Eurotopics.net

The German Government is holding Russia responsible for the attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport. The findings of the intelligence agencies clearly point to "Russian involvement", Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said, and announced further sanctions, including the closure of the Russian consulate in Bonn and the termination of the lease for the Russian House in the centre of Berlin. We are not at war with Russia, but we are a "target of war", he stated. What comes next?

Children across Europe are back at school after the summer holidays, and with their return the national debates about how schools and teachers should handle the use of digital devices have reignited. Strategies under consideration range from controlled use to outright bans in schools. Commentators ask if and how smart phone use can be meaningfully integrated into school life.

Greece has signed a three-billion-euro weapons deal with Israel. The new contract includes an air defence system to protect against drones and missiles, which is scheduled to be operational within three years. The system, called Achilles Shield, has triggered a fierce debate in Greek media.

Last week Denmark agreed to pay an amount equivalent to 40,000 euros in compensation to some 4,500 Greenlandic women who were fitted with contraceptive intrauterine devices [IUDs] without their knowledge or consent between 1960 and 1991. Two expert reports commissioned to assess whether this constituted genocide failed to reach a unanimous conclusion. Danish media discuss the implications of the IUD scandal.

The US administration is upping the economic pressure in the conflict with Iran. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reiterated on Monday President Trump's "economic D-Day" threat, stressing that the goal is to cut Iran off from all sources of income, and called on countries that maintain trade ties with Iran to immediately suspend them.