Eurotopics.net

An earthquake measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale shook Istanbul last week. Nobody was injured, but scientists have been warning for some time that the region is facing a major earthquake similar to that in 1999, when more than 18,000 people died. Turkish media debate how well prepared for an earthquake the metropolis on the Bosporus is and reach different conclusions.

A year after the gruesome murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Crown Prince Bin Salman has assumed responsibility for the crime in an interview. He rejected accusations that he commissioned the murder, however. Commentators take stock of the reactions from the international community.

Heinz-Christian Strache, former FPÖ leader and Austrian vice-chancellor, has announced his retirement from politics but said that he will remain a member of the party. The FPÖ suspended Strache over the party financing scandal. The right-wing populist party suffered bitter losses in the elections to the National Council on Sunday. Journalists take stock of the party's prospects.

So far it seemed that victory for incumbent Prime Minister Antònio Costa in Portugal's parliamentary elections on Sunday was certain. But a scandal from 2017 involving the theft of weapons from a military base in Tancos has caught up with him. The conservative PSD and its leading candidate Rui Rio have now accused the prime minister of knowing of the theft back then. Will this turn the tables in the election campaign?

Bulgaria's government is reserving the right to block the Republic of North Macedonia's accession to the EU at a later date. The bone of contention is a conflict between Sofia and Skopje about the interpretation of historical events and figures. Roughly two weeks before the EU is set to decide on initiating accession talks, Bulgarian media disagree on whether the row is justified.