Eurotopics.net

The US has begun to withdraw its troops from Northern Syria. At the same time the Turkish army has announced that it has completed preparations for an offensive in the area. Until now Washington had opposed a Turkish invasion of Syria in order to protect allied Kurdish militias. In view of the latest developments commentators also take Europe to task.

The Extinction Rebellion movement has announced a week of global protests which kicked off on Monday in cities such as Melbourne, London, Paris, Amsterdam and Berlin. With acts of civil disobedience the environmental activists want to force governments to do more to stop climate change. Its protest methods are sparking controversy.

Director Todd Phillips' film Joker tells the story of Batman's arch-rival. Rejected and humiliated by society, mentally ill Arthur Fleck becomes a killer clown. Widely criticised as excessively violent, the film is drawing strong reactions from Europe's press as it hits the screens.

Thousands of people demonstrated on the weekend against the government in Kiev's approval of the so-called "Steinmeier formula". This plan envisages elections and a special status for the separatist regions of Luhansk and Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, but also the patrolling of the border with Russia by Ukrainian government forces. Europe's press discusses the opportunities and risks of the compromise.