Eurotopics.net

The bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers investment bank on 15 September 2008 was the biggest bank crash in US history and is widely seen as the catalyst for the ensuing global financial crisis. Commentators explain why ten years after the stock-market chaos the financial sector is still vulnerable.

The protest against the planned pension reform in Russia shows no sign of abating. Thousands of people demonstrated in several cities on the weekend despite a ban. The jailed Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny had called for marches to be held on Saturday, when regional elections were set to take place. Is a storm brewing in Russia?

The majority situation in the Swedish parliament is very close after the general election. The Social Democrats remain the strongest party, but with 28.4 percent of the vote had their worst results since 1911. The conservative Moderate Party came second and the nationalist far right Sweden Democrats came third garnering, 17.6 percent - less than had been expected. What lessons should the established parties learn from the results?

The Syrian regime and Russia have carried out intense airstrikes against the last major rebel stronghold in the province of Idlib. The UN has warned that the operation could result in a humanitarian catastrophe in view of the roughly three million civilians living in the province. Commentators explain the interests of Assad, Russia, Europe and Turkey in what looks set to be the last battle in the war.