Europe

Serbia's student-led list won Sunday's snap parliamentary election, and Aleksandar Vučić conceded defeat. Turnout was the highest in more than 30 years, according to Al Jazeera.

Geopolitics

The French government offered smaller classes, more university places and a new admissions system on Monday. Student leaders rejected the package and plan more protests from 31 October.

Geopolitics

Ukrainian missiles and drones killed two people in Voronezh, Russia's governor says. A UN commission called Russian attacks on Ukraine's grid war crimes.

Geopolitics

Moody's kept France's rating at Aa3 on Friday despite the country's failure to correct its budget trajectory, Le Monde reports, and French yields remain elevated. The ECB is expected to leave its key rate unchanged at its meeting on Thursday, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Economy

Zelensky says peace talks with Russia and the US will resume and Kyiv wants them brought forward, while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says resuming them implies no restrictions on combat. Ahead of a local ceasefire around Oleshky (Alyoshki in Russian), Russia says Ukraine has repeatedly struck the town, and Russian Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova rejects Kyiv's demand for forced evacuation of children.

Geopolitics

Attacks in the Black Sea have cut Ukrainian wheat exports to Indonesia and Bangladesh, Nikkei Asia reports, and the Financial Times, cited by Meduza, reports that at least 40 sailors have died there as Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine has made it the world's most dangerous waters for commercial shipping. Russia is reviewing proposals for safe grain transport and is in contact with Türkiye, Interfax reports, according to Daily Sabah.

Geopolitics

The defence ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the UK (E5) met on Monday, and The National reported they would name Russia the greatest threat to Europe. The Financial Times reports that Germany plans to buy Ukrainian Bars cruise missiles, with an agreement on a first batch expected in the coming weeks.

Geopolitics

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on Monday that Brexit has damaged the economy and failed to deliver the promised benefits, and that they would like to rejoin the EU. Burnham agreed with the principle of migration reform, and Downing Street clarified that free movement would require a referendum.

Geopolitics

Two people died as Storms Boelo and Austen hit Britain with gusts of up to 135 km/h, causing flooding and travel disruption. The Guardian reports about 90,000 properties in northern parts of the UK are still without power, while Politika says around 800,000 households lost electricity.

Geopolitics

Audi's chief executive appeared alongside US President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Georgia and drew heavy criticism on Monday. The head of IG Metall called the appearance "deeply embarrassing", according to Reuters.

Economy

The EU plans to impose more import restrictions on China in early 2027, according to Bloomberg. A Chinese expert quoted by Global Times called the EU's new parcel fee protectionism in disguise.

Economy

Serbia's student-led list won Sunday's snap parliamentary election, and Aleksandar Vučić conceded defeat. Turnout was the highest since 1992.

Geopolitics

French police arrested 1,314 people after a second weekend of cost-of-living and school protests. Unrest also hit Barcelona and Italian cities.

Geopolitics

Russia's Defence Ministry said it downed 532 Ukrainian drones overnight into Sunday. Zelensky said Russia fired nearly 2,300 drones and 48 missiles at Ukraine in a week.

Geopolitics

Zelensky confirmed on Sunday that Russia, Ukraine and the US will meet in November. A local ceasefire in occupied Oleshky is due to begin on Tuesday.

Geopolitics

Incumbent President Iliana Iotova led the first round with 35.3% in an exit poll cited by TASS, short of an outright win, and faces former caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov in a run-off next week. Turnout was at a historic low, according to Telesur, and barely reached 16% by 4:00 p.m. local time, according to TASS.

Geopolitics

A sell-off in French government bonds is at the heart of the fight over the ECB succession, Bloomberg reports. The Wall Street Journal describes France as the poster child for debt worries.

Economy

Storms Boelo and Austen cut power to more than 150,000 homes in northern Europe on Sunday and forced hundreds of flights to be cancelled, with winds of up to 135 km/h. Al Jazeera reports that a man died in Scotland.

Geopolitics

Prime minister Andy Burnham called for an 'honest discussion' about a return to free movement with the EU ahead of a UK-EU summit. Angela Rayner backed the call, while the Guardian reports that MPs in heavily pro-Brexit seats may be more cautious.

Geopolitics

Marine Le Pen launched her presidential campaign on Sunday and vowed to 'restore the rule of law' if elected next year. The launch came after another weekend of protests in France, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Geopolitics

Protesters threw stones at the prime minister's office and the parliament leadership's offices in Tirana on Sunday and attacked a bank, according to Koha. A police officer was suspended on suspicion of hitting a protester in the eye with a rubber bullet, and Rama again invited students to dialogue.

Geopolitics

Starlink is running again in Ukraine, and Elon Musk accuses Ukraine of violating the service's terms of use, according to Handelsblatt and Le Monde. Kyiv denies the accusation, and Texas Republican Dan Crenshaw challenged Musk's explanation, Bloomberg reports.

Technology

Hundreds of thousands protested across France on Saturday over living costs, schools and policing. Interior minister Laurent Nuñez reported almost 1,000 arrests after evening clashes.

Geopolitics

Serbians voted on Sunday in a snap parliamentary election in which a student list born from the Novi Sad disaster could beat Aleksandar Vučić's party.

Geopolitics

Russia says it downed 1,297 Ukrainian drones in 24 hours, while Kyiv reports hits on a Togliatti plant and other sites. Russian attacks killed at least four people in the Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions.

Geopolitics

Ukraine says Starlink and Starshield are back at normal speeds after more than a week of throttling. Elon Musk says Ukraine's military violated Starlink's terms of service.

Geopolitics

Barcelona saw about 100 arrests after youth riots, while Italy's protests stayed small under heavy security.

Geopolitics

A decree published in France's Journal officiel provides for the release of strategic diesel stocks, and distributors must pass the full price cut on to customers, possibly early from 1 November, Le Monde reports. FAZ writes that nowhere is the debt situation as acute as in France, while Bloomberg reports that euro-area business activity cooled.

Economy

Students from across Albania gathered in Tirana on the 12th day of protests, and Koha reports eight people were injured, among them a lawmaker. Le Monde says the movement began against a tourism project linked to Jared Kushner and now demands Prime Minister Edi Rama's resignation, while Politika reports Rama invited students to talk.

Geopolitics

Police found Mein Kampf and explosive traps, including an improvised device with gas cylinders, in the home of the suspect in the Trappes shooting, which killed one person and which Le Monde calls a racist attack, Politika reports. The suspect's mother was arrested, and Handelsblatt reports further arrests in the suspect's circle.

Geopolitics

Bulgarians went to the polls on Sunday to elect a president, with attacks on ships in the Black Sea dominating the final stretch of the campaign, according to FAZ. The two leading candidates condemn the deadly drone strikes but differ on the Ukraine war more broadly, Al Jazeera reports.

Geopolitics

A fire broke out on Friday night at the Kehlsteinhaus, Hitler's former Alpine retreat near Berchtesgaden, and about 200 firefighters and emergency personnel were deployed. German police said on Saturday they had detained a suspect.

Geopolitics

Frasers has raised its stake in Hugo Boss above 50% and takes control of the German fashion group, Bloomberg reports. Details of the transaction were not available in the source.

Economy

France is deploying about 70,000 police for Saturday's protests, a week after its worst street violence in years. Italy faces its own unrest over living costs and fuel prices.

Geopolitics

French borrowing costs stay above 5% while a business survey shows the economy shrinking amid unrest. Attention turns to the ECB as a possible backstop.

Economy

Russia and Ukraine agreed a local ceasefire to evacuate civilians from occupied Oleshky, which the White House says Melania Trump secured. Trilateral talks with the US are planned for early November.

Geopolitics

A drone sank the Comoros-flagged cargo ship Khoryv off Romania on Friday, killing one sailor and leaving three missing. Romania's president blamed Russia.

Geopolitics

A gunman firing from a car killed one person and wounded five in Trappes and La Verrière on Friday. Anti-terror prosecutors are investigating a racist or religious motive.

Geopolitics

Serbia holds a snap parliamentary election on Sunday, in which a student-led list that grew out of the Novi Sad station collapse is challenging President Vučić's hold on power. The Financial Times reports mounting fears of electoral fraud.

Geopolitics

Russia dropped cluster bombs on Ukraine, and the energy company DTEK says Russian strikes have targeted thermal power plants more than 230 times. TASS reports that 443 Ukrainian drones were downed over Russian regions, with debris injuring three people in the Nizhny Novgorod region.

Geopolitics

Scientists warn that heat killed 50,000 people in European cities this summer, with the highest rates in Malta, Italy and Hungary. The Financial Times calls it the worst toll of excess heat deaths this century, and Politika reports economic damage of 113 billion euros.

Geopolitics

Zelensky and Ukrainian troops say speed caps on Starlink and its military version Starshield persist, contradicting Trump. Kyiv is also moving toward an independent satellite system with Finnish firms.

Technology

Volvo Cars announced 2,500 job cuts on Friday after swinging to a third-quarter loss, and its shares plunged. Daily Sabah reports the company blamed US tariffs and strong competition from local brands in China, while Bloomberg says the China woes also weighed on Gucci and European stocks.

Economy

British jets took part in a French nuclear exercise for the first time, France says, according to Reuters. The Hindu describes it as the first joint nuclear strike simulation by the two air forces, while Politika reports that Poland wants US and French nuclear weapons deployed on its territory.

Geopolitics

EU ministers pledged on Friday to tackle 'China Shock 2.0' through talks with Beijing, Reuters reports. Brussels is weighing import quotas and safeguards, while Beijing warns it not to 'fantasise' about extracting concessions.

Economy

Austria expelled four Russian diplomats on security grounds: three embassy staff members and a member of Russia's delegation to the Vienna talks on military security and arms control, according to TASS. In Germany, a suspected Russian spy arrested in Brandenburg is in pre-trial detention, Handelsblatt reports.

Geopolitics

Hanning, the former head of the BND, is in pretrial detention on suspicion of espionage, the FAZ reports. According to the paper, he pursued an alternative domestic and foreign policy for years and was a welcome guest in China.

Geopolitics

Greece's parliament approved a social media ban for children under 15 on Thursday evening, with mandatory age verification, according to Telesur and Politika. Al Jazeera reports that a growing number of countries are tightening rules on children's online activity amid fears of addiction.

Technology

According to The Guardian, a data leak shows the AfD sought support from Trump allies after his 2016 election win and that a co-leader pursued Steve Bannon. Handelsblatt reports the leak also contains thousands of residents' registration records, which could expose the party to fines.

Geopolitics

Edi Rama said the violence at the protests had been prepared for months and that he has information on masks and explosives brought into Albania, according to Koha. Doctors have backed the protesters and a class boycott continues at faculties in Korça, Politika reports.

Geopolitics

Pope Leo XIV has cancelled a visit to Assisi for an interfaith peace gathering planned for next week, to avoid a helicopter trip while he recovers from lung cancer surgery, according to Folha de S.Paulo. Doctors had advised him against the journey, Daily Sabah reports.

Geopolitics

Russia hit Kyiv with ballistic missiles, some with cluster warheads, hours after Witkoff met Putin. Ukraine sent hundreds of drones toward Moscow.

Geopolitics

French 10-year yields stayed above 5% on Thursday, and the spread over German Bunds is the widest since 2011. Budget deadlock and unrest are driving the selloff.

Economy

Russia says it will resume talks with the US and Ukraine, possibly in Abu Dhabi, after Putin freed an American prisoner.

Geopolitics

President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that "illegitimate" protests will be banned and blamed ultra-left groups for last weekend's riots. Several big cities have banned all protests on Saturday.

Geopolitics

Tens of thousands backed the Student List in central Belgrade on Thursday, while longtime leader Aleksandar Vučić rallied elsewhere in the capital. Serbia votes on Sunday.

Geopolitics

Germany arrested Ukrainian national Vadym Y. in Brandenburg on suspicion of spying for Russia, FAZ reports, saying the suspect is accused of gathering military information. Al Jazeera adds that the German military has raised its threat level for Russian sabotage against troops and facilities.

Geopolitics

Truckers protesting high fuel prices blocked deliveries to parts of southern Italy, leaving empty shelves and dry pumps, the New York Times reports. Reuters reports that they have eased their protests as the government lines up aid.

Geopolitics

The Wall Street Journal reports, citing sources, that Donald Trump called Elon Musk and asked him to lift restrictions on the military version of Starlink in Ukraine. Al Jazeera reports that Secretary of State Marco Rubio called access Musk's decision, while TASS quotes Vice President JD Vance as saying Musk does not want to intervene in a war between two states without direction from the US government.

Technology

Turkey's Defense Ministry said on Thursday that objections from third parties cannot invalidate its maritime boundary agreement with Libya, rejecting criticism from Greece and the EU. Gerapetritis said Greece and Egypt are discussing extending their economic zones toward Cyprus, according to Politika.

Geopolitics

The EU awarded the International Criminal Court its Sakharov human rights prize on Thursday, a show of support as the Trump administration moves to thwart its work. According to Le Monde, Washington has already sanctioned some of the court's judges and demands that it bar prosecutions of any American.

Geopolitics

Nestlé has taken $1.95bn of net assets off its balance sheet after a Russian presidential decree to take control of its business there, the Financial Times reports. Reuters reports that the Swiss group beat sales forecasts after excluding the seized Russian business.

Economy

Albanian lawmakers scuffled in parliament, throwing objects and ripping microphones from desks, according to Al Jazeera. Politika reports that Democratic Party deputies blocked the podium, while Koha reports that protesters again rejected Rama's call for dialogue.

Geopolitics

Ukraine is to be able to buy military supplies through a NATO agency, the Financial Times reports. The agreement could speed up deliveries of ammunition and weapons to Kyiv at lower cost, and according to TASS, citing the FT, the agency would give Ukraine a structured framework for purchases and access to the industrial base.

Geopolitics

Barclays said on Thursday it will cut around 5,000 jobs, roughly 5% of its global workforce, by the end of the year in an AI efficiency drive. It reported £2.3bn in pre-tax profit for July to September and profits up 12%, according to The Guardian, but the Financial Times says the result fell short of City expectations.

Economy

Putin received US envoy Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg on Wednesday and freed American Stephen Hubbard. The Kremlin says it is ready to resume trilateral talks with the US and Ukraine.

Geopolitics

France's 10-year borrowing cost topped 5% on Wednesday for the first time since 2002. The spread to Germany is at its widest since 2011.

Economy

Macron called foreign leaders' comments on France's unrest "stupid" and vowed to stop a repeat of last weekend's violence. New protests are planned in Paris on Saturday.

Geopolitics

The Wall Street Journal and New York Times report that Elon Musk ordered a Starshield slowdown that disabled Ukrainian drones. The EU demands SpaceX restore full service.

Geopolitics

Russian drones killed three people in the Kyiv and Kharkiv regions on Wednesday, local officials said. Ukrainian strikes hit Luhansk and Bryansk, according to Russian and Russian-installed officials.

Geopolitics

Italy's government approved sending 500 troops to Milan and a new offence of "violent participation in public demonstrations" after clashes and protests. Truckers' highway blockades are disrupting supplies in the south, and Bloomberg reports that Italy is looking into whether Russian agents helped fuel the riots.

Geopolitics

Serbia holds a parliamentary election on Sunday, 25 October, in which a student-led list that grew out of a two-year protest movement is the biggest threat yet to the ruling party's 12-year rule. Reuters describes the students as the greatest threat to Aleksandar Vucic's long hold on power.

Geopolitics

The Wall Street Journal reports, as relayed by Meduza, that after the attempted sabotage at Leipzig Airport a Kremlin official warned a counterpart in the German government that it would not be the last attack, and Germany's military warns of a significant Russian sabotage threat. The French navy says unauthorized drones overflew several military sites in Toulon during an exercise, and Reuters reports that Europe is weighing giving utilities and infrastructure firms more powers to bring down drones.

Geopolitics

Koha reports that stones and Molotov cocktails were thrown in Tirana on Wednesday evening, on the ninth day of student protests; The Hindu counts the eighth day. According to Koha, Prime Minister Edi Rama again set out chairs for dialogue in front of his office, and universities boycotted classes.

Geopolitics

The British government approved the Jackdaw gasfield in the North Sea on Wednesday, ending years of legal and political dispute, according to Daily Sabah. The Guardian says the decision was widely expected after lobbying by Shell, and Al Jazeera reports sharp criticism from left-wing politicians and environmentalists.

Economy

Figures published on Wednesday showed UK inflation at 3.5% in September, driven by motor fuel costs, with petrol and diesel prices rising the most in four years, The Guardian reports. Borrowing reached £24.5bn, above forecasts, which the Financial Times says strengthens expectations of a Bank of England rate rise in November.

Economy

György Matolcsy, the former head of Hungary's central bank, has been detained, according to the news site Telex as cited by Reuters. The Financial Times reports that Matolcsy and several others were arrested in corruption probes targeting the circle around former prime minister Viktor Orbán.

Geopolitics

Students, pupils and teachers protested across Greece on Wednesday against the high cost of living, staff shortages, dilapidated infrastructure and expensive housing, according to Le Monde and Daily Sabah. The protests echo recent demonstrations in France and elsewhere in Europe.

Geopolitics

Ukraine, Finland, Norway and US envoy Steve Witkoff held talks in Oslo on Tuesday. Witkoff is due to take the ideas to Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg on Wednesday.

Geopolitics

Night curfews calmed French cities, and the government will deploy soldiers and extra police before new protests on Saturday.

Geopolitics

Trump said someone else should negotiate for Ukraine, while Zelensky accused Washington of withholding air-defence missiles. Rubio denied any political motive.

Geopolitics

Russian missiles and drones killed at least seven people in Ukraine on Tuesday. Ukrainian drones hit oil sites in Russia.

Geopolitics

French bond-risk measures rose as investors weighed street unrest against a stalled austerity budget. Money is flowing into ultralong Japanese bonds.

Economy

Italy's cabinet approved a protest decree on Tuesday and will station 500 more soldiers in Milan until year-end. Unrest over living costs is spreading across Europe.

Geopolitics

Prime Minister Edi Rama placed chairs in front of his office as a "symbol for dialogue", and students knocked them over, Koha reports, as clashes between protesters and police began on Tuesday. Rama says the demonstrators rejected his call for dialogue, and Politika reports that a university staff union has joined the protests and announced a complete halt to teaching.

Geopolitics

NATO is deploying additional military assets to the Black Sea, The Guardian and Le Monde report, after incidents have multiplied off Bulgaria and Romania since early October, including attacks attributed to Russian drones. FAZ reports that Bulgaria is also facing sabotage, with investigators suspecting two German citizens in the latest case involving Starlink.

Geopolitics

Google Cloud reported serious network disruptions at its London data centre on Tuesday, according to its service health website cited by Daily Sabah. The Guardian reported that Revolut customers could not use the app or cards, while the company insists customers' funds and data are safe.

Technology

The European Commission has presented an updated Arctic strategy that puts security and geostrategic competition at its centre, according to FAZ. The South China Morning Post describes it as a response to growing Russian and Chinese influence, while TASS calls the document militarized.

Geopolitics

British police said on Tuesday they had rearrested two men on suspicion of assisting Iran's intelligence service in a suspected plot at the US-run RAF Fairford airbase last month. According to the Financial Times, police link the incident to Iran for the first time.

Geopolitics

Bild reported on Tuesday that hackers breached AfD email accounts and published the material online, with Le Monde citing an estimate of more than 421,000 leaked emails. The party has confirmed the attack, according to FAZ and Handelsblatt.

Geopolitics

Amazon plans to invest more than €16 billion in Germany next year, Reuters and FAZ report, with part of the money going to an alternative to Elon Musk's Starlink. The announcement came at an investment summit where Merz pitched Germany's defence, AI and chip investment drive, according to Reuters and Handelsblatt.

Economy

Retailer Carrefour cut its forecast because of the unrest in France, and its chief called the situation unprecedented, according to FAZ. Insurers say riots now behave like natural catastrophes, and some are turning on the state over costs, according to the Financial Times and Le Monde.

Economy

European Parliament Vice President Pina Picierno announced a hunger strike on Tuesday to draw international attention to civilians trapped in Russian-occupied Oleshky in Ukraine's Kherson region. The Kremlin says work is ongoing to ease the humanitarian situation, while Russian Foreign Ministry official Rodion Miroshnik accuses Ukrainian forces of continued strikes on the town, according to TASS.

Geopolitics

Handelsblatt reports severe flooding in Valencia and on Mallorca. No further details on damage or casualties were available in the source.

Geopolitics

France imposed local curfews and protest bans on Monday after weekend riots with over 2,000 arrests. Macron kept his interior minister, and similar clashes hit Milan.

Geopolitics

Russia has proposed a three-way meeting with Trump and Xi in China next month, without Ukraine, the Wall Street Journal reported. Trump again accused Zelensky of not wanting peace.

Geopolitics

Russian ballistic missiles struck Kyiv and Ukrainian energy sites overnight into Monday, killing a woman and cutting power to at least 550,000 families. Ukraine's drones keep hitting targets inside Russia.

Geopolitics

Torrential rain from storm Adam killed at least four people in eastern Spain, state broadcaster RTVE reported. Rescuers pulled residents from rooftops in the provinces of Valencia and Alicante.

Geopolitics

French bond yields rose and stocks fell on Monday after violent weekend protests. Investors doubt Paris can pass its austerity budget.

Economy

Officials say a fire at a Starlink centre in Lithuania was sabotage, the New York Times reports. On Monday a Bulgarian court ordered the arrest of two Germans over a similar fire.

Geopolitics

Koha reports that protests in Albania are continuing, with Prime Minister Rama saying the masked protesters are not students but people who love violence. Rama also warned the families of minors that they would pay if they did not take responsibility for their children.

Geopolitics

The US ambassador to the EU threatened retaliation if Brussels limits non-EU access to mobile satellite spectrum. Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica and Vodafone are weighing a joint bid.

Technology

US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner proposed that the EU resume larger Russian gas purchases, the New York Times reported on Monday, and the European Commission rejected the idea, according to TASS. Türkiye's energy minister said the country will take some of the diesel Russia supplies under its agreement with US President Donald Trump.

Geopolitics

Greek authorities say 12 migrants, including an infant, died in two accidents at sea in the Aegean, and 22 people survived, according to Le Monde. Six of them died when a speedboat collided with a coast guard vessel off Lesbos; shipping minister Vassilis Kikilias blamed traffickers, and a 37-year-old man suspected of smuggling was arrested, Politika reports.

Geopolitics

Ukrainian human rights commissioner Dmytro Lubinets said Kyiv and Moscow have begun working out the final details of a plan to evacuate residents of Russian-occupied Oleshky. Pope Leo spoke with Zelensky about the town and urged cooperation with Russia on aid, according to Reuters; TASS reports he had raised the issue with Putin in a call on Friday.

Geopolitics

Cost-of-living protests turned into riots across France on Saturday. Macron condemned the violence in a televised address on Sunday.

Geopolitics

Zelensky says Washington is pushing Ukraine to capitulate, Bloomberg reports, after Trump waived Russia sanctions for up to 60 days. The US has resumed intelligence sharing with Kyiv.

Geopolitics

Ukraine hit St Petersburg's oil terminal and data centres on Sunday in one of its largest drone attacks, killing one person. Russia kept striking Ukraine's energy grid.

Geopolitics

A suspected drone exploded over Lithuania on Sunday, forcing residents to shelter. Ukraine regretted the incident, saying Russian electronic warfare may have diverted its drones.

Geopolitics

Prime Minister Edi Rama refused on Sunday to step down as student-led protests in Albania entered a sixth day. He says the unrest threatens the country's EU path, not his government.

Geopolitics

Police in Milan detained about 160 people in clashes around the cathedral, and Corriere della Sera, citing police, reports that 80% of those held are minors. In Lisbon, hundreds at a tent camp demanded action amid housing and living-cost tensions, according to The Guardian.

Geopolitics

The euro fell and the dollar firmed on Monday as French protests turned violent and Russia risk dented trader sentiment, according to Reuters and Bloomberg. The Financial Times reports that the Iran war and shifts by China are tightening the supply of dollars in international markets, amplifying US rate rises.

Economy

Pope Leo XIV led the Angelus in St Peter's Square on Sunday, his first public appearance since lung surgery and a day after leaving hospital. He pledged to return gradually to his usual duties and said the experience had made him feel a special closeness to those battling illness.

Geopolitics

US ambassador Andrew Puzder has warned of "devastating" retaliation if Brussels goes ahead with plans to limit spectrum access for non-EU companies, the Financial Times reports. According to Politika, which cites the paper, the plan is part of an EU effort to reduce its dependence on big technology companies.

Technology

The death toll from severe flooding in Istanbul has risen to five after the body of a missing person was found in the Golden Horn on Sunday. Cleanup and demolition operations are continuing, Daily Sabah reports.

Geopolitics

Trump suspended tariffs and sanctions on Russia under the Graham Act days before they took effect. Zelensky calls it a reward for Putin.

Geopolitics

Rioters burned the town hall of Limoges during nationwide cost-of-living protests in France on Saturday. Clashes and marches followed in Italy, Belgium and Portugal.

Geopolitics

Russian attacks killed at least eight people across Ukraine. Ukraine sent drone waves toward Moscow and Leningrad regions.

Geopolitics

Police fired what appeared to be rubber bullets at protesters in Tirana on Saturday, the fifth day of student-led demands for Prime Minister Edi Rama to resign.

Geopolitics

Romanian F-16s shot down two drones over Romania's territorial waters on Saturday. The tankers hit earlier in the week left seven sailors missing.

Geopolitics

Pope Leo XIV left Rome's Gemelli hospital on Saturday and returned to the Vatican, after an operation on Tuesday to remove a cancerous lung tumour. Doctors report continued improvement, and he is due to speak a prayer from his window on Sunday, according to FAZ.

Geopolitics

Ukraine's foreign minister described the Russian-held town of Oleshky as a "death trap" with starving residents, according to Reuters, and the Jerusalem Post reports that Zelensky speaks of genocide. Oleshky had 24,000 residents before the war and now has around 1,700, including 47 children, according to the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.

Geopolitics

Trump attacked Zelensky on Friday over Ukraine's renewed strikes on Russian refineries, while EU leaders in Brussels backed Kyiv. Ukraine's military Starlink access was throttled.

Geopolitics

Russian drones killed three people in Ukraine, and over a million consumers lost power at some point, the energy ministry says. Ukrainian drones hit a Siberian industrial site.

Geopolitics

Romania resumed the search on Friday for seven sailors missing from a drone-hit ship. Bulgaria's defence minister asked NATO for anti-drone systems.

Geopolitics

France and Germany agreed on Friday to cut the 2035 CO2 target for new cars to 90% instead of 100%. Berlin in turn accepted strict 'Made in EU' criteria for electric cars.

Economy

EU leaders backed a Franco-German call for a new instrument that could restrict Chinese access to the single market. The Commission is also preparing curbs on Chinese chemicals and machinery.

Economy

Four days of protests in Albania have left 156 people injured, the interior minister says. Koha reports that the municipal building in Shkodër was set on fire.

Geopolitics

French lawyers and rights groups say several teenagers suffered war-like injuries in school protests, with four allegedly mutilated by explosive weapons, The Guardian reports. Thousands of students and teachers marched in several Italian cities on Friday, according to Telesur, while Le Monde says it is unclear whether an online call for a protest on Saturday will materialise.

Geopolitics

EU leaders meeting in Brussels struggled to agree on how to bring down energy prices, Le Monde reports. Ursula von der Leyen said the EU will take six measures to stabilise energy markets, including releasing 100 million barrels of oil over the next four months, according to Politika.

Economy

The European Central Bank has approved UniCredit taking control of Commerzbank, Bloomberg reports. The Economist says the takeover is only the start of Italian purchases of German businesses.

Economy

Pope Leo XIV spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin and the Vatican said on Friday, and urged a ceasefire in Russian-occupied Oleshky to allow aid deliveries and civilian evacuations. Putin expressed support for a Vatican-led humanitarian initiative to deliver supplies to civilians in the town, according to Daily Sabah.

Geopolitics

Italy has extended its suspension of Schengen arrangements with Spain by another week, Reuters reports. According to FAZ, the two interior ministers are exploring new cooperation, while Politika reports that Denmark's prime minister has asked the European Commission to review Spain's plan to legalise migrants' residence.

Geopolitics

Hungary and Ukraine will reset their relations, Hungary's Magyar said, according to Reuters. EU leaders say enlargement should continue on the principle of individual merit, Koha reports.

Geopolitics

Johannes Kongsnes Natland, 19, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for travelling from Norway to the UK to carry out a murder for a crime gang linked to Iran, according to Reuters and The Guardian. He was arrested in Huddersfield with two guns and live ammunition.

Geopolitics

The Vatican says Pope Leo is improving steadily and will address the faithful on Sunday, his first public appearance since surgery to remove a cancerous tumour from the right lung. Doctors say he can carry out normal activities with full independence, and his South America trip remains on.

Geopolitics

Rome prosecutors are investigating Katz, Ben Gvir and about a dozen officials over alleged torture, kidnapping and degrading treatment, ANSA reported on Friday. The probe follows complaints from 50 Italian citizens who were detained by Israeli authorities after two Global Sumud Flotilla missions.

Geopolitics

President Vladimir Putin has placed the Russian assets of several European companies, including French flooring maker Tarkett, Ontex (owner of the Helen Harper diaper brand) and three foreign packaging firms, under temporary management. The Kremlin's Dmitry Peskov said the step is not aimed at a change of ownership and that the firms' origin in countries holding Russian assets was one factor in the decision.

Economy

Zelensky said Ukraine will again attack Russian refineries, and drones set the Ryazan refinery on fire on Thursday. Moscow accuses Kyiv of undermining US peace efforts.

Geopolitics

Ukraine's military lost Starshield connectivity on moving platforms for about a day, and Kyiv says it gets no US warnings of Russian missile strikes. Washington and Musk each deny responsibility.

Geopolitics

Two tankers caught fire in Romanian Black Sea waters between Wednesday night and Thursday morning. A Nato source says the drones were Russian.

Geopolitics

Russia hit Ukraine overnight into Thursday with a record drone swarm, killing three in Kirovohrad region. Kyiv resumed refinery strikes, ending a US-declared energy ceasefire.

Geopolitics

Russia says diesel exports have restarted under its deal with Trump. Germany's chancellor rejects a reported US plan to move frozen Russian assets.

Geopolitics

Prime Minister Rama said he will not resign as student protests in Tirana continued. Police say 71 officers were injured.

Geopolitics

Record rain flooded Istanbul this week, and the governor's office said on Thursday that three people had died and four were missing.

Geopolitics

EU leaders clashed on Thursday in Brussels over the bloc's 2028-2034 budget, under pressure to reach a deal before several high-stakes elections next year, according to the South China Morning Post. Politika reports that six wealthier members led by Germany want lower EU spending, and Handelsblatt reports that Merz is holding firm on the budget.

Geopolitics

According to the Financial Times, investors are demanding large discounts on French stocks against regional peers because of troubled public finances and the looming presidential election, producing the biggest underperformance since 2010. Al Jazeera reports that France's soaring borrowing costs and political divisions raise fears of a wider Eurozone debt crisis.

Economy

Pope Leo spent a second quiet night at Rome's Agostino Gemelli hospital and had breakfast, the Vatican said on Thursday, and doctors say his recovery is going as planned. El País reports that the diagnosis puts his November trip to Latin America in doubt.

Geopolitics

France and Germany agreed to ease the ban on combustion-engine cars after 2035 in return for 'Made in Europe' guarantees, Le Monde reports. The Financial Times reports that the deal would let the UK join the EU car policy if it aligns with the bloc on China tariffs.

Economy

A court in Hamburg on Thursday sentenced two men born in Afghanistan to prison for acting on behalf of Iran, including plans to kill the Green politician Volker Beck. FAZ reports that the case also covers attack plans against Josef Schuster, and that Beck is demanding consequences.

Geopolitics