Eurotopics.net

Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed a ceasefire for Nagorno-Karabakh. The deal reflects the fact that Azerbaijan was heading for a sweeping military victory before Moscow's intervention: it will retain the territories it has conquered so far and will also get back all Armenian-controlled provinces on the border with Nagorno-Karabakh. Europe's press examines who the other winners and losers are in this conflict.

With rising infection rates and the uncontrolled spread of coronavirus in some parts of Europe, the calls for schools to close are growing louder once more. Unlike in the spring, many governments wanted to keep educational institutions open as far as possible to avoid negative consequences for children and teenagers. But how long can this policy be sustained?

The German company Biontech and its US partner Pfizer published the first results of the final test phase of their coronavirus vaccine on Monday. According to the results, the vaccine provides protection in 90 percent of cases and there are no serious safety concerns. This means that the substance could be very close to approval for general use. But this is only one step among many on the path to nationwide immunisation, commentators warn.

Dutch Education Minister Arie Slob of the Christian Union has come under a hail of criticism for defending orthodox Protestant schools that require parents to sign a declaration against homosexuality. He invoked the principle of educational freedom, which according to the country's constitution gives schools the right to represent their views. Although Slob has since backtracked, commentators are not impressed.