Threads
Stories that unfold over weeks: where things stand, what has changed and what comes next.
Latest changes
Tuesday 29 September
US finalizes lower 2031 vehicle fuel economy standard
The Department of Transportation set the 2031 fuel efficiency average at 34.9 mpg, down from 50.4 mpg, projecting $60.6 billion in automaker technology savings. The rollback widens the regulatory asymmetry with EU manufacturers bound by the 2035 ICE phase-out.
Trump announces $15 billion Mesabi Metallics steel mill in Iowa with federal Ex-Im backing
Trump announced a $15 billion Mesabi Metallics steel plant in eastern Iowa backed by up to $10 billion in Export-Import Bank financing, with production scheduled for 2030. The project extends the administration's tariff-shielded domestic manufacturing push into primary steel.
Monday 28 September
US pharmaceutical-tariff regime grants EU zero-duty eligibility on specified medicines
A US pharmaceutical-tariff regime due to take effect on 29 September grants the EU and other jurisdictions zero-duty treatment on specified patented medicines, including orphan drugs, gene and cell therapies, and certain medical countermeasures.
Saudi FM seeks US military help in Washington; US limits support to intelligence and targeting
Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan travelled to Washington on 28 September for talks with Secretary of State Rubio, requesting direct US military assistance against the Houthis.
FBI Co-Deputy Director Bailey resigns ahead of midterms
FBI Co-Deputy Director Andrew Bailey announced his resignation on 28 September after roughly one year in the post, departing the bureau five weeks before the 3 November midterms. No replacement was named.
Russia declares one-year moratorium on inspections of drone-damaged businesses
Russia announced a one-year moratorium on scheduled inspections of businesses damaged by Ukrainian drone attacks, covering damage recorded since 1 January 2026. The measure lets affected companies focus on repairs rather than regulatory compliance.
Altman will skip Australia's Senate AI inquiry hearing
OpenAI chief Sam Altman will not appear before Australia's Senate AI inquiry, Bloomberg reported on 28 September.
Poland lowers threshold for shooting down airspace intruders
Poland's defense ministry authorized fighter pilots and commanders to target hostile aerial objects using radar and intelligence data alone, without requiring visual confirmation.
Russian envoy Dmitriev holds Washington talks on war and postwar energy
Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev met US officials in Washington on 28 September to discuss a peaceful settlement and possible postwar US-Russia energy cooperation. The meeting followed a Trump-Zelenskyy conversation about a ceasefire covering energy-related targets.
Spain's Ceuta representative resigns amid border-crisis scrutiny
Spain's representative in Ceuta resigned on 28 September, citing personal reasons, after weeks of political and public scrutiny over the handling of the border rush involving tens of thousands of arrivals from Morocco.
EU's Šefčovič to visit Beijing 8-9 October for trade concession talks
EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič is scheduled to visit Beijing on 8-9 October to seek concessions on the EU-China trade deficit, a Polish report said on 28 September.
Kallas says EU Red Sea mission Aspides needs more ships; no new member-state pledges
EU foreign-policy chief Kaja Kallas said on 28 September that Operation Aspides, the Red Sea naval mission protecting commercial shipping, needs additional vessels to stay fully operational.
Top AI lab executives warn of self-improvement "intelligence explosion"
More than 20 AI executives and researchers from Anthropic, OpenAI, Meta, and Microsoft called for scrutiny of AI systems' ability to help develop successor models, warning this could accelerate progress toward an "intelligence explosion."
Kallas urges EU states to transfer Patriot interceptors before winter
EU foreign-policy chief Kaja Kallas called on member states with Patriot stocks to transfer interceptors to Ukraine before winter, with replacements supplied later as production catches up.
UK announces capped restart of refugee resettlement
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said on 28 September the scheme would reopen immediately, initially admitting hundreds of refugees and potentially rising to the low thousands annually.
Nvidia releases OpenShell tool to contain rogue AI agents
Nvidia released software on 28 September that uses hardware features in its processors to detect and block unsafe actions by AI agents, saying it could have prevented the earlier Hugging Face breach. Anthropic is among the launch partners.
ASML CEO warns broad export controls could accelerate China's chip development
ASML chief executive Christophe Fouquet said excessively broad Western export controls could accelerate China's domestic semiconductor development, the Berliner Zeitung reported on 28 September.
Russian strikes kill at least eight across Ukraine on 28 September
Russian drones and weapons killed at least eight people on 28 September, hitting Sumy, Kyiv suburbs, Zaporizhzhia, and Odesa. A guided bomb wounded 22 in a Kharkiv apartment building, and a drone struck a petrol station in Kyiv.
Ukraine strikes defence plants in Tula and Voronezh on 28 September
Ukrainian forces struck defence plants in the Tula and Voronezh regions on 28 September, extending drone attacks beyond the Krasnodar oil facilities hit the same day.
EU defence ministers debate Article 4-style crisis protocol in Brussels
EU defence ministers in Brussels on 28 September reviewed military readiness shortfalls and debated an emergency response mechanism analogous to NATO Article 4, also addressing Red Sea naval shortages.
Ukraine claims 51 sq km recaptured in northern Donetsk
Ukraine's Third Army Corps said on 28 September it recaptured 51 square kilometres and three villages in northern Donetsk, bringing its claimed total in the "Vivaldi" operation to 176 square kilometres.
Putin restricts publication of refinery output data
Putin signed a decree on 28 September limiting public access to data on oil processed and products manufactured by individual Russian refineries. The measure responds to repeated Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian refining and fuel infrastructure.
Ukrainian drones strike oil depot and defence plant in Russia on 28 September
Ukraine's General Staff reported drone strikes on an oil depot in Krasnodar region and a defence plant in Azov on 28 September. The Azov facility produces electronic and opto-mechanical components for Russian artillery, missile, and anti-tank systems.
Gotion to invest €1.1 billion in VW's Spanish battery plant
China's Gotion will invest €1.1 billion in Volkswagen's battery plant in Spain, Reuters reported on 28 September.
Six net contributors demand deeper MFF cuts in letter to Irish presidency
Germany, Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands, Finland and Sweden sent a letter to Ireland's presidency on 28 September declaring the previously discussed 2% cut to the nearly €2 trillion MFF insufficient and demanding deeper reductions with spending shifted from cohesion and agriculture toward defence, competitiveness, and migration.
China and US agree to cut tariffs on $60 billion of goods, extending truce
China and the US agreed on 28 September to reduce tariffs on roughly $60 billion of bilateral goods, extending their trade truce to 10 January 2027. Beijing's cuts cover corn, wheat, meat, dairy and seafood but exclude soybeans; Washington lowers duties on Chinese household goods such as coffee makers and tableware.
German auto association VDA softens opposition to EU trade-defence tools against China
The German automotive association VDA accepted on 28 September that EU trade-defence instruments could be deployed where Chinese practices distort competition or breach WTO rules, softening its previous opposition to trade action against China while still favouring dialogue.
Florida seeks court order blocking OpenAI from developing new models
Florida asked a court to bar OpenAI from developing new models without outside oversight, in a lawsuit alleging ChatGPT harmed children. The filing also seeks to restrict minors' access to the service.
Kallas warns EU defence ministers of Russian sabotage plans
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas presented intelligence to defence ministers in Brussels on 28 September, warning that Moscow is planning further sabotage and hybrid operations across Europe.
EU states approve five cross-border defence projects for EU funding
EU member states approved five cross-border defence projects eligible for EU funding on 28 September, covering space, maritime, air, and drone defence.
Trump asked Xi whether China would buy American weapons, ambassador says
US Ambassador to China David Perdue disclosed that Donald Trump asked Xi Jinping whether Beijing would purchase American weapons, prompting the State Department to reiterate that federal law prohibits arms transfers to China.
Three die in Channel crossing stampede on overcrowded boat off French coast
Three people including a 10-year-old child died from crushing on an overcrowded inflatable boat carrying 105 passengers off northern France on 28 September. Rescue operations were launched in Calais and a judicial inquiry opened.
EU seeks observer status in Saudi-led maritime defence coalition
The EU applied for observer status in a Saudi-led maritime defence coalition protecting the kingdom's energy exports, AP reported on 28 September. The move gives Brussels a foothold in a Gulf security architecture it has until now watched from the margins.
EU defence ministers debate Article-4-style crisis protocol
EU defence ministers meeting in Brussels evaluated military readiness shortfalls and discussed an emergency response mechanism analogous to NATO Article 4, plus naval shortages in the Red Sea.
Poland scrambles jets and halts flights after Russian strikes near border
Poland's military scrambled fighter jets and activated air-defense systems on 28 September after Russian strikes targeted western Ukraine near the Polish border.
Russia places Metro AG's Russian assets under temporary administration
A presidential decree transferred control of Metro AG's local assets to temporary administration on 28 September, days after the Lavrov-Wadephul meeting and amid German accusations of an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport.
Netanyahu meets UAE president in Abu Dhabi after pre-October 7 warning reports
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi on 28 September, following reports that the Emirati leader had warned him before the 7 October 2023 attack.
Sunday 27 September
National Rally wins first-ever Senate caucus in French indirect election
RN and allied right-wing candidates won enough seats in France's 27 September indirect Senate election to form a parliamentary caucus for the first time, granting the party procedural powers in the upper chamber ahead of the 2027 presidential race.
OpenAI and Anthropic lobby Australia against copyright limits on training data
OpenAI and Anthropic made submissions to an Australian parliamentary inquiry on 27 September opposing the country's refusal to let commercial AI developers train on Australian creative works.
British police arrest five near US air base used for Iran operations
British police arrested five men on 27 September near RAF Fairford, a US air base used for operations against Iran, on suspicion of explosives and terrorism offences. Trump said the suspects had intended to cause "big damage."