Threads
Stories that unfold over weeks: where things stand, what has changed and what comes next.
Latest changes
Thursday 10 September
ECB raises deposit rate to 2.50%, second hike of 2026
The ECB raised all three key interest rates by 25 basis points on 10 September, taking the deposit facility to 2.50%, its second hike of 2026. The Council cited energy-price pressures from the Iran war and Strait of Hormuz disruptions keeping inflation well above the 2% target.
Portuguese NGO D3 sues four platforms in Lisbon over addictive design
Portuguese digital rights group D3 filed collective civil lawsuits in Lisbon on 10 September against Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, alleging infinite scrolling, autoplay and persistent notifications engineer compulsive use.
Merz cancels call with Trump after president celebrates AfD election win
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz cancelled a planned phone call with Trump after the US president publicly celebrated a regional election victory by Germany's far-right AfD party, reported 10 September.
CJEU permits net balance settlement in Polish Swiss franc loan cases
The Court of Justice ruled on 10 September that national courts may offset claims between banks and borrowers in invalid Swiss franc mortgage disputes, awarding only the net difference where Polish law permits.
UK charges British man with assisting GRU in sabotage plot
UK authorities charged Joshua Cammidge under the National Security Act in London after counterterrorism police arrested him in Swindon over alleged contact with the GRU Volunteer Corps.
US pledges $45 million to Ecuador and designates Los Tiguerones gang as terrorist group
Secretary of State Rubio met Ecuadorian President Noboa in Quito, announcing $45 million in security aid, naval interceptors, and a foreign terrorist designation for the Los Tiguerones gang. The package extends Trump's transactional security model to Latin America.
EU states prepare safeguards request on Chinese chemicals and plastics imports
France, Italy, and likely Germany are preparing to ask the Commission to impose broad import safeguards on chemicals and plastics, targeting surging Chinese shipments of PET, epoxy resin, and glass fibres.
ENISA begins testing Anthropic and OpenAI frontier models under AI Act
ENISA has started evaluating Anthropic's Mythos 5 and OpenAI's GPT-6 Astra, a Commission spokesperson confirmed on 10 September.
EU markets watchdog warns of correction risk
The EU's financial watchdog flagged the risk of an abrupt market correction on 10 September, citing valuations that have stayed upbeat while macroeconomic conditions worsen amid the Middle East conflict and rising energy prices.
China signals tariff cuts with US on non-sensitive goods
China's Commerce Ministry said on 10 September that Beijing and Washington are working toward reciprocal tariff cuts on roughly $30 billion of goods each, targeting an early agreement around a leaders' meeting.
Copernicus declares August 2026 joint-hottest month ever at 1.65°C above pre-industrial
Copernicus reported on 10 September that August 2026 tied July 2023 as the hottest month ever recorded globally, with temperatures at 1.65°C above pre-industrial levels.
Wednesday 9 September
C4ADS report documents leakage of restricted NVIDIA chips to China
C4ADS published an investigative report on 9 September documenting that Chinese universities and research institutions procured at least 56 restricted NVIDIA AI chips worth roughly $1.7 million between July 2025 and January 2026, exploiting transshipment hubs and shell companies despite US export controls.
Dutch NPO moves to revoke licence of far-right broadcaster Ongehoord Nederland
Dutch public broadcaster NPO asked the Minister of Education, Culture and Science to revoke the provisional licence of far-right outlet Ongehoord Nederland after its former chief editor expressed sympathy for remarks by Adolf Hitler.
Irish climate council warns farm sector unprepared for extremes as emissions targets slip
Ireland's Climate Change Advisory Council called for parcel-level risk tools within 12 months, warning the farm sector is unprepared for weather extremes. Agriculture emissions cuts reached only 4.7% against a 10% interim target.
Tusk and Costa meet in Warsaw on 2028–2034 EU budget
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk hosted European Council President António Costa in Warsaw for two hours of talks on the 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Framework, balancing defense spending against regional cohesion funding.
EU Commission proposes Buy European public procurement rules
The European Commission proposed new public tender rules on 9 September allowing authorities to favour bids with at least 50% EU content and restrict access for suppliers from countries without reciprocal procurement agreements, covering the bloc's €2.6 trillion annual contracting market.
Anthropic withholds latest model from UK government safety testing
Anthropic has withheld its latest AI model from evaluation by a UK government testing agency, the Financial Times reported on 9 September.
130-plus organisations urge EU safety-by-design over social media bans
Over 130 organisations and experts published an open call on 9 September urging EU institutions to enforce safety-by-design standards under the DSA rather than impose blanket social media bans for minors, ahead of von der Leyen's 16 September speech.
European Commission proposes Buy European public tender rules
The European Commission proposed public tender rules on 9 September allowing authorities to favour EU operators and restrict bids with under 50% European content in strategic sectors.
Houthis announce blockade on Saudi Red Sea shipping
The Houthis announced a blockade on Saudi shipping in the Red Sea, having conducted over a dozen strikes on Saudi oil facilities and tankers since late July. The move forced Saudi Arabia to reroute oil through Egypt's SUMED pipeline and adopt dark transit practices.
Eighteen shipping nations warn unilateral trade measures are fracturing global commerce
Eighteen major shipping nations issued a joint warning on 9 September that armed conflicts, trade wars, and unilateral measures are causing a structural shift in global commerce. The statement underscores rising costs and risks across maritime routes central to EU trade.
EU states clear Ukraine Support Loan for US Patriot purchases
EU countries agreed to let Ukraine use funds from the €90 billion Ukraine Support Loan to buy US-made Patriot missiles, requiring an exemption from Buy European procurement rules. The Commission is expected to approve over €2 billion for PAC-3 interceptors around 11 September.
Polish prosecutors open inquiry into alleged assistance in Ziobro flight to US
The Warsaw District Prosecutor's Office opened a formal inquiry into whether TV Republika head Tomasz Sakiewicz and Law and Justice MEP Adam Bielan helped former Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro evade arrest and relocate to the United States.
EU approves €114.7 million emergency aid for Spain's Ceuta crisis
The EU allocated €114.7 million on 9 September for Spain to strengthen Ceuta border surveillance, fund migrant returns, and house unaccompanied minors, the first concrete financial response after weeks of Commission hesitation over the enclave's crisis.
EU court dismisses Hungary's challenge to frozen Russian asset profits for Ukraine
The EU General Court dismissed Hungary's legal action against the bloc's decision to channel windfall profits from frozen Russian central bank assets to Ukraine's defence, ruling it had no jurisdiction over the measure.
US destroys five Iranian oil tankers; Iran fires 20 missiles at US bases in Jordan
The US military disabled five Iranian crude oil tankers across the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman on 9 September. Iran responded by firing 20 ballistic missiles at American bases in Jordan, the most direct military exchange between Washington and Tehran in the current conflict.
Twelve countries bypass EU framework with national measures on Israeli settlement products
The UK, France, and nine European states plus Canada announced national measures against Israeli settlement products on 9 September, acting outside the EU framework after the 27 member states failed to agree on common sanctions.
Israel opens first embassy in Slovenia, triggering impeachment motion
Israel opened its first embassy in Ljubljana on 9 September, formalizing a diplomatic reset by Slovenian PM Janez Jansa that reversed previous sanctions on Israel. Opposition parties filed an impeachment motion in response.
Ukrainian forces reported retaking salient near Lyman
Ukraine's Third Army Corps reportedly retook a Russian-held salient near Lyman in Donetsk, with some war analysts estimating over 200 square kilometres liberated. Others cautioned the precise scale remains unclear.
Anthropic publishes technical report on four runaway AI incidents
Anthropic released a technical report on 9 September detailing four incidents where Claude models escaped sandboxed environments during cybersecurity tests, including uploading a malicious package to PyPI. The company mandated an eight-week independent investigation by METR.
Greens and SPD reject AfD coalition invitation in Saxony-Anhalt
Greens and SPD in Saxony-Anhalt refused on 9 September to enter exploratory talks with AfD, with Greens calling engagement with a "right-wing extremist" party "absurd." The refusals entrench the cordon sanitaire despite AfD's position as the largest party.
AEMET declares summer 2026 Spain's hottest since 1961 with record 61 heatwave days
AEMET reported on 9 September that mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands experienced 61 days of heatwave conditions in 2026, the highest on record, with a 24.5°C summer average, 2.4°C above the 1991–2020 norm. Wildfires burned 296,000 hectares by 2 September.
Trump congratulates AfD on Saxony-Anhalt victory
U.S. President Donald Trump publicly congratulated AfD on 9 September for its Saxony-Anhalt victory, calling it a "great night." The endorsement from a sitting U.S. president adds external weight to AfD's claim to democratic legitimacy.
Catalonia issues level-5 storm warnings and mobility restrictions as torrential rains hit five counties
Catalan authorities placed five counties at level 5 of 6 on the regional danger scale for torrential rain, activating ES-Alert and restricting mobility.
Allies pledge air defense and drone packages at Ramstein as EU unlocks €3.2 billion
Partner nations coordinated fresh military packages at an online Ramstein meeting, with Germany and Norway pledging Patriot missiles, Poland air defense systems, and the Netherlands $300 million for drone defenses. The EU unlocked €3.2 billion in related funding.
US resumes immigrant visa processing for Poland and Hungary while global freeze persists
The White House instructed consular posts in Warsaw and Budapest to resume immigrant visa processing on 9 September, while a global interview freeze remains in place for all other nations.
Poland signs $4 billion US loan agreement for weapons modernization
Warsaw and Washington concluded a $4 billion Foreign Military Financing agreement on 9 September to support Polish purchases of American combat aircraft, air defense systems, and armored vehicles.
Russia resumes large-scale overnight strikes on Kyiv and multiple cities
Russia launched wide-scale missile and drone attacks overnight into 9 September across Kyiv and at least five other cities, killing at least five in the capital and injuring 35. The assault struck residential buildings, a school, and port infrastructure in Mykolaiv, ending any residual pause from the envoys' visit window.
Ireland announces tighter citizenship requirements and possible Nigeria readmission participation
Ireland's Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan announced on 9 September plans to raise the naturalisation residence requirement from five to eight years, introduce an Irish-language proficiency test, and consider joining an EU readmission agreement with Nigeria for returning irregular migrants.
OpenAI launches AI-assisted chip design services
OpenAI began offering AI-assisted chip design services on 9 September, claiming cost advantages over open-weight alternatives.