevo, where protesters set fire to the headquarters of the Serbian ruling party SNS after alleged party thugs attacked sympathisers on the fringes of the demonstrations and vandalised their shops.

Fanned by drought, water shortages and record temperatures, devastating wildfires are raging across southern Europe, with Spain, Portugal, Italy, Croatia, Greece and Turkey all severely hit. The media take aim at politicians for failing to implement preventive measures.

After ten days of intense negotiations in Geneva, representatives from around 180 countries were unable to agree on a UN internationally binding instrument on reducing plastic pollution. The efforts, which have been ongoing for three years, failed mainly due to resistance from oil-exporting states. European commentators examine the options for further action.

Following the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, both sides praised the good atmosphere and constructive talks, but no concrete results were apparent. Europe's press takes stock.

After Friday's summit in Alaska, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is travelling to Washington today – accompanied by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and several European leaders – to discuss the future of Ukraine with US President Donald Trump. Commentators review what Europe must do to make itself heard in the White House and the Kremlin.

All eyes are on Alaska, where Donald Trump is meeting Vladimir Putin this Friday - the first such encounter between a sitting US president and the Russian President since 2021. The focus of the talks will be ways to end the war in Ukraine. Commentators alternate between optimism and doubt.

Russia's telecommunications authority Roskomnadzor placed restrictions on voice and video calls on WhatsApp and Telegram this week, citing the need to "protect the population from fraud" on "foreign messenger services". At the same time, citizens are being encouraged to use the new Russian messenger app Max - to which state intelligence services reportedly have easy access.

Another heatwave is making its way northwards from southern Europe at the moment. Spain and France are registering temperatures of more than 40 degrees, and Central Europe is also approaching these levels. Commentators discuss how society and the economy can adapt to such extreme weather conditions.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) and his government have been in office for 100 days. Expectations for the coalition between the CDU/CSU and SPD were very high at the start. Commentators take stock of the chancellor's performance so far.