PRESS REVIEW – Wednesday, April 15, 2026: First, the Italian front pages rally around Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as she stands up to US President Donald Trump. Next, war robots in Ukraine have captured Russian positions for the first time in history. Meanwhile, the war in Sudan enters its fourth year. Elsewhere, the World Press Photo awards have been given out. Finally, an unusual campaign takes the UK by storm.
The Italian front pages are covering the row between Giorgia Meloni and Donald Trump. La Stampa talks about a painful divorce between the two leaders. On the right of the political spectrum, Il Giornale celebrates Meloni’s “Italy first” approach. On the far left, the Communist paper Il Manifesto headlines with “She used to be MAGA”. La Repubblica describes it as a moment of Italian unity, in support of what it calls a “new Maginot line” of defence against the “unpredictable man occupying the White House”.
In Ukraine, a new form of warfare seems to be developing. Foreign Policy explains that the pressure of Russian drone warfare has led Ukraine to turn to new super-soldiers: robots. Up until recently, these robots were used to bring supplies to the front line or evacuate wounded soldiers. But Politico reports that for the first time in history, robots have managed to capture Russian army positions.
Meanwhile, a conference on Sudan marks the third anniversary of the start of the country’s brutal civil war. The European website EU Observer says the summit will look to shape Sudan’s post-war future, despite the absence of the warring parties. An opinion piece in the Guardian points the finger at the UAE, but also Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Ethiopia. Another opinion piece in The New York Times is penned by a former correspondent in Sudan. She talks about her experience witnessing the devastation of the “world’s largest hunger crisis”.
A photo series from Sudan has taken one of the top prizes at the 2026 World Press Photo awards. The Times reports that a photo from the “A Nation Trapped” series by Abdulmonam Eassa took top spot in the “stories” category of the competition.
Finally, the Daily Star has a brilliant front page announcing the “summer of sex“. The Times though, is sceptical of the sex toy exhibition planned.
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