The National Council of the pro-Russian Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) has decided to expel its former leader, Kornelia Ninova, from the party following a series of electoral defeats.

Warsaw must shoot down Russian missiles over Ukraine before they enter its airspace, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said on Monday, despite NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg already ruling out such a move.

Ukraine announced on Wednesday (3 September) that international bondholders had formally approved its plan to restructure over $20 billion of debt amid its ongoing war with Russia.

Czech lawmakers in the European Parliament have made it clear that they oppose the candidacy of Spanish candidate Teresa Ribera for the role of European commissioner responsible for the climate agenda.

As the Russia-friendly BSW part has become the new pivotal player in Eastern Germany, the country’s Russia hawks appear poised to make concessions and tone down their rhetoric to form stable governments.

Greece’s main opposition leftist Syriza party should put an end to its internal divisions and take initiatives to speak to other progressive forces, EU lawmaker Nikolas Farantouris told Euractiv, adding that he stands ready to claim the party’s leadership.

Venezuela's attorney general's office said on Monday (2 September) a court has issued an arrest warrant for opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia, accusing him of conspiracy and other crimes.

The Kremlin said on Monday (2 September) that Russian President Vladimir Putin had arrived for a state visit in Mongolia, which lies on the route of a planned new gas pipeline connecting Russia and China.

Bulgaria has answered Commission President’s request and submitted two candidacies for EU Commissioner. Von der Leyen’s decision should be based on the candidate’s integrity, and not according to political favoritism, writes Yordan Terziyski.

Two US researchers say they have identified the probable deployment site in Russia of the 9M370 Burevestnik, a new nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed cruise missile touted by President Vladimir Putin as "invincible."

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen has made her first picks for her top team, with the key economy vice-president job going to Italy's far-right nominee, German newspaper Die Welt reported Tuesday (3 September).

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) secured one-third of the vote in East Germany’s elections on Sunday, prompting parties across the political spectrum to rule out coalitions with the extremist group. However, enforcing a domestic cordon sanitaire could result in unlikely alliances and fuel discontent among voters.

Germany’s progressive parties bear significant responsibility for the historic surge in support for the far-right AfD in Sunday’s state elections in eastern Germany, Manon Aubry, the French co-chair of the Left Group in the European Parliament, told Euractiv in an interview on Monday (2 September).

Turkey will be the first NATO member to request membership of the BRICS economic bloc spearheaded by the leaders of Russia and China, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, agencies reported.

A rescue mission for an oil tanker still ablaze after being attacked by Houthi rebels off the coast of Yemen last month, is about to begin, the European Union's Red Sea naval mission said late Monday (2 September).

Delays in the disbursement of the European Union’s multibillion-euro Covid-19 recovery fund are severely hampering member states’ ability to rebound from the pandemic, according to a study released on Monday (2 September) by the European Court of Auditors (ECA).

Olive oil prices in the EU reached record highs last January, surging by up to 50% compared to the previous year and leading to significant changes in consumers’ choices. 

Following the nomination of Romanian Roxana Mînzatu, Belgium has also put forward a female candidate, 45-year-old Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib as European Commissioner.

The recent electoral success of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in the German states of Thuringia and Saxony has sparked a range of reactions from politicians across the European Union.

When Ukraine launched its incursion into Russian territory in the Kursk Oblast on 6 August, many Western analysts said this was some sort of fireworks – it makes a hell of an impression, but it doesn’t last long. One expert we quoted called it “a footnote”.