Eurotopics.net

Nowhere in the world has press freedom deteriorated as drastically in the last year as in Europe, according to the index published by Reporters Without Borders. As the key causes for this negative trend the organisation cites attacks against the media by politicians, murders of journalists and stringent libel laws. Europe's media take stock of the rankings list.

Thirty-two years after the explosion of the nuclear reactor in Chernobyl and the world's worst nuclear disaster, work on the New Safe Confinement building meant to cover the ruins and contain nuclear emissions is progressing slowly. For Europe's media this is not the only indication that the nuclear disaster is far from over.

At the end of his trip to the US, French President Macron expressed pessimism about the future of the Iran agreement. During his visit he had tried to explain to the US president how the deal could be extended - and ultimately maintained. France and the US are snubbing Tehran, some commentators criticise. Others stress that it will be difficult to renegotiate the agreement.

Nowhere in the world has press freedom deteriorated as drastically in the last year as in Europe, according to the index published by Reporters Without Borders. As the key causes for this negative trend the organisation cites attacks against the media by politicians, murders of journalists and stringent libel laws. Commentators point to further causes.

The government of the Free State of Bavaria in Germany has ordered all government buildings to display a cross at their entrance. This reflects the cultural values of the Germany, Bavaria's new state premier Markus Söder said justifying the decision, and had photos taken of himself hanging a cross on the wall of his office. The decision has drawn fierce criticism from many quarters - and also from certain members of the Church. Rightly so?