In the trade dispute between the US and the EU, President Donald Trump has delayed the introduction of higher tariffs from 9 July to 1 August. A spokesperson for EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that negotiations on a tariff deal were "entering the final phase". Numerous other countries have already received letters from Trump announcing tariffs of 25 to 40 percent on their export goods as of August.

Russia's Transport Minister Roman Starovoit was fired from his post on Monday without explanation. A few hours later he was found shot dead in his car. Investigations into his death are still underway but the authorities are treating it as suicide. Commentators link the incident with the incursion of Ukrainian troops into Russia's Kursk region in 2024, where Starovoit had been governor since 2019.

Poland introduced random checks at its borders with Germany and Lithuania on Monday, in a bid to curb irregular migration. Vehicles with several occupants will be the main target. However, Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak has declared his willingness to waive the checks if Germany lifts its new border controls. Commentators debate the motives and consequences.

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.

In a referendum held on 5 July 2015, Greek voters overwhelmingly voted against the austerity measures imposed by the country's creditors. Just a few days later they were signed off nevertheless. Ten years on, commentators look back at the austerity policy and its consequences.

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.

The US Congress passed the new tax and spending bill presented by President Trump as his "big, beautiful bill". Among other things, it provides for lower income tax rates, expanded tax breaks for businesses and higher child tax credits. These measures are to be partially offset by spending cuts, primarily in the areas of health and education.

The Turkish government is continuing its crackdown against the main opposition party CHP: 126 people were detained in a major police operation against the city administration of Izmir, a CHP stronghold, on Tuesday. There have been several such waves of arrests since the removal from office and imprisonment of Istanbul's mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu in March. Commentators analyse Ankara's actions and their consequences.

Stricter rules against tobacco consumption have come into force in France: smoking is now prohibited on beaches, at bus stops, in parks, around schools and on sports grounds. The tightened regulations are mainly aimed at protecting young people from active and passive smoking. Health Minister Catherine Vautrin wants France to have a new "tobacco-free generation" by 2032. The national press is unimpressed.