Eurotopics.net

Germany has officially recognised that the mass killing of Herero and Nama peoples between 1904 and 1908 in the colony of German South West Africa (now Namibia) constituted genocide. Namibia is now to receive 1.1 billion euros from Berlin over a period of 30 years, however not as compensation but in the form of development aid for the country's infrastructure and education system.

The prevention of fraud, embezzlement and corruption in connection with EU funds is the mission of the newly established European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO), which began its operations on Tuesday. The head of the authority, which is based in Luxembourg, is Laura Codruța Kövesi, who gained a reputation as a committed anti-corruption fighter in Romania. Commentators examine the opportunities offered by cross-border cooperation.

After six years of negotiations, Germany and Namibia have agreed on a declaration on German crimes committed in the colony of German South West Africa, which existed from 1884 to 1915. In the document, Germany officially recognises the mass killings of members of the Herero and Nama peoples between 1904 and 1908 as genocide. Germany has agreed to pay Namibia 1.1 billion euros over a period of 30 years.

For weeks now, the Sea of Marmara has been covered by layers of algal slime called "sea snot" or "sea saliva". Gigantic white swathes of the slime can be seen in satellite images of the area. Conservationists, fishermen and politicians are alarmed. Turkish media complain about the abuses that are causing the problem and the government's seeming lack of concern.

The second round of local elections in Croatia ended on Sunday. The capital Zagreb now has its youngest mayor ever - 39-year-old Tomislav Tomašević of the left-wing, green alliance Možemo. The conservative ruling party HDZ also lost control of previous strongholds such as Split and Knin. Commentators are at odds over how much of an impact the election results will have on the country.