Eurotopics.net

Brazilian Real Madrid player Vinicius Junior was subjected to racist insults by fans at a football match in Valencia on Sunday. The match was interrupted and there were outbursts of violence. Shortly afterwards, several people were arrested over an incident in which a brown blow-up doll wearing a Vicinius jersey was hung from a bridge in Madrid. The incident is causing controversy ahead of the Spanish regional and local elections.

Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin reported on the weekend that Russia has completely taken Bakhmut, which has been the object of fierce fighting for nine months. But the situation remains unclear, as Ukraine disputes his account and on Monday again reported ongoing fighting on the front lines. For commentators, these contradictory statements provide an opportunity to contextualise the intense battle over the city in Donbass.

Violent storms have caused flooding and chaos in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, claiming the lives of at least 14 people. Thousands of people had to be evacuated and fields and roads are blocked by water and mud. For commentators, human error is also at play here.