The US administration is upping the economic pressure in the conflict with Iran. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reiterated on Monday President Trump's "economic D-Day" threat, stressing that the goal is to cut Iran off from all sources of income, and called on countries that maintain trade ties with Iran to immediately suspend them.
The head of the US Central Intelligence Agency John Ratcliffe was in Moscow on Tuesday for talks. The visit was unofficial and unannounced, but the media got wind of it when a large US military cargo aircraft was spotted flying from Washington via Riga to Moscow on Flightradar24. The Kremlin later confirmed the visit, saying there had been "talks between the intelligence services".
There has been a surge in the number of serious accidents in the UK and Ireland involving teenagers who steal cars and post videos of their joyrides on social media. After twelve people were recently killed in two accidents involving cars driving in the wrong direction on the motorway, the British press examines how to end the joyriding trend.
Ukraine marked its 35th Independence Day on Monday, five years into the Russian war of aggression. The leaders of numerous supporting countries travelled to Kyiv for the occasion, with the EU pledging further financial aid running into the billions. Commentators describe a country that has not given up hope of a free and peaceful future.
The Hungarian government led by Prime Minister Péter Magyar has been in office for one hundred, turbulent, days. Magyar and his Tisza Party, which holds a two-thirds majority in parliament, came to power in May with the promise to restore the rule of law and democracy in Hungary and ruthlessly expose the corrupt dealings of the previous government led by Viktor Orbán.
More than three weeks after the crisis began, the humanitarian situation in Ceuta remains catastrophic. Despite the fact that the majority of migrants have returned to Morocco, those who remain are only now being given accommodation, and minors are being taken to the mainland. Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez has convened the National Security Council to coordinate a response.
Humanoid robot technology is advancing, with China in particular focusing on speed and innovation. The second edition of the World Humanoid Robot Games is being held in Beijing, where a robot named 'Superman' ran the 100-metres race faster than the human world record holder, Usain Bolt. Commentators discuss China's pioneering role, its lead on the global market and where Europe stands.
A new parliament will be elected in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt on 6 September. The AfD has been polling at over 40 percent for months there, with forecasts predicting considerable losses for the CDU. Commentators discuss the implications for Saxony-Anhalt, the federal government and Europe.
The trade war between the US and Canada has flared up again. After talks between the two countries broke down, the US imposed 50-percent tariffs on a slew of Canadian goods ranging from ice hockey sticks to furniture and wine. The tariffs came into force on Saturday. Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced retaliatory tariffs that will take effect from 8 September, mainly on products from the US steel and dairy sectors.
Demographic and social trends are fuelling debate in Europe. The proportion of older people in the total population is increasing while the working-age population decreases, putting a severe strain on pension systems. Birth rates are also falling, and the option of using immigration to rebalance the social security systems is highly contentious.
The early hours of Thursday morning saw a new barrage of Russian missile and drone attacks on the Kyiv metropolitan area in which 16 people were killed. President Volodmyr Zelensky has urged Western partners to provide swift assistance with air defence. Meanwhile, Ukraine is sending salvoes of drones into Russia. According to the mayor of Moscow, as many as 620 drones hit the capital region on Tuesday night.