Eurotopics.net

For the first time researchers have detected plastic particles in human stool. The theory now is that there are no more plastic-free areas on the planet. Today, Wednesday, the EU Parliament will vote on banning throwaway plastic products such as straws, cotton buds, cutlery and bags. But commentators doubt this would have the desired effect.

A video posted on Snapchat showing a high school student holding a pistol to his teacher's head has caused an outcry on Twitter. Under the hashtag PasDeVague (Don't Make Waves) teachers are posting their experiences with school violence. How serious is the problem and what are its causes?

Another Czech soldier was killed in Afghanistan on Monday, the fourteenth casualty the Czech army has suffered during this mission. Should the country withdraw its troops?

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has warned in its Special Report on Global Warming that the world is heating up faster than previously believed and with more drastic consequences. But the panel claims it is still "technically and economically possible" to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Commentators look at what needs to be done to achieve that goal.

Bulgarian journalist Viktoria Marinova was found raped and murdered in the city of Ruse in Bulgaria on the weekend. She was a presenter for the local television station TVN and had been investigating alleged corruption involving EU funds. The motive for the murder remains unclear. Commentators doubt that the Bulgarian courts will bring the culprits to justice and point to a lack of press freedom in Central Eastern Europe.