PRESS REVIEW – Monday, 25 May 2026: First, papers discuss whether Russian President Vladimir Putin has lost support from his backers. Next, a police raid of opposition party headquarters in Turkey is getting considerable coverage. Also, the Enhanced Games do not lead to the many breakthroughs that were expected, with only one new world "record". Meanwhile, a 99-year-old breaks records in the sky. Finally, actors called Chris and talking animals are more likely to make it in Hollywood than women over the age of 60.
The Russian strikes on Ukraine over the weekend are still being discussed in the papers. The Guardian quotes Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky, who called the attacks "deranged" in a social media post. The paper also suggests that Russia's Putin is "trying to keep up appearances" despite losing the trust of his supporters. Fortune magazine describes an increasingly alarmed Russian elite. The Atlantic says that Putin can no longer hide his catastrophe, and that he has lost control of the narrative. In Turkey, the Turkish state paper Daily Sabbah reports that police officers evicted the headquarters of the main opposition party, the CHP. Libération also reports that Istanbul's private Bilgi University was closed on Friday. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has since announced it would reopen. Libération suggests that these events are a continuation of Erdogan's "authoritarian turn". The Frankfurter Allgemeine says that for Erdogan, all means are acceptable to hang on to power. The controversial Enhanced Games took place over the weekend in Las Vegas, with the last events held in the early hours of Monday morning. The Economist has a long read which explains that 50 athletes took part, with more than $25 million in prize money up for grabs. The Enhanced company is hoping to tap into the $6.8 trillion industry of wellness supplements and life-extending products. At the time of recording, the competitions had not yet led to the breakthroughs that were expected. Later, Greek swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev became the only athlete to "beat" a world record at the Enhanced Games, winning the men's 50m freestyle at the divisive event where competitors were allowed to take performance-enhancing substances that have sparked health concerns. Meanwhile, one man really is breaking records. Harry Heasman has become the oldest person to perform a wing walk, a few days ahead of his 99th birthday, according to the Times. Finally, the Cannes Film Festival wrapped up at the weekend. The Telegraph reports that "Fjord" took home the top prize, despite being the most divisive film of the season. Elsewhere, a recent study found that films are more likely to star an actor called Chris or a talking animal than a woman over 60 years old. You can catch our press review every morning on France 24 at 7:20am and 9:20am (Paris time), from Monday to Friday.
