European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praised Central Europe for its growing strategic importance in the EU and highlighted its role in building new European defence capabilities at a conference in Prague this weekend.

Russia will make changes to its doctrine on the use of nuclear weapons in response to what it regards as Western escalation in the war in Ukraine, state media quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying on Sunday (1 September).

Uncertainty has arisen in the Italian government over their position on Ukraine following the long-awaited summit of Italy’s three governing party leaders, intended to signal the trio’s alignment on the eve of the start of parliamentary work after the summer recess.

Massive protests swept Israel on Sunday (1 September) following the death of six hostages in Gaza as frustration mounted over the failure of the country's leadership to secure a ceasefire deal that would free Israeli captives.

French President Emmanuel Macron will meet former Socialist behemoth Bernard Cazeneuve amid ongoing prime minister appointment talks on Monday (2 September), according to confirmation obtained by Euractiv - a move that has sent the Socialist Party into a panic.

China will urge a summit of 50 African nations in Beijing this week to take more of its goods, before Western curbs kick in on its exports such as electric vehicles and solar panels, in exchange for more pledges of loans and investment.

The European Union accused China on Sunday (1 September) of taking "dangerous actions" against the Philippines, as Beijing and Manila blamed each other of deliberately ramming their coast guard ships.

Two months after snap elections, France remains still without a coalition or prime minister-elect, despite five days of government consultations.

Promising to uphold the “firewall” against the far-right AfD, the conservative CDU faces difficult coalition talks after state elections in Saxony and Thuringia, where it will be forced to work with left-wing newcomer BSW to form a majority coalition.

The far-right AfD party won the state elections in the eastern German state of Thuringia with 30.5% of the vote on Sunday (1 September), according to exit polls, marking the party's first win in a state election.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy increased pressure on the United States to let Kyiv strike military targets deep inside Russian territory after his representatives met senior US officials in Washington on Saturday (30 August).

Clashes broke out between Israeli troops and Palestinian fighters in the occupied West Bank on Saturday (31 August) as Israel pushed ahead with a military operation in the flashpoint city of Jenin.

Russians who still share Western values are being told to choose sides and support their warring homeland or risk being victimised by the West, in the same way that Telegram boss Pavel Durov was supposedly victimised by being arrested in France.

Brazil's telecommunications regulator said on Friday (30 August) it was suspending access to Elon Musk's X social network in the country to comply with an order from a judge who has been locked in a months-long feud with the billionaire entrepreneur.

Germany said it resumed flying convicted criminals of Afghan nationality to their home country on Friday (30 August), days before German regional elections in which migration is a campaign issue.

The UN will start vaccinating some 640,000 children in the Gaza Strip against polio on 1 September, a campaign that relies on daily eight-hour pauses in fighting between Israel and Hamas militants in specific areas of the besieged enclave.

Ukraine's armed forces commander General Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Friday (30 August) his troops had advanced up to 2 km in Russia's Kursk region in the past day, pressing on with the cross-border incursion it started more than three weeks ago.

Irish pharmacists are set to gain new prescribing roles following an expert report recommending they should prescribe for a range of common conditions. Ireland’s leading pharmacy union is supportive, conditional on the resolution of a pay dispute.

Ireland’s Minister for Health has published a public consultation to evaluate a push for new, tougher tobacco and vaping regulations. Ireland is one of 12 EU countries advocating for stricter vaping rules.