Eurotopics.net

A wiretapping scandal is rocking Slovenia ahead of Sunday's parliamentary elections. Videos have surfaced on social media showing people belonging to Prime Minister Robert Golob's inner circle speaking candidly about alleged corruption among politicians in the ruling coalition. An Israeli company with ties to intelligence services is reportedly behind the videos. Representatives of the company had previously met with opposition leader Janez Janša, who has openly admitted this.

Following a heated debate, the Swiss Parliament has rejected an initiative submitted by animal rights activists for a ban on imports of foie gras and voted instead for labelling declaring painful procedures performed on animals. Production of foie gras, a traditional French speciality, is already banned in Switzerland. Commentators explain why the debate has been so heated.

During a visit to an exhibition in Madrid on the role of women in indigenous Mexico, King Felipe VI acknowledged that "a great deal of abuse" had been committed during the Spanish conquest of the Americas. The remark was made during a conversation with the Mexican ambassador, Quirino Ordaz. Commentators discuss whether the move was appropriate and whether an official apology might follow.

In Iran, the influential secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani has been killed in an airstrike. The fate of the supreme leader also remains unclear: Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen since the death of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The media ask whether the Iranian regime can survive if its leadership continues to be eliminated by Israeli and US attacks.

The US Department of Defense also relies on artificial intelligence in war, collaborating with companies such as xAI. The Pentagon recently blacklisted the AI developer Anthropic after the company refused to make its technologies fully available for military purposes. Commentators examine potential applications and risks.