Eurotopics.net

With just a few days to go before Italy's parliamentary elections, the post-fascist Fratelli d'Italia (FdI) led by Giorgia Meloni continues to lead the polls while the social democratic Partito Democratico is trailing behind by a wide margin. This opens up the possibility of the right-wing bloc comprising the FdI, Lega and Forza Italia achieving a comfortable majority. What would this mean for the future of Europe?

Alla Pugacheva, a pop star and icon in Russia since the 1970s, has released a statement requesting that she be classified as a "foreign agent" in solidarity with her husband, comedian Maxim Galkin, who has been put on Russia's list of foreign agents. Her husband is an honest patriot who wishes his country "freedom of expression and an end to our boys dying for illusory aims which are turning our country into a pariah state", she said.

After her reign of 70 years, Queen Elizabeth II has been laid to rest. Ten thousand police officers and countless soldiers and guards were deployed for the day-long funeral procession. The media are divided about whether such an elaborate display to mark the end of a reign was justified.

The successful counter-offensive around Kharkiv could represent a turning point in the Ukraine war. While Zelensky has announced new advances aimed at recapturing occupied territories, Putin has signalled willingness to negotiate. With his army failing, the Kremlin boss is coming under growing pressure.