Threads
Stories that unfold over weeks: where things stand, what has changed and what comes next.
Latest changes
Tuesday 30 June
EU slashes steel import quotas by 47% and imposes new tariffs
The European Union has significantly reduced duty-free steel import quotas to 18.3 million tonnes annually, implementing a 50% tariff on volumes exceeding this cap. This measure aims to protect domestic steel producers from cheap imports.
Chinese exports and imports beat forecasts in June
Chinese exports jumped 27% in dollar terms and imports climbed 36% in June, both exceeding analyst estimates. Car shipments topped 1 million units for the first time, indicating robust trade activity.
Portuguese government accelerates water security and fire resilience measures
Portugal's environment ministry announced a package of measures to address the driest winter in decades in several river basins, including stricter irrigation quotas and increased funding for forest-fuel management.
Anthropic launches Claude Sonnet 5 with advanced agentic capabilities
Anthropic released its mid-tier Claude Sonnet 5 model, offering autonomous agentic abilities close to its Opus 4.8 at a 60% lower cost. This move accelerates the company's market positioning ahead of a potential IPO.
European and global media groups call for binding AI rules
Agence France-Presse and a coalition of leading news and publishing organizations issued an open letter urging policymakers to adopt robust AI regulation to safeguard journalistic content and cultural industries.
Warsaw prosecutor discontinues 'two towers' investigation
The Warsaw District Prosecutor's Office discontinued its investigation into the 'two towers' project, finding no crime was committed. This closes a high-profile case that had involved questioning PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński as a witness.
Poland's inflation rate drops to 2.5% in June
Poland's consumer inflation fell to 2.5% year-on-year in June, down from 3.1% in May, according to the flash estimate from GUS. This drop was primarily driven by cheaper fuel and food prices, with a 0.5% decrease month-on-month.
France, Germany, Italy activate national AI supervision hubs
France, Germany, and Italy formally activated national AI supervision hubs to pool technical expertise for AI Act implementation, beginning joint testing pilots with the EU AI Office on frontier models.
China expands blocking regime to EU and US semiconductor export controls
China's Ministry of Commerce issued additional prohibition orders under its blocking rules, barring entities in China from complying with recent US and EU export curbs on advanced semiconductor equipment.
South Africa repatriates 25,000 foreign nationals
Over 25,000 foreign nationals have been repatriated from South Africa in recent weeks, as many more depart ahead of a June 30 ultimatum from anti-immigrant groups. Police and army units have deployed across the country.
Saudi Foreign Minister reiterates conditions for Israel normalization
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan reiterated that Riyadh will not normalize ties with Israel without a clear, internationally backed process toward a viable Palestinian state, including security guarantees and economic frameworks for Gaza and the West Bank.
Spain adds 128,500 jobs in June, driven by foreign workers
Spain's Social Security affiliation reached a record high of 22.47 million in June, with 128,500 new jobs added. Two-thirds of these new positions were filled by foreign workers, reflecting the impact of ongoing regularization efforts.
French Greens to file no-confidence motion against Lecornu government
The French Greens announced their intention to file a no-confidence motion against the Lecornu government, citing the government's perceived total unpreparedness for the recent heat wave, which they claim caused avoidable deaths.
US issues new executive orders centralizing foreign policy
A sequence of executive orders directs federal agencies to prioritize bilateral deals and economic coercion, centralizing approvals in the White House and expanding political oversight of international contacts.
EPPO raids far-right offices in four EU countries over fund misuse
The European Public Prosecutor's Office conducted raids in France, Spain, Italy, and Belgium, targeting communication providers that worked with the Identity and Democracy group in the European Parliament.
Poland appoints new state resilience plenipotentiary
The Polish government appointed Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka as plenipotentiary for strengthening state resilience, simultaneously abolishing her previous role overseeing the SAFE defence-funding programme. This move restructures national oversight of defence funding.
Polish President Nawrocki asserts 'duty to impose will of nation'
Polish President Karol Nawrocki declared a 'duty to impose the will of the Nation' on politicians, while the government accused his camp of blocking the EU's €150 billion SAFE defence programme.
EU finance ministers agree on capital markets package
Euro area and EU finance ministers reached political agreement on measures to harmonise insolvency rules, simplify cross-border listings, and expand retail investor access to capital markets.
Poland's inflation rate falls to 2.5% target in June
Poland's consumer inflation reached 2.5% year-on-year in June, a decrease from 3.1% in May, according to the flash estimate from GUS. This drop was primarily due to lower fuel and food prices, with a 0.5% month-on-month price reduction.
Poland's unemployment rate drops to 5.8% in June
Poland's registered unemployment rate fell to 5.8% in June, a slight decrease from 5.9% in May, reflecting a cooling but not sharply deteriorating labour market. The number of jobless individuals, however, increased by over 100,000 compared to a year ago.
US Commerce Department tightens AI chip export controls
The US Commerce Department tightened export controls on advanced AI chips and accelerator systems, introducing new reporting obligations for foreign data-centre operators using US-designed hardware. This move aims to align more closely with existing US and Japanese controls.
French and Belgian media groups increase collaboration
Major French-language media groups in Belgium and France announced new content-sharing and co-production agreements to strengthen Francophone news and cultural offerings online, aiming to counter AI-driven Anglophone dominance.
US directs agencies to review outbound investment
New executive orders direct the Treasury and Commerce departments to review outbound investment and technology transfers to states deemed "unfair traders" or "security free-riders," operationalizing transactional doctrine within US bureaucracy.
Polish wages and industrial output exceed forecasts in June
Poland's average wages increased by 5.9% in June, while industrial production jumped 7.6% year-on-year and construction output rose 5.2%, all surpassing analyst expectations for the national economy.
Warsaw prosecutors close two threads in Polish 'coup' investigation
Warsaw prosecutors discontinued two strands of the 'coup d'état' investigation, finding no evidence of a crime in the revocation of two opposition MPs' mandates or alleged pressure to delay a presidential swearing-in.
US job growth slows, labor force shrinks in June
US employers added 57,000 jobs in June, falling short of expectations, while the unemployment rate decreased to 4.2% as 700,000 workers exited the labor force. This development could influence global economic outlooks and trade dynamics.
US issues executive order on immigration enforcement
An executive order instructs the Department of Homeland Security to surge removals of undocumented migrants, including EU nationals, and to link future visa waivers to cooperation on trade and defence, intensifying pressure on European partners.
Germany, France and Italy deepen cooperation on AI safety testing
Germany, France, and Italy have deepened cooperation on AI safety and testing through their newly activated national institutes. The hubs are now linked to EU enforcement efforts, focusing on common testing protocols for generative models.
Ukraine strikes Kapotnya oil refinery near Moscow
Ukraine mounted a large-scale drone strike against the Kapotnya oil refinery near Moscow, employing new jet-powered "Bars" UAVs to penetrate Russian air defenses and cause damage to processing units.
Poland detains 11 over Russian-financed protest recruitment
Poland's Internal Security Agency (ABW) detained nine Ukrainian and two Belarusian nationals, accusing them of recruiting and paying Ukrainian refugees to participate in demonstrations funded by Russia.
President Trump declines to sign bipartisan housing bill
President Trump refused to commit to signing a bipartisan housing bill, calling it 'a big yawn' and insisting Congress first pass a voter ID law.
France expands national heatwave and flood adaptation program
France approved an extension of its national “Plan Canicule et Inondations” in June 2026, following a sequence of late-spring heatwaves and flash floods that caused dozens of deaths and severe infrastructure damage.
Monday 29 June
Ukrainian drones strike fuel depots and power facilities in Belgorod and Kursk
Ukraine launched coordinated long-range drone attacks against oil storage and power facilities in Russia's Belgorod and Kursk regions, extending its deep-strike campaign.
Israel launches ground offensive into Lebanon
Israel has initiated a "limited" ground offensive into Lebanon, stating it is part of a wider campaign to undermine Iran's clerical leadership and its regional proxy network, complicating diplomatic efforts for a stable security architecture.
Supreme Court expands presidential control over independent agencies
The Supreme Court decided Trump v. Slaughter, holding that the president may remove principal officers of executive-power-wielding independent agencies at will.
French Senate begins debate on emergency agricultural bill
The French Senate started examining an emergency agricultural bill that includes amendments to reintroduce two neonicotinoid insecticides, acétamipride and flupyradifurone, on a derogatory basis. This legislative action signals a potential shift in national pesticide policy.
US and Iran agree to suspend hostilities and resume talks in Qatar
US and Iranian representatives have agreed to halt recent tit-for-tat strikes in Iraq and Syria and resume indirect talks in Doha under Qatari mediation this week. The talks will address de-confliction mechanisms and Iran’s nuclear activities.
Italy, Greece, Croatia, Austria, and Slovenia report record temperatures and flash floods
A severe early-summer heatwave combined with intense thunderstorms hit large parts of southern and central Europe over the weekend.
Putin rejects Ukraine's long-range strike halt proposal
Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed Ukraine's offer to halt long-range strikes, viewing it as a tactic to ease pressure on its forces. He also admitted Ukrainian drone raids have triggered fuel shortages and pledged to bolster air defenses.
China blocks EU anti-subsidy probe into wind turbine maker
Chinese authorities invoked the Regulations on Countering Foreign Improper Extraterritorial Jurisdiction to prevent a major wind turbine maker from cooperating with an EU anti-subsidy investigation, citing "illegal extraterritorial jurisdiction."