Eurotopics.net

The Chinese yuan plummeted on Monday vis-à-vis the US dollar. The devaluation makes Chinese exports cheaper in the dollar area. Commentators speculate on whether China is using the exchange rate as a weapon in the trade war and warn of the dangers ahead.

Under a new security decree approved by the Italian Senate anyone who brings migrants into Italian waters without permission will face fines of up to a million euros, and rescue ships can be confiscated. According to commentators this latest victory for Lega leader Matteo Salvini shows above all two things.

This week marks the 20th anniversary of the appointment of the then unknown politician Vladimir Putin as Prime Minister of Russia. In 2000 he became president and ever since he has kept the reins of power firmly in his grip. Russian observers describe how the country has changed in the two decades under his rule.

Latvia has become one of the first countries in the world to introduce the new-generation 5G mobile network standard. The country's leading mobile network operators LMT and Tele2 put several 5G base stations into operation in July. The Latvian press is delighted.