Eurotopics.net

Police in Moscow have again arrested hundreds of people protesting the exclusion of key opposition candidates from the Moscow city council elections in early September. Liberal activists had called for a protest walk. The weekend before last the police had already taken roughly 1,400 people into custody. Commentators fear the conflict could spread.

Donald Trump has threatened China with penal tariffs to the tune of 300 billion dollars on goods that have not been affected by the US sanctions so far. The new tariffs would take effect on 1 September and could affect mobile phones, laptops and toys. China has threatened countermeasures. Commentators note that these sanctions are losing their shock impact in this era of trade wars.

According to satellite images roughly 200,000 trees have been felled and sources of drinking water have been sullied in the Ida Mountains in northwest Turkey. In March a Canadian mining company received a license to dig for gold in the region. Conservationists are up in arms, and commentators echo their sentiments.

Nachdem Attentäter in den USA in zwei Städten 30 Menschen erschossen haben, ist die Debatte über Waffengewalt neu aufgeflammt. Die Hintergründe in Dayton, Ohio, sind noch unklar, der Täter in der texanischen Stadt El Paso handelte mutmaßlich aus rassistischen Motiven. Kommentatoren diskutieren unter anderem, ob Präsident Trump eine Mitverantwortung für die Schüsse trägt.

Donald Trump hat zum 1. September Strafzölle auf bisher davon verschonte chinesische Waren im Volumen von 300 Milliarden Dollar angekündigt. Sie könnten unter anderem Handys, Laptops und Spielzeug treffen. China drohte Gegenmaßnahmen an. Kommentatoren beobachten, dass man sich im Zeitalter der Handelskriege einzurichten beginnt.