Eurotopics.net

Exactly one month from now, on 26 September, parliamentary elections will be held in Germany, the EU's most populous state and strongest economy. When Angela Merkel steps down as chancellor she will leave a considerable void not just in German politics, but also on the international stage. Concerned voices can be heard from other EU states.

The Paralympic Games in Tokyo opened on Tuesday with a spectacular show. Sports events for athletes with disabilities have long since left the shadows and entered the spotlight, some commentators rejoice. Others, however, note that despite the new brilliance of the Paralympics, many inequalities still exist.

Now that the Taliban have seized power in Afghanistan, the balance of power in Central Asia has shifted. Commentators focus on China and Russia, which, aside from Pakistan, are the only countries keeping their embassies open in Kabul. But how much responsibility Moscow and Beijing are really assuming, and what advantages this will bring them is debatable.

Last week marked the 30th anniversary of the August Coup in the Soviet Union. Back then, members of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union for whom the economic restructuring initiated by glasnost and perestroika went too far tried to seize power and overthrow President Gorbachev. The coup failed when the population and armed forces refused to follow the putschists' lead, and it heralded the end of the crisis-ridden Soviet Union.