Eurotopics.net

In the wake of several Koran burnings in Stockholm, angry protests have broken out in Muslim-majority countries. The terrorist organisation Al-Qaeda has now called for attacks on Sweden, which raised its terror threat level to high yesterday. Commentators are at odds over the measure.

All permanent residents of Estonia, including Russian citizens and stateless persons, have the right to vote in local elections. But as a consequence of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine the country's Ministry of Justice is preparing a draft law which would deprive Russian citizens of the right to vote. The Estonian press is at odds over whether the move makes sense.

According to official figures, the inflation rate in Turkey soared to 47.8 percent year-on-year in July. The main cause for the trend is the chronically weak lira. It had been hoped that the re-election of President Erdoğan, the new Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek and the new head of the central bank Hafize Erkan, who doubled the key interest rate to 15 percent, would bring more stability. Were these hopes in vain?

Stian Jenssen, chief of staff to Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, suggested in a panel discussion that Ukraine could be offered Nato membership in exchange for ceding territory to Russia, according to the Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang. Under what conditions negotiations could begin would be up to Ukraine, Jenssen reportedly added. Kyiv described the remarks as unacceptable. Commentators weigh in.

Several data indicators point to a marked slowdown in China's economic growth: according to the country's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), industrial output rose by 3.7 percent year-on-year in July - falling far behind the growth rate for June (4.4 percent), while retail sales rose by 2.5 percent (compared to 3.1 percent in June) and investment in the real estate sector fell by 8.5 percent. Europe's press takes stock.