The Citizens' Voice

South Korea has demanded an apology after Ukraine revealed it transferred North Korean prisoners of war, reportedly captured while fighting alongside Russian forces, to third countries. Seoul says the move breached international norms requiring consultation with the prisoners' home state, and has voiced concern over the handling of its citizens. The dispute has opened a rare diplomatic friction point between Kyiv and Seoul.

The sixth and final round of trialogue negotiations on the EU's Chat Control 2.0 proposal begins, with the EU Council reportedly trying to break Parliament's deadlock by proposing what critics call a "dirty deal". The compromise is said to involve promises about end-to-end encrypted communications, but opponents argue it leaves the door open to scanning private messages. Privacy advocates are urging EU citizens to make their voices heard before lawmakers decide.

Israel's election campaign is being described as the most racist in the country's history. Commentary in the Israeli press points to inflammatory rhetoric targeting Arab citizens and Palestinian voices as a defining feature of the race, with politicians competing over increasingly hardline positions. Observers warn the campaign is normalising open hostility toward minorities and reshaping the tone of Israeli politics.

Spain has now gone 1,000 days without an approved national budget, with critics calling the prolonged absence of fresh spending plans 'a theft from citizens'. The deadlock stems from political fragmentation in parliament, leaving public finances running on old spending rules and delaying investment priorities. Opposition parties and civil society groups are voicing frustration over the impasse.