Eurotopics.net

The mass protests against the planned judicial reform in Israel continue unabated. Under the proposed legislation parliament would be able to overturn decisions of the Supreme Court with a simple majority. Media reports say the far-right government wants to push through parts of the reform in a fast-track procedure before the end of March. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denies this. Commentators see the country at a crossroads.

The film Navalny has won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature at the 95th Academy Awards. For the film, director Daniel Roher interviewed the Putin opponent in 2020 as he was recovering from the effects of Novichok poisoning. Navalny has been in prison since 2021, reportedly without access to proper healthcare. Not all commentators agree with the signal this award sends.

The US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation took control on Friday of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), which specialises in technology startups. This is the biggest bank failure since the financial crisis of 2008/2009. The Federal Reserve has set up a new lending programme to prop up other banks in response. Commentators worry not only about the direct consequences of the collapse but also about the potential reactions.

Representatives from arch-rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran announced at a meeting in China their intention of resuming diplomatic ties and normalising their relations, which have been fraught for decades. Europe's press comments on the fact that it was Beijing that brokered this breakthrough, which has taken the West completely by surprise.