Eurotopics.net

Lithuanian investigators last week uncovered an environmental pollution scandal: cardboard producer Grigeo Klaipėda has been releasing untreated wastewater into the Caronian Lagoon for years. The media points to the stark contrast between the reaction of the citizens and companies and that of the authorities.

Iran has admitted that it unintentionally shot down the Ukrainian passenger jet that crashed last Wednesday in Tehran. The regime said the plane was downed as a result of a communication error that led it to believe it was being attacked by the US. Angered by the fact that the regime had initially spread false information, thousands of Iranians took to the streets in protest. Commentators discuss what Tehran's admission means for Europe.

Europe's media are still discussing whether a war has been avoided in the US-Iran crisis. After General Soleimani's assasination Tehran attacked several US military bases in Iraq last week. Some observers see President Trump's statement that he would not retaliate as a positive sign. For others, this is just the calm before the storm.

The bushfires in Australia have claimed at least 27 human lives and according to estimates killed more than a billion animals since October. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who until now had fiercely defended the coal industry, has announced the introduction of new measures to reduce CO2 levels. Commentators discuss what can be done to prevent such disasters and what role Europe can play.

For the first time in five years German Chancellor Angela Merkel has travelled to Moscow to meet President Vladimir Putin. The two leaders discussed the situation in the Middle East after the most recent escalation and possibilities for a political solution in Libya. Commentators say the meeting was unusually harmonious, but not all see this as a positive development.