Eurotopics.net

May 3 is World Press Freedom Day but not necessarily a day of good news: according to Reporters Without Borders, the suppression of unwelcome reporting has increased worldwide. Crises, wars and growing authoritarianism are combining to smother critical voices. Commentators are concerned.

In a coordinated police operation involving more than 2,700 officers, more than 100 suspected members of the Calabrian 'Ndrangheta mafia network were arrested and abundant evidence seized in eight European countries as well as Brazil and Panama on 3 May. Commentators hail the operation as a major success and stress the role played by international cooperation.

A bomb attack was carried out on Bulgarian Chief Public Prosecutor Ivan Geshev's car convoy on Monday. According to the police, no one was injured. Geshev is a highly controversial figure: the protests in 2020 called for his removal and critics accuse him of protecting senior politicians from corruption investigations. His term of office runs until 2026.

The Dutch government wants to buy up and close down livestock farms with excessive nitrogen emissions for 120 per cent of their market price. The EU Commission has given the green light for the 1.5 billion euro scheme after ruling that it does not constitute illegal subsidies. Previous government plans aimed at halving nitrogen emissions had met with fierce resistance.

Signs that Ukraine is prepared for a major offensive in its defensive war against Russia are growing. According to Nato Secretary General Stoltenberg, 98 percent of the pledged Western weapons have arrived in the war zone, putting Ukraine "in a strong position to recapture occupied territory". Commentators discuss when the counteroffensive will start and what chances it would have.

Concerns about artificial intelligence are growing. Yesterday, Geoffrey Hinton, one of the pioneers of the technology, joined the critical voices. Hinton quit Google saying he is worried that humans will lose control of the technology and warning that people may soon "not be able to know what is true anymore". Commentators echo his fears.