Eurotopics.net

With the fall of President Assad, the gates of prisons and torture chambers have opened. Saydnaya Prison in particular, where tens of thousands of people have disappeared or been tortured and murdered, has exposed the full cruelty of the regime. Commentators share their observations and ask what comes next after these findings.

On December 4, Brian Thompson, CEO of the health insurance company United Healthcare, was shot dead in broad daylight outside the New York hotel where the group's annual investor conference was due to take place. The alleged perpetrator, 26-year-old Luigi M., was arrested on Monday, and is now being celebrated as a national hero by many Americans who are deeply frustrated with the country's healthcare system. Commentators seek explanations.

For lack of rival candidates the final decision was a mere formality: on Wednesday, Fifa awarded the 2030 men's football World Cup to Spain, Portugal and Morocco (with individual matches in South America) and the 2034 tournament to Saudi Arabia. The fact that the decision to award the 2034 World Cup to the Gulf state was already a given does little to quell indignation in Europe's press.

In the wake of Assad's fall from power, several European states have suspended asylum proceedings for Syrians and plan to rethink their policies regarding refugees from the country. Around six million people have fled Syria since the outbreak of civil war in 2011. Commentators question whether the conditions for a safe return are in place - and whether this is the debate Europe should be focusing on right now.