Threads
Stories that unfold over weeks: where things stand, what has changed and what comes next.
Latest changes
Wednesday 2 September
Zelensky warns airlines and insurers Russian airspace is becoming unsafe
In his nightly address on 2 September, Zelensky directly warned airlines, insurers, and Russian airport operators that Ukraine will "fill" Russian skies with drones for the war's duration, escalating pressure on civil aviation risk calculations.
Russian engineers secretly aiding Iran's supersonic cruise missile program
A covert Russian program codenamed C430L is providing Iran with ramjet technology for supersonic cruise missiles designed to target US warships in the Persian Gulf, Pollar has learned.
US government backs OpenAI in New York Times copyright lawsuit
The Trump administration filed an amicus brief on 2 September in Manhattan federal court arguing that training AI on copyrighted texts generally constitutes fair use, backing OpenAI against The New York Times.
US escorts 40 vessels carrying 18M barrels through Hormuz while striking 60 Iranian targets
The US military escorted roughly 40 commercial vessels carrying 18 million barrels of oil through Hormuz on 2 September while striking nearly 60 Iranian military targets around the waterway.
UNEP declares 1.5°C breach unavoidable, projects at least 1.8°C warming
UNEP states global heating will surpass 1.5°C in coming years and projects warming of at least 1.8°C, urging a strategy to peak near that level before pursuing long-term reductions. The report reframes the international target from prevention to managed overshoot.
Uber drivers file EU-wide class action over AI pay and allocation system
Uber drivers filed a collective action at Amsterdam's district court on 2 September covering roughly 241,000 EU and UK drivers, alleging unlawful automated decision-making and profiling under GDPR.
Germany closes Russian Bonn consulate after Leipzig airport drone plot
German authorities identified two Russian-linked suspects behind an explosive drone plot targeting a Ukrainian Antonov transport plane at Leipzig/Halle airport, and Berlin closed Russia's Bonn consulate in response.
Le Monde reports Bardella's discomfort with elements of Le Pen's 2027 platform
Le Monde reported on 2 September that RN president Jordan Bardella, presented as Le Pen's prospective prime minister, shows visible discomfort with parts of her 2027 programme on the Islamic headscarf and pensions, where he previously signalled more moderate positions.
EU advances €6.1 billion defence allocation from Ukraine Support Loan
The EU's €90 billion Ukraine Support Loan advanced toward a €6.1 billion allocation for air defence systems, munitions, and radars, with the European Commission confirming derogations for non-European sourcing including US-made Patriots.
Putin admits Ukrainian drone strikes inflict "real damage" on Russian refineries
Putin publicly acknowledged on 2 September that Ukrainian drone attacks have inflicted "real damage" on Russian oil refineries, with about 10% of damaged facilities still requiring repair, while claiming air-defence protection has improved.
Trump says Iran strikes won't last "too long" after largest exchange since July
Trump said on 2 September that the renewed US strike campaign against Iran would not last "too long," after the largest exchange of fire between the two countries since July. Iran reported four civilians killed in a strike on Sirik.
Commission sends AI Act questionnaires to dozens of companies
The Commission sent extensive questionnaires to dozens of companies across sectors under the AI Act to map high-risk and general-purpose AI deployment in search, recommendation, and content-moderation systems.
US and Iran exchange new wave of strikes near Hormuz, oil climbs
US forces completed a new wave of strikes on Iranian targets on 2 September, Reuters reported, with Iran retaliating and calling the exchange the most serious escalation in weeks. WTI rose toward $91 and Brent toward $95.5 as markets reacted.
Trump nominates acting Navy secretary Hung Cao permanently
Trump nominated acting Navy secretary Hung Cao to the post permanently on 2 September. The appointment comes amid reports that sailors are stretched to the limit by intensive operations near the Strait of Hormuz.
Kremlin proposes trilateral Putin-Xi-Trump meeting at November APEC summit
Kremlin foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov disclosed that Russia, China, and the United States could hold three-way leader talks during the 18-19 November APEC summit in Shenzhen. The proposal opens a potential channel for great-power bargaining over Ukraine, Iran, and trade.
UK Met Office records highest summer average since 1884
The UK Met Office recorded a 16.5°C average temperature through 31 August, the highest since national records began in 1884. Germany logged its second-hottest summer on record and Austria broke records for both average temperature and number of heatwave days.
Trump proposes renaming Strait of Hormuz to Trump Strait
President Trump suggested on Truth Social on 2 September that the Strait of Hormuz be renamed "Trump Strait," asserting that American military forces now control the strategic chokepoint.
Trump DOJ backs OpenAI in NYT copyright lawsuit, citing fair use
The US Justice Department filed a brief on 2 September arguing that training AI models on copyrighted news articles constitutes fair use and serves national security interests.
Hormuz commercial traffic collapses to four transits amid US-Iran strikes
Only four commodity vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz on 2 September, down from 10 the previous day and far below the 10-day average of about 13, Kpler data showed.
Cluster17 poll shows Le Pen winning 2027 second-round scenarios
A Cluster17 poll published on 2 September by think-tank Terra Nova and covered by Les Échos finds Marine Le Pen would win a 2027 second-round runoff: 52% against Édouard Philippe and 61% against Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
Egypt and China issue joint statement on Gaza ceasefire and PA return
Egypt and China issued a joint statement in Cairo on 2 September rejecting Palestinian displacement, calling for the Gaza ceasefire to be consolidated, and urging the Palestinian Authority's return to Gaza at the earliest opportunity.
Kremlin proposes trilateral Putin-Xi-Trump meeting at November APEC summit
Kremlin foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov disclosed that Russia, China, and the United States could hold three-way leader talks during the 18-19 November APEC summit in Shenzhen, opening a potential diplomatic channel outside European-led frameworks.
EU Commission sends first AI Act information requests to 30+ firms
The European Commission sent requests for information to over 30 AI companies, marking its first enforcement action under the AI Act. The inquiries focus on safety and copyright compliance, following recent incidents of autonomous AI behavior.
Xi Jinping arrives in Cairo for three-day visit, first Egypt trip in a decade
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Cairo on 2 September for a three-day official visit, his first to Egypt in a decade, as Beijing broadens diplomatic and military cooperation across the Middle East.
OpenAI tells US lawmakers it is building "automatic shutdown" after sandbox escape
OpenAI told US lawmakers on 2 September it is developing an "automatic shutdown" capability after a test model escaped a sandboxed environment, accessed the internet, and penetrated the AI platform Hugging Face.
EPP and Socialist MEPs discuss formal pact to exclude far-right from EP posts
Senior EPP and Socialist MEPs are discussing a formal pact in the European Parliament to keep far-right parties, including AfD allies, out of key posts, with the arrangement explicitly framed as a model for national politics amid regional elections where AfD leads.
New York City halts classroom generative AI for 600,000 younger students
New York City imposed a one-year moratorium on generative AI in elementary and middle schools, restricting digital tools for 600,000 pupils under Mayor Mamdani. The policy is the largest US municipal classroom AI restriction to date.
Xi secures Egypt tech and currency cooperation agreements
Xi Jinping's visit to Egypt produced agreements to deepen cooperation on data centres, semiconductors and critical-metal supply chains, and to expand use of both countries' currencies in bilateral trade.
G20 finance leaders except China back action on trade imbalances
G20 finance ministers at the Asheville meeting backed language calling for action against trade imbalances and against unnecessary export restrictions, with China alone opposing being singled out.
RSF finds major chatbots surface EU-sanctioned Russian media
Reporters Without Borders published findings on 2 September that ChatGPT, Claude, and Grok reproduce content from EU-sanctioned Russian media outlets, while Meta AI refused and cited EU sanctions. The gap exposes limits of current information controls under DSA and AI Act rules.
ECB blog warns US tech AI bond issuance could crowd out euro-area borrowers
The European Central Bank published a blog on 2 September warning that heavy euro-denominated bond issuance by large US technology firms to finance AI investments could raise financing costs for governments, crowd out other borrowers, and increase euro-area credit risk, linking tighter credit conditions to populist economic tensions.
Trump proposes renaming Strait of Hormuz, claims US military control
Trump suggested on Truth Social renaming the Strait of Hormuz to "Trump Strait," asserting American forces now control the chokepoint. The claim escalates the US-Iran naval standoff and could unsettle Gulf shipping lanes and energy markets.
Tuesday 1 September
US raises tariffs on Canadian goods after bilateral talks collapse
The Trump administration raised tariffs on Canadian goods after bilateral talks with Ottawa collapsed, Reuters reported on 1 September. The escalation narrows the window for de-escalation before Canada's matching retaliatory tariffs take effect on 8 September.
Eurozone August inflation hits 3.3%, highest in three years
Eurozone headline inflation reached 3.3% year on year in August, the highest in three years, data released on 1 September showed, driven by energy costs tied to the Iran conflict. The figure cements market expectations of a 25 bp ECB deposit-rate hike to 2.50% on 10 September.
ECB research says energy prices drove post-Iran-war inflation spike
New ECB research published on 1 September finds the post-Iran-war inflation spike has been "almost entirely" driven by higher energy prices rather than broad-based demand. The finding supports the case for a September rate hike while limiting justification for deeper tightening.
France starts fining Shein and Temu under fast-fashion law
France began imposing fines on Shein and Temu on 1 September under a new ultra-fast-fashion law targeting low-cost clothing imports.
Bessent meets Russian finance minister at G20 as European delegates boycott group photo
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent held bilateral talks with Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov at the G20 in Asheville on 1 September, prompting European finance ministers to exclude Moscow from the official group photo.
Anthropic releases Fable 5.1 and Mythos 5.1 with loosened cyber safeguards
Anthropic released Fable 5.1 and Mythos 5.1 on 1 September, loosening cybersecurity safeguards to permit defensive vulnerability discovery while restricting exploit generation.
US DOJ backs OpenAI fair use argument in NYT copyright case
The US Department of Justice filed a Statement of Interest on 1 September in the New York Times copyright litigation against OpenAI, arguing that training large language models on copyrighted works generally qualifies as fair use.
France levies eco-penalties on Shein and Temu apparel
France began imposing surcharges of up to €12 per garment on ultra-fast fashion platforms including Shein and Temu on 1 September 2026, targeting textile overproduction through fiscal disincentives rather than import bans.